Regarding APs at Princeton

<p>Hi I will be attending Princeton next year (I am a prefrosh).</p>

<p>Anyway, I have enough credits to get Advanced Standing at Princeton already (I haave 18 5s and a 4 through my junior year) without any of the exams I am planning to take this year.</p>

<p>My parents are kind of hurting right now for money, and paying $87 for an AP exam that won't earn me any kind of credit seems to be a bit of a waste. However, on my application, I naturally listed that I was planning to take the AP exam for all the AP courses I am currently enrolled in, as well as 3 other self-studies. </p>

<p>Does it matter if I don't take any AP tests? I had to change my schedule a lot this last quarter so I would rather not throw this their way too, so if I could get a response from people telling me whether this is a big deal I would really appreciate it.</p>

<p>Are you a senior who’s been accepted? If so, call the admissions office and ask them. I doubt they’ll care. I see three potential reasons to take the tests:</p>

<ol>
<li> If Princeton wants you to, which I doubt.</li>
<li> For placement into Princeton courses.</li>
<li> So you can earn your State’s State AP Scholar Award. With 19 already, you’ve probably got a great shot at it. But…who cares about that anyway? I think it’s a pretty cool accomplishment, but that’s up to you.</li>
</ol>

<p>If you are taking a foreign language, take the AP. If you get a 5 (4/5 for Latin) you will have fulfilled your language requirement. If you are pursuing an engineering, this isn’t needed, as the language isn’t required for engineering.</p>

<p>The AP won’t get you credit at Princeton, because that’s not how Princeton works. However, depending on the course, taking the AP may let you waive a prerequisite or fulfill a distribution requirement.</p>

<p>If taking the test allows you to skip taking a course that you don’t want to take, it would be worth taking the test. Do some research and call the school, because $87 isn’t that much compared to the cost of even buying a textbook these days.</p>

<p>Princeton may let you waive the prerequisite anyway, if it comes to that. That’s why you should check with the school.</p>