Hi, my name is Nicholas Olivares.
I was in a bit of a predicament in the 11th grade, and I am currently on Probation. I was enrolled into several AP courses before I was incarcerated, but I am now motivated to take the AP tests at the end of the year, even though at the moment this is what my 2nd Semester schedule looks like (w/ current 5-week grades):
AP Psych: A
AP Eng Lang: A
PreCalc: A
H. Chemistry: A
Spanish 4: B
I was in AP Chemistry, AP Spanish Lang, and AP English, but now that’s what my shedule looks like. I am going to study for the AP Human Geography test, AP Chemsitry test, AP Span test, AP Psych test, and AP Eng test
Will colleges look down on the fact that I will take these tests and not the courses? Please respond
In general the CSUs (except CP SLO) use a pretty simple formula to rank applicants. They combine your GPA from academic courses in 10-11 grades with your test scores (ACT or SAT) to create an Eligibility Index. As long as you complete the A-G requirements, that is really the only info they look at. While the tests may help checking the a-g boxes, they won’t otherwise be a factor in your admission.
UCs do consider the # of AP test taken and performance on them but, will require a high school diploma.
You’ll need to find a way to finish high school and produce a transcript or, get a GED and start at a Community College then transfer.
Like @NCalRent stated above, the CSU’s use the Eligibility index for admissions. You need to calculate your CSU GPA and you need ACT/SAT scores. A-G requirements are the most important to fulfill, since your application will not be considered if you lack in any area. Most schools would prefer you take the courses vs just taking the tests. Here is the CSU/UC matrix and some other useful links to see if you will fulfill all your requirements for admission;
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/csu-uc-a-g-comparison-matrix.pdf
http://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
https://secure.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/subjects.asp
https://secure.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/elig_index_calculator.asp
CSULB is a very competitive Cal State, so the higher the EI the better.