Yes, I got our AP Test scores today. I am a rising senior, and I thought I did well, but I got 2 2’s. The other thing is that I already sent these scores, previously, to the university I wanted to go to. I still want to get into that university, so what should be my next steps?
Your next steps? Make sure the rest of your application is excellent. There is nothing you can do about the already sent AP scores.
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Will bad AP test scores impact my college decisions? In other words, should I retake?
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No. Move on.
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The only retakes would be next May AFTER you’ve already applied to colleges. Move on.
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Ok. But would they impact my college decisions? I am trying for the University of Minnesota Twin Cities btw (also the school I sent the free score send to).
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I told my kids to never send act/sat/AP scores to colleges until they got the results (I know it’s already done but for future tests).
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I highly doubt it
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Have you visited?
Admissions is holistic.
Which major are you considering
AP scores are not listed as a factor for consideration.
Does your high school change your grade on your transcript based on your AP score?
See the profile of admitted students for different majors.
Best to contact them directly.
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My school does not change scores if you fail an exam—thank god. I am aiming to major in computer science and maybe data science. I visited, and I like it. It is also very good for my major, which scares me because of the competition. I got 2’s in APUSH and AP Physics C Mech.
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You’re not alone. As others said, keep up your hard work on your application. A couple bad days of AP tests that are not considered for admission won’t hurt you.
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Don’t report them on your Common App. They are not required for admission and you can report all, some, or none. Depending on the process where you apply, the AO may or may not refer to them. They are there and they could see them, but they may not if they aren’t included for reference on your application.
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Each school probably looks at APs differently.
I’m assuming for most it’s the grade in the class. It just means you won’t get credit for those classes at college. I can’t imagine it hurting your admission.
That said - to others watching, even free, never send scores of any sort.
Most let you self report (yes, ACT/SAT too) and then once you’ve committed to a school, you can send your scores in.
This way, you ensure there’s no detriment.
@Trixster you’re going to be fine. But again, ensure you have a safety - you mentioned KU but also wanting UMN to be close to home - so ensure you have KU or add the much closer and very strong in CS Iowa State. I know others mentioned UMN branch campuses as well.
You’ll have no issue. You’ll get into some fine universities. UMN, as I recall, most rated a toss up but leaning an in - so you’ve got this.
Stop obsessing. Apply early -so you can have an overall game plan if something does go wrong.
Best of luck.
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. I am aiming to major in computer science and maybe data science. I got 2’s in APUSH and AP Physics C Mech.
IMO you’re missing the elephant in the room. You are not really ready for college-level work, let alone in a demanding major like CS.
AP classes are like a slow-motion college class. You have 40 weeks and 200 hours of classroom instruction to cover the material college students learn in a 1-semester college class that meets 3 hours a week for 15 weeks (45 hours of classroom instruction). If you aren’t learning college-level material, what will change a year from now if you don’t do something different?
My suggestion is to figure out why you aren’t learning the material and use your senior year in HS to work on fixing it. When school starts up in the fall meet with your former teachers and ask them if they noticed areas where you need improvement. Also think about how you studied for these classes. Did you do some work almost every day or just cram before tests? Especially in the physics class were you working practice problems on your own, looking at problems you got wrong on tests to figure out why and then solving similar problems until you could get it right? You can find lots of info on good study practices online such as Studying 101: Study Smarter Not Harder – Learning Center
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I was thinking this - because OP said his parents want him to apply Ivy. The student doesn’t want to - they want to go to UMN. But it’s a parental request.
And OP wouldn’t get in…but it hit me again when the student shared the scores.
College is hard - period - and yes, not all students are equally prepared unfortunately.
Grades in the associated courses?
In general, how do students with similar grades in the courses do on the AP tests?
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That’s pretty harsh. My D22 got a 2 on the APUSH exam and made Dean’s List at college this past semester. She did do better on her AP Lit exam (4). She’s not in a STEM field so did not take AP Physics.
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I also agree that comment is overly harsh.
My D just graduated with honors with her degree in chemical engineering but got a 2 on the AP chem exam in HS. She got As in every single chemistry class she took in college, including all the upper level courses, was a course grader, and asked to TA.
OP - You’ll be OK! Just have a balanced list of schools to apply.
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I hope the OP is not looking for comfort or advice from someone who lacked both a calculator and a calendar when delivering their unnecessarily hatsh critique.
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Bad take!
According to his previous thread, this kid took 7 AP tests this year and several last year including a 5 on Calc BC. So he did poorly on two of them. Not a big deal.
OP, you’ll be fine. Those two lower scores won’t make or break your college applications. Good luck to you!
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