I am currently planning to write AP exams in CS and Math. I wanted to know if it will help in any way or I should be focusing on other things.
I don’t understand what you mean by writing AP exams? Do you mind clarifying a little bit?
@TheDidactic I am an Indian living in Dubai. I am in 11th right now. I have to write a second SAT Reasoning Test to improve my score and also I have to study hard to get good marks in 12th. I was thinking since most Indians don’t AP as it is not offered in India (that is what I heard), if I take it it would look good in the college application. I will not be able to do any AP course as I don’t have time for that but I can write the exam directly by studying the required syllabus from a few guides. I was thinking about taking the AP exam for Math and Computer Science. Do you think I should do it or just focus on SAT and school? Will taking it give me an advantage of any sort?
Oh okay, I understand now. You mean taking the exam.
I was under the impression that internationals use IB, an equivalent of AP, but there’s nothing wrong with taking AP either! This link (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/html/ap-in-india/ap-in-india.html) might be able to help you out a little. I think self-studying it and taking the exam shows that you are pursuing rigor and will definitely give you an advantage.
You should do both: work hard on the SAT, school, and the AP tests. It depends on how much you need to improve your scores, but I think you’ll be okay with balancing both.
AP scores matter little to none in the admissions process in the vast majority of US colleges; they are primarily used for credit and/or placement. No college will expect you to take an AP exam if your school does not offer the course. Focus on other aspects of your application.
I would focus on SAT IIs. Top US colleges are interested in those, but lessor schools are not. You should also prepare for the SAT Is, which are more important and very different from A-levels you probably take.
If you are studying the British system in Dubai then I assume you will be taking A levels? If so then A levels are considered to be more rigorous than APs. So taking the AP exam really won’t help you.
Just get good grades in your A levels: shoot for at least 4 A.
@sgopal2 But I’m studying in the Indian CBSE curriculum.
I would write the AP exams, as it may help a little, and you won’t have to take some introductory courses. However, I would concentrate more on SAT Is or ACTs and SAT IIs. The SAT Is and ACTs are different from what you are used to, and you should prepare for them.
Of the colleges you apply to, each has a reader who specialized in a certain region. All of the applicants from a certain region are read by the same reader. Since you are living in Dubai, your reader may only be familiar with the local Dubai educational system and may not understand the Indian CBSE system. I thought that you were studying under the British style education (A levels, GCSE, etc).
Even so the AP scores are self-reported. Because of this they are given less weight than if you were to take an SAT II subject test instead. For these reasons, I would focus on taking the relevant SAT II test for the core subjects (Math, language, science) instead of AP exams, as these will be more recognizable.
The purpose of both the tests(AP test and SAT subject test) is different. AP test is designed by faculty to test out good kids from average kids. The credits gets transferred when you get into college depending on your grade in AP test. SAT subject test would not transfer your credits even when you get good score in it. Although colleges do look at SAT subject test scores to see how good you are. Credits are transferred meaning you do not require to take that course in college and so you do not need to pay for it since it is considered that your knowlege is as good as taking a class in college.
More SAT IIs will validate your subject knowledge to colleges. This is the case if you are following a program like IB or some other European system where they offer final exams only after your 12th grade.
APs if offered at your school should be taken but not just to impress colleges.