<p>I'm taking three AP classes this year but feel no inclination to take the AP tests. I have a hard time explaining why, and people tend to tell me it's because I'm chicken (note: I do not suffer from test anxiety; I do very well with standardized testing). Does this happen to anybody else? What's your 'excuse?'</p>
<p>My top colleges don't accept AP credit, so I haven't taken any of the tests; also, it's expensive. Thoughts?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Even colleges that don’t accept AP credit often waive intro courses or have more rigorous sections of intro courses. </p></li>
<li><p>Good AP scores might help you to get into your top colleges. </p></li>
<li><p>As a junior, you don’t know which college you’ll be attending yet.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Your school makes you pay to take a AP test? That’s so weird mine actually pays you 100$ if you get above a 3.</p>
<p>Sorry flap we don’t all go to yuppie schools…</p>
<p>But i think that paying for the test is a great motivator to not blow it off…</p>
<p>My school gets subsides for any AP exams… so we pay 20$… but then again 97% of the kids at my school are “economically disadvantaged” (they lie on their lunch forms for free lunch)</p>
<p>50% of the students in my school district are living below the poverty line; 40% are failing state standardized tests; I think the majority of any funds available for economically disadvantaged students goes to the ones who are underachieving (fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it). In any case, there are very, very, VERY few ‘poor’ kids in the ap curriculum, and I don’t think my school knows how to deal with it. (In addition, my district is facing a deficit due to state/federal budget cuts, so who knows what’s in store).</p>
<p>Which AP courses/tests and which colleges?</p>
<p>If they are useless for advanced placement at all of your colleges, then don’t bother. But if they are useful for advanced placement at any of your colleges, then it can be well worth it – you will gain a free elective for a course you could skip, or possibly graduate early and save a semester of costs.</p>
<p>What’s a yuppie school?
I have 4 AP test to take this year and I plan on getting my 400$</p>
<p>i’m stereotyping any school that pays kids to pass AP exams as being “yuppie” </p>
<p>White rich suburban schools… </p>
<p>If i’m wrong tell me lmao</p>
<p>You’re wrong. My school is like 10% white. I only know 20 out of 1050 in my junior class Q_Q</p>
<p>I took AP English in HS. is it possible to take the AP tesst later on if you didnt take it in highschool or if you didnt take the class at all?</p>
<p>Ha - I belong to one of those ‘suburban schools’ (though not much ‘white’)
and we pay $75 per test. I think the paying for passing scenario would be
used more at a disadvantaged school as incentive for students to study and
take the tests, since some of the rankings are based on the number of students
taking AP tests. If our district paid out for APs, it would be even more broke
than it is.</p>
<p>xolxfo - I researched this a little bit before and I came up with the conclusion that no, you can’t take it later. The high school district adminsiters the tests, so I am pretty sure you have to be a high school student.
now, if you are still a high school student - you don’t have to take the class. A lot of students at my school self-studied since we don’t have that many classes.</p>
<p>I use to think that too, but you actually have to qualify and be selected to take an AP test at my school by having a good grade in the class. If not then you have to pay.</p>
<p>jbourne,Flapjaklux- thanks for the reply. I also think about honors classes in community college and how that efects transfering to an honors college at a university. i know thats a bit off topic but just wondering</p>
<p>back to the original OP - the only reasons I can think of to not take the tests:
<p>My college takes them and I got credit. however, my major doesn’t have any
room for extras, so they ended up being useless. Well, not totally! They
also assign registration priority based on your number of credits and
these credits do count for that.</p>
<p>Last year my school charged $92, 5 MORE than what the College Board officially lists as the price ($87). I go to a “suburban white” school, although we do have a significant latino population.</p>
<ol>
<li>$100 per test, really?! -though if you pass you could save hundreds in college</li>
<li>you dont want to pay $100 and then not pass</li>
<li>your major/school will not take ap credits</li>
</ol>
<p>My wealthy, white suburban school charges $87 per test. My family’s from the cheaper side of the street, so I’ve considered not taking the AP french exam to save $. From what I’ve heard nobody who’s not a native speaker ever got higher than a 2 on it and most colleges have their own placement test and will give credit for that. Oh, we also get a .025 bump up in GPA if we take the test and get at least a 3. That helps with college admissions in general.</p>
<p>Benefits of taking the AP Test:
-In many private schools, a credit costs upwards of $1000, taking an AP and fulfilling that credit for an 80$ fee is worth it IMO
-It is often times easier than final exams given by the teacher, most schools allow students to not take finals if they take the AP exam. A 50% is a 5 on the Chem AP test, but a 50% on a Chem final given by my teacher on all that material I learned is a failing grade nonetheless. </p>
<p>Why not to take it…
-Monetary issues (I still see the tradeoff give a much better return), and most of the time, if you cannot afford it at all, you are usually in a situation in which you can get a waiver from the school
-You know that the colleges you are looking at don’t offer any credit for them
-You are sure you are going to fail</p>
<p>I pay $90 per AP test
I also have to pay $75 per AP class enrolled in</p>
<p>3 AP’s enrolled in + 5 AP Tests = *****load of money</p>