So, I'm a freshman who wants to self-study a few AP classes this year. I have a ton of upcoming tests/competitions that will likely eat up a substantial amount of my time (SAT, AMC 10, DECA state competition, FBLA state competition, Sci Oly, etc.) and I'm already taking two AP classes (World History and AP Comp Sci Principles), all of which I'm planning on doing really well in (not just dabbling in them). I have about 2 hrs of time a day that I can allocate to self-studying AP classes, and I'm already strongly considering self-studying AP Calculus AB (I'm in Precalc Honors this semester, and I feel like I know the material for the class already). So, I was considering self-studying AP Psychology and/or AP U.S. Government (I did civics this year so that makes US gov fairly simple) in addition to this stuff, and I was just wondering what the feasibility of getting a 5 in all of these of AP exams and still doing great in all of the extracurriculars above. What would be your best advice for doing this and what resources would you recommend for getting a 5 on the exams that I am self-studying?
tl;dr
A freshman wants to self-study for 3 AP exams (AP Calculus AB, AP Psychology, AP U.S. Government) AND score a 5 no matter what in all of them (he would probably cancel his score(s) if he got a 4 or less)
He already has a crazy amount of extracurriculars that he wants to prepare for and do well in (and 2 AP classes)
He is in Precalculus Honors right now, but already knows/isn’t challenged by the material
He already did Civics Honors so he is familiar with U.S. Government
He has about 2-3 hours a day that he can allocate to studying for these
He wants to know your input on how he can do this, as well as the best materials for studying for them
He wants to know how long it would take to study for each one (again, he can spend 2-3 hours on them a day)
^ this is long too lol sry
It’s more about me challenging myself than it is wanting to impress colleges, bc I get that they don’t care much about self-studying AP classes. I’d rather not waste those 2-3 hrs, which is why I wanted to self-study the APs. Also, I wanted to add that I’m exceptionally great at math so learning calc isnt an issue at all. I’m using Khan Academy for Calc and I probably will use either the Barron’s book or the Princeton review one to review for the exam, and so far it seems to be very mundane and simple… would you guys think I could fit in AP Psych and US gov in that (also us gov isn’t a grad requirement)?
I’d also like to add (so that you can get a good sense of the situation) that I’ve done all of limits and some of differentiation in the 5 days I’ve studied (although I spent way more that 2-3 hrs each day and I won’t have that time in a week or so) and it seemed to be pretty easy. Would you say it gets rly hard from there or does it only get slightly harder? Also (sry for all the questions lol pls do try to answer them tho) where could I learn how to do the FRQs for Calc AB and be able to do some practice problems?
That depends how well you can cram a book. Neither exam is considered overly hard. For psych, I literally just crammed the weekend before using a review book and got a 5.
This is completely doable if you have the time to spare. As said before, it won’t help much with admissions, so unless you’re confident that you’ll be able to get the score you want, I wouldn’t do it (those exams are expensive!!)
Depending on what your school offers, I see no point in self-studying Calc AB. Especially if you can take Calc BC next year, which covers AB.
US Govt has a lot of teacher-student interaction; you’re probably better off taking the class. In most schools it’s considered a core class. Don’t self-study that one.
As far as what are good candidates for self-studying - Psych is probably worth self-studying for. Stats is another suggestion. Maybe MacroEcon and MicroEcon. There are others that aren’t worth it.
Self-studying APs does not help you with admissions. They don’t look at your AP test scores for admissions…seniors who take APs don’t get the scores back until after they are admitted.
So if you do it, you would be doing it for College credit. See if your colleges of choice would give you credit and if that credit would be useful. Like for ES…if you want to be an engineer you would take other sciences…maybe you could get elective credit?
Also realize that doing well in your HS courses is vastly more important than self studying…also would you have time to do ECs if you are self studying?
Love to learn - great! Take the classes
Want college credit? Fine…but make sure it is not at the expense of your regular HS courses or ECs
AP Scholars award with distinction…this is cool and all…but is not useful for college admissions
4) College Admissions...doesn't help. Many people take AP tests senior year after they are already admitted. Colleges don't generally take AP scores into account. They take your GPA/SAT into account
@bopper Thanks for the input. I really liked some of your advice but I disagree with your statement that AP test scores are not taken into account for admissions. Colleges likely want to see your subject strengths through the AP exams/SAT II tests and I feel like AP exams tend to be a small factor in admissions, although obviously not having taken AP exams for those who go to a school where AP classes are not offered won’t count against their admission. I do believe they are a factor for those that have taken them though.
