Questions regarding APs

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Hello, I'm a sophomore, and I have some questions regarding APs.</p>

<p>(1) I'm taking both AP Physics C exams as a senior. Should I just take the AP Physics B exam for the heck of it, or is there not a great (enough) overlap between B and C?</p>

<p>(2) I self-studied for AP Calculus BC this year after having taken Honours Algebra II as a freshman and having tested out of Pre-calculus. I did not take AP Calculus AB because my school screwed up my schedule. I thought I was really well-grounded in calculus; even my neighbour who has an Bachelor's in Mathematics and summa cum laude honours from Harvard said that I could get a 5 easily. But I don't think I was prepared for the exam. Like, I think I understand the concept more than a lot of the people who took the test, but I didn't get nearly as much practise with problems and practise AP exams/FRQs as they did. Optimistically, I got a 4; realistically, I got a 3. If worse comes to worst, I probably got a 2. However, I'm registered (i.e., I've successfully placed) for Multivariable Calculus this summer at Harvard. So, here's what I'm thinking:</p>

<p>(a) I will wait until July to see what I got. If it's a 4, I won't retake it. If it's a 3, I will retake it next year as a junior. Maybe the schools I want to apply to (Ivy Leagues) will look favourably upon marked improvement...(?)</p>

<p>(b) I will cancel my score and retake it again next year. (By the way, if I cancel my score, will the colleges that I apply to see that I cancelled it, or will they have no record of my having taken it?)</p>

<p>(c) I will cancel my score and not take the exam again because my Multivariable Calculus course is already higher up the math class sequence than Calculus BC.</p>

<p>In your opinion, which would be best?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>AP scores are self reported and of basically no importance in admissions.</p>

3

<p>Are you taking Physics B class? If so, and you still somehow have the option to take it or not (kind of late, isn’t it?) take it so long as the the money isn’t a big deal to you.</p>

<p>Don’t worry about a bad score. You really don’t have to do that well to get a 5. If you plan on engineering or something mathy, you might need a 5 though. Don’t worry about canceling scores though.</p>

4

<p>agreed with millancad.
and take physics b. there are stuff not covered in C on there.
light/etc/waves. etc.</p>

<p>dont worry about it. most colleges dont even look at your ap scores.</p>