<p>Hey, umm...i wanted to ask you if colleges recognize taking APs (and getting 5s) at younger ages like grade 9/10 (and also self-studying them).</p>
<p>Because our school does not offer AP (we have IB instead of AP, Seoul Foreign School) and both exams are held on May (we take IB on 2008 May/2009May) , but i would really like to take the AP exams. (i'm in grade 9 now) Hence, i have to SELF STUDY and take them in GRADE 9/ GRADE 10. </p>
<p>I'm planning on taking AP Calc AB, AP Bio and AP Stat 2006 May (grade 9) and
AP Physics B, AP Calc BC, Chemistry, AP World History on 2007 May (grade 10)</p>
<p>i mean...will they think if you as 'better than the ones who took them in grade 10/11/12 at a AP school?'. Sorry, i don't mean to sound too..arrongant.</p>
<p>I mean taking 5 AP's over all three years won't look much better than taking 5 AP's in junior year alone. The only significant advantage is that you'll be able to take more AP's by the time you apply. Go for the National AP Scholar award!</p>
<p>It makes no sense to take both AB and BC Calculus exams. You do not receive credit for both. If you take the BC exam, you also get an AB subscore.</p>
<p>I'm planning on taking AP Calc AB, AP Bio and AP Stat 2006 May (grade 9) and
AP Physics B, AP Calc BC, Chemistry, AP World History on 2007 May (grade 10)</p>
<p>Ok, from my own experience, do not set such far reaching goals. Unless you are very motivated, it's very hard to set an alloted time amount.
My advice would be to pick one Main subject, such as AP BIO or AP CALC and study just that freshman year. It'll be very hard to study all three of those while you are a freshman, not to mention being able to pass.</p>
<p>Perhaps take an online course from some of the universities-John Hopkins, Northwestern, and Duke all have online classes for AP subjects.</p>
<p>My advice would be to take one AP class at a time instead of jumping into three, self guided AP Classes.</p>
<p>I agree with twinkletoes23. Advanced Placements exams are not that fun to take and it takes a lot of energy out of you. It is really hard to study for such advance classes such as AP Calculus AB/BC and AP Statistics without having the fundamental building blocks of other maths. All I can say, personally, is good luck, and have a good time studying.</p>
<p>I agree with the past few people who replied. Take one exam at the end of freshman year. A.P. is pretty hard. In A.P. World History, it may be harder than the other A.P's I have to read 38-40 text book pages in two nights and do an outline. It can become pretty hard sometimes. Also for math if you took the prerequesites then maybe you should self-study, but then if you didn't then don't. Also self-study A.P. Bio I think that it looks pretty easy.</p>
<p>I agree with what everyone says, unless you are homeschooled. If you are homeschooled, then it shouldnt be too hard if you can work at it. But if you're going to school, then definetly, just try one or two in a subject that you like, and aren't that hard, like Economics, Stat, COmputer Science, Human Geography, or Phycology.</p>
<p>hey people, thx so much for advice~
as for now, i think i will take AP Calc AB (i've done pre-cal), and Bio. i've looked at the free response questions and a few multiple choices and Calc AB seems so much easier than Stat. For me, self-studying subjects like economics, geography seems a lot harder than calculus. so yea, i think will do Calc AB next year. anyways, people seem to think AP Bio is easy to study. Yes, it is but i guess the free response questions are quite tricky. For example, who would have thought of studying flatworms, earthworms, that's not even in Barrons?</p>
<p>For one... How did you take Pre-Calculus and you are going to only the 9th grade?!?!?! Also, AP tests and classes are not that easy as everyone makes it seems. Everyone on this board has/had to put forth a lot of effort to make the grades they make. Especially, AP exams are no joke. They take a lot of energy out of you, so you really be tired by the free response questions, so that makes it extra harder than they really are. Another this is that AP Calculus may seem easy to you, but you only have a current amount of time on each question and you can not spend time trying to work out a problem, that is easy, but may be time consuming; you have to keep moving. One more thing is... AP Biology is another thing that is not a joke; you have to memorize a lot of information for the test, and know how to understand question in a lot of different formats. So, with IB classes' work and studying for AP, you will have a lot of work to cut out for you. Say goodbye to your weekends, starting in January.</p>
<p>I disagree with ALL of you. I had tons of fun studying for my AP's :P.</p>
<p>Hehe.</p>
<p>Anyway, just take <em>two</em> freshman year. I took three sophomore year (two self studied) and regeretted not taking more beforehand because most exams really aren't that hard.</p>
<p>It doesn't make sense to self study four exams sophomore year, though. If you're going for the National AP Scholar award, don't fret, you have three years to take eight exams. If you take two freshman year, you only need three in sophomore and junior years each. And I bet you're going to take some AP classes your junior year, anyway.</p>
<p>Don't you guys think that an A.P. might be too hard for a Freshman especially if they don't exactly know what to study? What could they study? Maybe European History. Maybe Stat. Possible Biology But not really any others.</p>
<p>Also PLEASE answer this. If you self study do you actually study the material that will be covered or do you just study for the exam using ONLY a Review Book. I'm having trouble with this. Reply Thanks.</p>
<p>You study for AP courses however you like if you self-study. Note that some (many) colleges will not give you credit or advanced standing for an AP science course, even with the top score of 5, unless you have a lab notebook that shows you actually did a fair number of typical laboratory experiments for a science course at that level. </p>
<p>Math students have an especially easy time self-studying. I know several eighth-graders who are taking a university calculus I course this year (through our town's accelerated math program for talented secondary school students) and they would surely be ready for the AP Calculus AB test at the end of eighth grade, and could possibly self-supplement to take the BC test. (By the end of the next year of their program, university honors calculus II, they should definitely be ready for the BC test.) The math part of the AP statistics exam is not too hard, although the statistical concepts (how to evaluate and analyze DATA) can be very hard for many people and are frequently ignored right here on CC. AP tests in the humanities probably are easy for advanced and eager readers, and hard for everyone else. </p>
<p>I know a few local eighth-grade homeschoolers who expect to take the AP chemistry test after a two-year chemistry course ("honors" chemistry last year, AP chemistry this year) that was designed with that goal in mind by a local parent, using a hired teacher.</p>
<p>okay thanks guys for responses again. sciencenerd, i dont have much experience with AP, but i think self-studying for AP Calc isn't too bad. i've tried several FRQ and i can do most of them. and actually, even if you dont know that much pre-cal, i believe you can handle AP Calc AB (not sure about BC yet). for the review book matter, try using several review books, barrons and kaplan are pretty good.</p>
<p>Oh and Theoneo thanks for encouragement. And theoneo, do APs really not help that much with college admission? and how many APs did you take?</p>
<p>I mean, they DO help. But taking 15 random ones wouldn't make any sense.</p>
<p>I took three sophomore year (two self studied) and I'm taking six next year (one self study). I wouldn't be self studying more than 1 or 2 if I wasn't going for the National AP Scholar award... which doesn't mean that much, but whatever. I only need to self study one more, so why not.</p>
<p>Just don't be afraid to test your boundaries. Someone has to do it.</p>
<p>clairvoyant, I believe that taking AP exams and not the classes will not help you with college admissions, colleges need to see that you can handle college level work, not just an exam. Also, colleges want to see you taking the most rigorous courses at your high school, which I guess is IB. I also believe that taking AP while you are in IB is a total waste of time; unless you want college credit. All I can say is good luck and study hard.</p>