I agree it’s not fair but it’s just how it is. Maybe if you’re in a private or charter it’s different but I know that being in a WCPSS school makes it harder to get in.
Same issue in Mecklenburg County.
Same standards in what aspect? UNC has said that they consider the standards available to the applicant. For example if school A only offers 5 APs and school B offers 10 APs, then they expect student from B to have taken more APs and won’t hold it against those from A that they have fewer. However, I think they also consider dual enrollment availability. Plus, there are online options.
A lot of private schools cannot compete with public schools in number of APs offered. Also at least around here public school kids may take an AP class but not take the exam so even though there is a standardized curriculum there is not standardized grading and no objective way to compare from school to school. At UGA it doesn’t matter - super rigorous school (public or private) vs less rigorous school where AP tests are not required - all get a GPA boost. If you are in state your admission counselor is likely familiar with your school so theoretically it should not matter. I am not convinced of this! I think if you take an AP class an AP test should be required so you can compare between applicants.
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Also most private schools do not do DE so you are stuck with their offerings!
@VirginiaBelle but AP scores are not part of applying.
I agree with this to an extent but students who are bad test takers already have to stress enough about the sat/act that adding extra tests seems unfair. Plus even within collegeboard grading is not necessarily standardized. Some graders are a lot more lenient than others.
@recougar Don’t your high school classes, AP classes, etc., involve tests? I don’t really understand the idea that kids are bad test takers therefore it isn’t fair to have tests count for anything. Tests are part of a college education (a big part typically), so a student who can’t handle tests in general is probably going to struggle in college.
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@rbc2018 I can only speak from personal experience but normal tests and even most final exams don’t normally bother me. It’s more of national tests that could actually have a big impact on the future. I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone but I get so nervous that I feel like I’m going to get sick and I can barely hear my own thoughts over ones telling me that I’m going to fail the test and then my life will be ruined. Sitting here now I can tell you that it’s nonsense and that it’s just a test but when preparing and taking the test my brain freaks out on me and goes into overdrive.
@recougar Ah, I understand. I hope you can find a method of relaxation that will help you calm yourself and do your best on future tests. I am a college professor and I can’t tell you how often students say ‘I’m a bad test taker’. I really hate to hear that because I feel like they are discounting their own abilities and kind of giving up on themselves. I truly believe that you’re not a bad test taker, but you have anxiety that is preventing you from doing your best and maybe that is something you can get help with going forward. Most universities these days have counseling and coaching services that might be helpful and are worth checking out when you get there. Good luck to you!
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@VirginiaBelle I’m sure it’s easy to diss the “public school”, but the reality is it is a different population of kids likely with bigger classes, etc. I’m sure the kids at your private school have plenty of advantages to make up for what you perceive as some kind of unfairness in the quality/rigor of AP instruction. Be glad that your kid gets such amazing instruction that he/she gets great scores on the AP tests.
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I am not dissing the public school - we were in the public school system for years. I am saying that taking an AP class and not taking the AP test is not equivalent to those who take both the class and the test. If you have a student who has both taken the class and the test from each school you can easily compare them. The reason many colleges give weight to AP classes is that they are standardized but only the curriculum and tests are standardized - not the teaching and the grading which are obviously different in every school.
@VirginiaBelle That’s really the issue comparing anything from high school to high school. I mean, I hear about schools where half the kids have straight As, or kids are allowed to retake tests until they are happy with their score. I personally have always thought SAT and ACT help to ‘validate’ a student’s GPA, since GPAs are so hard to compare (but obviously there are lots of people in these forums who are anti-test scores or who have used test optional to their advantage).
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I feel like the issue with standardized tests isn’t that they’re inaccurate, but rather that they help to further separate kids based off socioeconomic status instead of taking account every other factor in their life that has led up to the test. But to be honest, I feel like this is more of a reflection of wealth, racial, etc. inequality in our country rather than flaws in the test itself. In a perfect world where everyone had equal opportunity, the test wouldn’t be a bad metric, in my opinion.
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Do we have a specific date yet when UNC will decide on EA applications? Or do we only know that it’s at the end of Jan, no day or date specific historically? I just read on UNC’s website that there will be no deferrals of EA candidates…accept or reject only…ugh
Historically it’s the last Friday of January. Last year, however, it was second to last Friday. So I’m expecting January 29 but would be thrilled if January 22. Applicants can also be waitlisted … they just don’t defer anymore. So it’s accept, deny or waitlist.
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NC State is saying January 30th, which is a Saturday - so I’m guessing that they may release on Friday the 29th. It would be cruel for UNC & NC State to release on the same day (many NC students apply for both and both have become very competitive). Given that, I’m thinking UNC may release on the 22nd.
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I have heard that they historically have released during the same week. Agree that it would be great if it’s the 22nd but I’m not optimistic.
We could manage the same week, but the same day would be rough!
Funny - I recently looked through my older daughter’s acceptances from back in 2013. She received her NC State EA acceptance on December 11th. They must have pushed the release date back into January at some point after she applied.
Interesting! Where did you find that on their site? EDIT - Found it! Thanks for the heads up.
https://admissions.unc.edu/faqs-for-counselors-on-early-action-decision-change/