Like many students across the US, today I received my AP scores. I got a 5 on Calc AB, and 4s on Chem and Lang. This was my first year taking any AP exams because my school doesn’t offer them for lower grades. Should I send my scores of 4 to the colleges I am looking to apply to? At this point, my biggest concern is showing that I can handle the highest level classes and do well in them. Will my 4s support that? I am planning on applying to top 20 schools, such as ND, Penn, Duke, Northwestern, and Yale.
A 4 is an excellent score. It’s not the end of the world. Send them.
Only on College Confidential and Reddit do people (incorrectly) think a 4 is bad.
You may not get credit for a 4 but it won’t be the reason for rejection.
You are far more likely to receive credit for a 4 than not. A 4 isn’t perfect, but it’s still above average. It’s like if you worry about a B, it’s still above average although some treat it like it’s a C or D. A 4 according to college board is about an A- or a B+ I’m pretty sure, so it’s still above average. You definitely didn’t fail if that’s what you’re worried about.
https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/ap-score-scale-table says that an AP score of 4 is supposed to be like a college grade of B, B+, or A-.