@bopper Also, yes, I understand that self-studying doesn’t help with admissions. I just feel like self-studying Calc AB and Psych is a good idea because the classes tend to be too slow-paced and I kinda want a challenge, that’s all. And yes, I do have time to do ECs (I’m in 8 clubs and a sport), although I admit I’m not doing as well in them as I would if I wasn’t self-studying for Calc AB and Psych. I chose not to self-study AP US Gov btw
Do you have any links to info/evidence about that?
I see where colleges ask for SAT/ACT scores, and SAT 2 scores, but not AP scores. I don’t seem them mentioned on the Common Data Set. I think the issue is that not every student has access to the same amount of AP classes so it is hard to use it as input to admissions.
If you think about it, an AP test score says “can you get college credit for this?” If you don’t get a high score, then you need to take the course in college…which is the point of college.
For example, Stanford says:
Students currently enrolled in AP courses are not required to submit AP scores as part of our admission process. AP scores that are reported are acknowledged but rarely play a significant role in the evaluation of an application. Grades earned over the course of a term, or a year, and evaluations from instructors who can comment on classroom engagement provide us with the most detailed insight into a student’s readiness for the academic rigors of Stanford. http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html
@skompella9892 You have come to CC to ask advice. Some adults who have experience in the college app process have answered your questions. You are saying “No, my way is better.”
To me, it is like saying “Yes, I will take good classes but also dig a 50 foot hole to challenge myself.” and we say “but colleges won’t care that you dug a hole” and you say "But I want to challenge myself and I think they will appreciate it’
We can’t stop you. We just think you are putting your effort in the wrong place.
“My school has good course offerings, including about 25 AP classes and good opportunities.”
Your school allows you to sit for AP exams (that they offer), but choose not take in school? That should not be allowed.
If u think that the path to Stanford is via grinding tests and racking up APs, you are wrong. Read the link above. Do well in school and in ECs you CARE about. Do something you enjoy other than taking or studying for tests. Read for pleasure. Sleep. Volunteer. Get a job!
So you can listen to your own opinion, or you can take the expertise of people who have been around this block a few times: one of those things will help with admissions and the other won’t.
“8 clubs and a sport” can = nothing if you don’t show commitment over time / growth / leadership. Some breadth is a good thing- but depth is also important. Focus your EC efforts on a couple that really mean something to you- and challenge yourself in them. If you want to challenge yourself in math, get into some competitions. If school is too slow & boring see if you can move up a level. Take a summer course that lets you move up a level.
@bopper I apologize; I did not mean to come across as arrogant. I was just confused because you said that AP exams scores had NO weight whatsoever, while I thought that they were just “acknowledged” (as stated in that piece of evidence from Stanford) but had little weight. Again, I do understand that AP exams have little weight in college admissions; I just want to take the AP Calculus AB exam because I have a background in calculus and don’t want to take a yearlong course about what I already have a solid foundation in. As for the AP Psychology exam, it seemed like a fun topic to learn about but I didn’t want to waste a spot in my schedule as I’ve heard the teacher doesn’t teach much anyway. Once again, sorry for sounding arrogant to you.
@suzyQ7 I just wanted to clarify that by no means does my school recommend self-studying for AP classes. It’s not in their power, however, to prevent students from taking them without the course, as The College Board does not require students to take an AP class for the corresponding AP exam. Also, I feel like I’m coming across to you as someone who is doing all of this for college admissions purposes. Please look at my post right above this one for the explanation as to why I’m planning on self-studying for AP Calculus AB and AP Psychology–I’m not doing it to “impress” colleges; I’m doing it for those reasons ^.
It is in their power to prevent to from taking it at your HS, though. They are under no obligation to order you a test. But they would be hard pressed to prevent you from taking the exam at another test center.
What math courses does your HS offer post-Calc AB? Personally, I think you are better off following the math curriculum at your HS, and looking for community college options once exhausted.If you’re hell bent on self studying calc, look through past threads as the question gets asked every year.
In terms of psych, while not a strategy I’d recommend, having never taken a psych class, I self studied it over a weekend with Barron’s (which is sorta why colleges don’t put much stock in simply self studying for an exam).
FYI, the fact that the AP Psych exam is so mind-numbingly easy is one of the main reasons Dartmouth eliminated AP Psych credit.
@collegemom3717@bopper@suzyQ7 I wanted to apologize for seeming like I’m arrogant and closed to ideas from anyone but me. I am very much interested in what you all have to say and I’m just trying to explain my reasoning behind self-studying for these AP exams–which isn’t to impress colleges at all. I’ve explained what my reasoning for taking these exams are two posts above this one. Also, @collegemom3717, I understand that I need to focus more on building up just a couple of ECs and I appreciate your opinion, thank you.
