<p>As a senior who is already accepted at Caltech, is it worth the money and time to take the AP exams in May this year? </p>
<p>I know Caltech doesn't give any AP credit, but my concern is that employers may ask for scores on my AP exams for internships or research opportunities. I'm currently enrolled in 3 AP classes, and the teachers won't be happy when I tell them I won't be taking the AP exam.</p>
<p>I would say just take them for the hell of it.</p>
<p>Why not? Since you’re going to Caltech, you should really be able to get an easy 5.
Help pump up your school’s average! =]</p>
<p>^ lol, that’s nice light-hearted advice… but you must be rich if you’re able to pay $210 to take them “for the hell of it” and to “pump up your school’s average.”</p>
<p>Definitely don’t take them if you know you won’t do well. Maybe take one of them that you know you can score well on? That way you can list at least one good AP score.</p>
<p>Well, I’m sort of in the same boat…
Last year I just told my school, “If you want a free 5 on an AP test, which would help your average and your Newsweek rankings, pay for it, and I’ll give you one.”
They obliged, I got the 5, and everyone was happy.</p>
<p>I was thinking about doing the same this year with a few tests. :]</p>
<p>Wow, lol. I wish I could do that… my school would probably laugh in my face 
We have too many high scorers that would be willing to pay for them to care about me, lol.</p>
<p>Haha, I seriously doubt that my school would even consider paying for my AP exams.</p>
<p>But does anyone know if internships and researchers in college care about high school AP scores? I figure that my Caltech transcript won’t be very big!</p>
<p>I’ve never put my senior year AP scores on anything. I doubt you’ll need them.</p>
<p>Well, my teachers were very understanding that some students don’t want the AP exams, just the courses. After all, it is money. And if Caltech doesn’t accept 'em, yeah seriously forget about it. </p>
<p>I can’t imagine that NOBODY can pass out of freshman year courses though…maybe testing out is possible? [Note – am already in college, so technically this doesn’t apply to me…but curious].</p>
<p>Caltech has specific tests to allow you to pass out of certain classes. We don’t accept AP credit because most of our coursework is built on the assumption that you’ve already had the AP courses, now it’s time to learn something more difficult.</p>
<p>Right, imaginable. I meant in the case that someone’s really had rigorous training at a solid level that Caltech would approve of. </p>
<p>Because, while Caltech’s course may still be more difficult, one may want to just move on and take something else, and there are definitely talented students who’d be in the position to succeed like this, I imagine.</p>
<p>For instance, hypothetically if I genuinely come in knowing calculus and linear algebra at a solid level, I’d probably not want to take them again…even if the Caltech course were somewhat harder [heck, maybe it isn’t even harder] than the type of stuff I was exposed to. </p>
<p>Anyway, I think you understood that this possibility exists, and that Caltech has its own means [not measly AP’s] to figure out who’s ready, which is good.</p>
<p>Don’t take your APs. I canceled mine once I decided to go to Caltech. Nobody (internships, etc.) has ever asked about them (same is true for SATs).</p>
<p>Oh well, I guess I"ll take all of my 4 APs this year, since my school is paying for all of my exams (yes! as well as everybody else in my school taking exams too!)</p>
<p>I make $20/hour at my internship not including food and travel stipends. I’m a high school senior. My employer has never said a word about APs, and I doubt yours will either.</p>
<p>Don’t take them unless they’re free. Waste of money otherwise.</p>