<p>I keep hearing varied answers about the way AP exam scores are used in college admissions...</p>
<p>are they used as a factor to determine an acceptance from a rejection..?</p>
<p>I hear they are self-reported, what if I don't write any of my scores and just send them all together after senior year to see if I get credit or not?</p>
<p>Would that impact me?</p>
<p>I really want to clear this up!</p>
<p>What I’ve heard is that the AP scores are part of the academic “big picture” that includes GPA, class rigor, SAT/ACT, SAT II’s, etc, etc. I don’t think that they will make or break anything on their own. Like you said, you don’t have to even mention them if you don’t want to. I’d send them if they were comparable or better than the rest of your academics, otherwise don’t.</p>
<p>In terms of getting credit, it seems like every school counts them differently. DS just decided on a school that gives nothing for the US Govt test, but he’s studying tonight and will take the test tomorrow morning.</p>
<p>Most admissions officers will tell you the scores don’t matter for admissions, it’s the fact that you’ve taken the course that matters. Most students don’t believe them, especially when they ask you to self report the scores. Personally, I hope my kids’ great scores counted/will count for something, but we’ll never know for sure.</p>
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<p>I don’t think I’ve ever heard an admission officer say exactly that. I’ve heard one (from Duke) say that the AP test scores matter, in some cases. I see you follow up your own statement there by suggesting that maybe scores do matter, and I agree with you that it’s hard to be sure how much they matter. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html</a></p>
<p>I have heard admissions officers say they don’t look at the scores, I just had trouble believing them. I wish I could tell you which ones, it was a few years ago, but they were from selective colleges and the other admissions officers at the table sort of nodded along.</p>
<p>An A in an AP class with a 1 or 2 score in the test would indicate to me that something is not right. When that happens once, OK; but if you see it in a few of the APs, something’s wrong. Notice that I’m not putting the blame on anybody (school, teacher, or student).</p>
<p>What if one doesn’t report/send the scores to the school? I heard that it costs money to send the scores to each school for each test…itll get expensive with multiple aps…</p>
<p>^That one is easy, I don’t think any school asks for the official report until you matriculate. But a lot of applications have a place for you to self report your scores and some high schools may put AP scores on their transcripts.</p>
<p>I have heard that AP scores could possibly figure into admission if the decision comes down to this person or that person. Many kids that my son knows take the AP class just to make their transcripts look impressive to a college, but often blow off the exam. Too bad. We sat down and figured that if my son got the top scores (4 or 5) on every exam, I paid $282 for 63 credits (mind you, his school will take 45). That’s a great deal.</p>
<p>If you took AP courses your senior year, your scores will not even BE available to the schools for application consideration. I agree with others…it’s the fact that you took the course and presumably got a decent grade from your school that matters. The results of the AP tests are only seen by the schools if YOU elect to send them.</p>
<p>^^^You can rest assured that the ones that scored 4-5s will send them. If you choose not to send them it will look to AdComs that there must be a reason and their first assumption will be low grades.</p>
<p>If schools are looking at the SAT II (subject tests), I don’t know why they would not be looking at AP scores. I see them as part of the big picture, and could make a difference at the margin. As such, we paid to send the scores to Highly Competitive schools (just like you pay to send SAT and ACT scores). For the less competitive schools, his grades and ACT/SAT test scores were good enough.</p>
<p>Two years ago, I had this question. Most people on CC told me to have my son just self report his scores. I decided to call the admissions offices of all 10 colleges he was applying to. Most said they absolutely did want official score reports, so we had them sent to all 10. If you have great scores, why not? The college he’s attending gave him full credit for all 4 APs he took, so if he needs a little slack at some point, he’s got it.</p>
<p>I think there are two different issues. First, the best method for using your AP scores to improve your chances of admission and two, getting credit for your AP scores. I think most schools realize that it is very expensive to have official reports sent of AP test scores and really don’t expect them to be sent during the application process. That’s the reason they use the self reporting method. In order to get credit, however, you must report your scores to the college you are going to attend. That will be free since you just put that school down for the AP scores your senior year. All the prior scores will be included when the senior AP scores are sent.</p>
<p>College consistently say they are interested in the RIGOR of the course load taken. If your school offers lots of APs, but you take none, you look like a slouch. If your school offers few, and you take and score well on both, you look like a hero. </p>
<p>There is a lot of variability between the rigor of various schools AP courses or regular courses. AP exam scores help college sort through, using a consistent metric, which class are tough and which are not.</p>
<p>Don’t underestimate the value of taking a regular course, do a bit of backfill, and then take the exam. Then you really look like a star. Motivated and smart</p>
<p>AP’s make difference when applying to very selective programs. Actually, without AP’s there are no chances at some programs, when most kids are very close to GPA=4.0 and it might be 800 for 15 spots, they got to select them somehow. They also earn you a cheap college credit, in particular if you hate some subject(s) and want to avoid taking it in college. D. completed college History Requirement, one class that she would hate to take in college because she never cared for it.</p>
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<p>Yes, like the Common Application, since this year, which is used by hundreds of colleges. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html</a></p>
<p>Strong scores on AP exams are also helpful in demonstrating that a school’s curriculum is very, very challenging and goes well beyond AP expectations. (School profiles and course descriptions can further support this claim.)</p>
<p>We never sent an official AP score report until May of senior year, when S1 designated the college he’s attending on his AP exam forms. (Note: a student who is not taking APs senior year but has scores from previous years to report to a college will need to request they be sent and pay $$ to CB.) </p>
<p>For applications, S1 self-reported all scores. Personally, I think one should report everything, even if one or two scores are low.</p>
<p>When DD one was applying, colleges told us, don’t take an AP class unless you
have a good chance of doing well on the test (4-5) In NoVa PS, anyone can take
an AP class, so the grade may not actually reflect the “rigor” of the course.</p>
<p>It seems there are several issues as far as the AP exams go…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If a child does well on them, the may qualify for some form of AP Scholar which does look good on an app.</p></li>
<li><p>Colleges like to see that kids took the most rigrous schedule they could in HS even if they say they don’t use AP scores for admission.</p></li>
<li><p>Colleges count AP credit differently, 3-5’s, individual departments might require them, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>At some schools, AP credit counts towards graduation credit but not GE’s.</p></li>
<li><p>Some grad schools (med schools particularly) not sure about others, do not count AP sciences for example so the science series must be taken in college anyway.</p></li>
<li><p>US History and/or Government will usually help to meet a US Institutions requirement if the college has one. Some will accept 3’s others will want 4’s and 5’s.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Maybe there is some others things I haven’t mentioned, but it is a good idea to take AP’s and the test. Since kids change their minds many times between the time they are freshman and seniors, it is a good idea to take the hardest schedule they can given their personality and also the courses offered at any particular school. Some schools don’t offer many AP’s and colleges are aware of those schools so the kids are looked at in the context of what is offered. Good luck all!</p>