Are AP classes even worth taking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think having all 5s on AP tests helped distinguish my kid and reinforce his academic achievements bc he was at a private that didn’t weight and where no one gets all As. He had a B+ in BC Calc junior year so the 5 on the AP test showed mastery of material.

This is just a guess though and obviously a singular example.

My son is also taking Calc BC in Junior year at a DC private. Most of his classes this year have been APs and Senior year will be the same. His decision, not ours (I want him to enjoy his senior year as he also plays a varsity sport). He loves being challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many APs did your kids take in 10th grade?

One kid took 4. Other kid took 1. Both are at Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely take the AP classes and tests if you have the chance. Classses themselves help on the college applications and the tests can give college credit.

The “so many schools not offering them” is a fallacy. A select group of schools don’t offer them and frankly that does a disservice to their students in terms of college. Academically they still get the rigor but the reality is that colleges give credit for APs and some course registration priority is calculated based off number of credits so others from privates with 12 APs will have priority on getting classes versus those from schools not offering them.

[Anonymous]

Is it okay to take none in 10th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it okay to take none in 10th?

Most of the mainstream privates have limited AP offerings available to 10th graders. Very common for them not to take any. Try for honors if your school has them, though.

[Anonymous]

Does it really matter for admission though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it really matter for admission though?

It does for admission at top schools, which are looking for students to have taken the highest possible rigor/level of classes. If a school offers APs and a student doesn’t take any, that makes their transcript weaker.

[Anonymous]

Talk to me about math honors courses, like geometry honors, Algebra 2 honors, etc. if those 2 are not taken for the math track, does it really matter that much for a top 20 school? DC will still do AP Calc senior year. And science/STEM/CS isn’t on their radar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HS offers them, but with so many not offering them, does it really make a difference? Is there another inherent value?

Does anyone know if your school does not offer a specific AP exam, can you go elsewhere on your own to a local public high school to register and take the exam? If so, how does that work?

You can, but it can be a real pain to find a testing location. The College Board’s website has a searchable list of what schools are registered to give what exams, but you have to call the school and ask if they allow outside students to take it and work with the AP Coordinator for that school on instructions on how to register and pay. Your best bet would be to call public high schools. Unlikely that most private schools allow students from other schools to sit their exams.

My school has a deal with another private to cross-host AP exams, but I don't know how common this is among privates, and, as the kid is in middle school, I don't know the precise breadth of the arrangement.

A zillion years ago, I took an AP exam in a subject that wasn't offered by my public, and they just found some room for me off to the side of another group of AP takers, but either the process seems more involved these days or they were just kind enough to do a bunch of back-end work without me being aware.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talk to me about math honors courses, like geometry honors, Algebra 2 honors, etc. if those 2 are not taken for the math track, does it really matter that much for a top 20 school? DC will still do AP Calc senior year. And science/STEM/CS isn’t on their radar.

Just like APs, taking honors looks better as far as rigor on a transcript, especially for courses where that’s the top level available (ie, there’s no AP Geometry, so honors Geometry is the highest). But if your kid isn’t a STEM kid, have them focus on honors humanities classes. The AP Calc will look good even without the honors classes leading to it. As long as your school allows students to do AP Calc without being in honors level the year before (ours doesn’t).