Hello CC community,
I currently have just finished my freshman year of high school, and have taken 3 AP exams within the past administration(with scores being released today July 5th). I self studied two of the exams, AP US Gov and Politics as well as AP English Language, while I took AP Calculus AB as a class. I was admittedly disappointed to see that I received a 4 on all of the exams. My school mandates AP Calculus AB as a prerequisite to BC, so I will take the BC test next year(and hopefully receive a 5). Ultimately, I am aiming to attend an Ivy(though I recognize the competition present). My primary question is, will reporting 4s on AP exams in freshmen year be seen as a positive or negative in competitive university admissions? Additionally, should I neglect to report the Calc AB score if I get a 5 on the BC exam next year?
I greatly appreciate any and all information and guidance. Thank you.
4’s won’t hurt you, especially during freshman year. you are too early in this process to be worrying.
On the other hand, I would chill out on all these AP’s that you are self-studying for. I’m not sure colleges are all that impressed by it. some of these classes (AP Gov, for example) are much more about the classroom discussions and projects than the actual exam.
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If your HS offers the AP classes, then you should be taking these classes there. AO’s are not impressed by self studying and would rather see top grades in these classes than just AP scores. If the AP classes are not available, then AO’s do not expect you take what is not offered but might give you points for initiative.
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The main benefit of self studying APs is that you can save money in college by graduating faster. Then was surprised to see the Ivy goals - these APs are unlikely to help you graduate faster there. Given that I teach at a U, I’m not that impressed with the idea that you think educators don’t add value.
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I think the cake is not fully baked here. About 55K students get a 5 in Calc AB/BC. You are rushing into this head first and that is a terrible idea. You tell me now whether getting that 4 was a good idea or not? Focus on coursework and ECs. Consider retaking to up your score down the road.
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A couple of comments:
–Agree with the others that self-studying for APs is not the best use of your time. Colleges look to see how students perform in a classroom, not how well they can cram for an exam. Your time would be better spent focusing on your actual classes and doing ECs that are meaningful to you and where you can make a positive impact.
–It is way too early to think about specific colleges (especially the hyper-competitive ones). You just have one full year’s GPA and you have no standardized testing. You also need to recognize that HS should be an experience in and of itself – a time of learning and growth and not just a 4 year college application prep experience. It is good to take school seriously and know that college will be on your horizon, but it is too early to start planning for specific colleges or groups of colleges.
For now you should focus on:
–Working hard, learning, and doing as well as you can in the most challenging curriculum you can manage.
–When the time comes study for standardized tests.
–Continue your involvement in activities you care about and work towards making meaningful contributions to those activities.
–Enjoying spending time with your family and friends
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