Do AP scores matter?

[Anonymous]

Seeing a lot of questions about APs, probably because it's course selection time for next year at a lot of schools. Thought I would throw mine on the pile.

Do colleges care about AP scores? I have heard people say, "Oh they don't really look at them." Is that true? Do you just not put the scores on the application, not send a score report? Does the college find that strange or frown upon it? Is it a red flag, or, if grades and SAT/ACT are strong it doesn't seem to matter? And if they haven't cared in the past, will they care more now that SAT II is no longer a thing?

We're just starting our AP journey, so knowing this would be very helpful in terms of making good curriculum decisions. We have been looking at the class options and assuming the test would be taken and the score would matter. But if not.... perhaps that changes things somewhat. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Colleges really want you to take AP classes if they're offered at your school and get good grades in them. And it certainly doesn't hurt if you also do really well on the AP exams themselves and let colleges know your scores.

The overwhelming majority of colleges will tell you, though, the scores themselves have little or no impact on college admissions. And how could they, anyway? Most students will have taken half or more of their AP classes in the senior year, and won't have scores on any of those exams until well after they've already been admitted to college.

[Anonymous]

My kid is applying this year. She had more than one college say that in the age of test optional, they are looking more at APs because they provide objective standards. So submit strong scores (“scores that you believe reflect your achievement,” so something similar)

Of course, you don’t have to turn in AP Scores either. But an unhooked UMC kid with a high GPA and a bunch of APs, and no SAT/ACT or AP scores may have problems.

[Anonymous]

I don’t believe them when they say they don’t matter. Compare a test optional kid who also submits no AP scores with the one who submits a bunch of 4s and 5s. I think they take the latter. That said, last couple years I think they realize some kids probably didn’t sit for a lot of AP tests during the pandemic. But I’m not sure what best action is. Of course don’t send 1s or 2s. Probably not 3s. But it’ll be obvious I think if you take six APs before application time and only send 2 scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is applying this year. She had more than one college say that in the age of test optional, they are looking more at APs because they provide objective standards. So submit strong scores (“scores that you believe reflect your achievement,” so something similar)

Of course, you don’t have to turn in AP Scores either. But an unhooked UMC kid with a high GPA and a bunch of APs, and no SAT/ACT or AP scores may have problems.

Name the schools, please. There's simply no reason to hide their names in anonymity. You wouldn't be outing yourself in any way, shape or form.

It is just so unhelpful for posters to say stuff like this without backing it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t believe them when they say they don’t matter. Compare a test optional kid who also submits no AP scores with the one who submits a bunch of 4s and 5s. I think they take the latter. That said, last couple years I think they realize some kids probably didn’t sit for a lot of AP tests during the pandemic. But I’m not sure what best action is. Of course don’t send 1s or 2s. Probably not 3s. But it’ll be obvious I think if you take six APs before application time and only send 2 scores.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. When a college says AP scores don't affect admissions, I take it at its word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t believe them when they say they don’t matter. Compare a test optional kid who also submits no AP scores with the one who submits a bunch of 4s and 5s. I think they take the latter. That said, last couple years I think they realize some kids probably didn’t sit for a lot of AP tests during the pandemic. But I’m not sure what best action is. Of course don’t send 1s or 2s. Probably not 3s. But it’ll be obvious I think if you take six APs before application time and only send 2 scores.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. When a college says AP scores don't affect admissions, I take it at its word.

I guess the question is whether they still mean it. If they said it three years, before test optional, does it still hold today? I’m guessing often not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is applying this year. She had more than one college say that in the age of test optional, they are looking more at APs because they provide objective standards. So submit strong scores (“scores that you believe reflect your achievement,” so something similar)

Of course, you don’t have to turn in AP Scores either. But an unhooked UMC kid with a high GPA and a bunch of APs, and no SAT/ACT or AP scores may have problems.

Name the schools, please. There's simply no reason to hide their names in anonymity. You wouldn't be outing yourself in any way, shape or form.

It is just so unhelpful for posters to say stuff like this without backing it up.

This is unnecessarily aggressive. I found the post helpful. I’d welcome the names of the school but the takeaway is still there. And I think it’s a point you’ll be hearing a lot more this year from more schools, though they may be reluctant to say it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges really want you to take AP classes if they're offered at your school and get good grades in them. And it certainly doesn't hurt if you also do really well on the AP exams themselves and let colleges know your scores.

The overwhelming majority of colleges will tell you, though, the scores themselves have little or no impact on college admissions. And how could they, anyway? Most students will have taken half or more of their AP classes in the senior year, and won't have scores on any of those exams until well after they've already been admitted to college.

No true. Colleges want you to take the highest level courses you're capable of being successful in (A or B grade usually), and would wonder why you're taking AP classes if you're getting a C or below a 3 on the exam. And in some high schools, the most advanced kids have already taken 5-10 AP classes by the end of 11th grade. Colleges will absolutely be interested in how well students do on those exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t believe them when they say they don’t matter. Compare a test optional kid who also submits no AP scores with the one who submits a bunch of 4s and 5s. I think they take the latter. That said, last couple years I think they realize some kids probably didn’t sit for a lot of AP tests during the pandemic. But I’m not sure what best action is. Of course don’t send 1s or 2s. Probably not 3s. But it’ll be obvious I think if you take six APs before application time and only send 2 scores.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. When a college says AP scores don't affect admissions, I take it at its word.

I guess the question is whether they still mean it. If they said it three years, before test optional, does it still hold today? I’m guessing often not.

Grades matter bur I think a course grade of an A for an AP course with a 2 or 3 on the exam would raise questions for anyone.

[Anonymous]

If you go to a school that doesn't offer AP classes, do you think taking the AP exam matters? (I'm asking for admission; I know that credit will vary by school)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is applying this year. She had more than one college say that in the age of test optional, they are looking more at APs because they provide objective standards. So submit strong scores (“scores that you believe reflect your achievement,” so something similar)

Of course, you don’t have to turn in AP Scores either. But an unhooked UMC kid with a high GPA and a bunch of APs, and no SAT/ACT or AP scores may have problems.

Name the schools, please. There's simply no reason to hide their names in anonymity. You wouldn't be outing yourself in any way, shape or form.

It is just so unhelpful for posters to say stuff like this without backing it up.

Midwestern and northeastern SLACs in this admission cycle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t believe them when they say they don’t matter. Compare a test optional kid who also submits no AP scores with the one who submits a bunch of 4s and 5s. I think they take the latter. That said, last couple years I think they realize some kids probably didn’t sit for a lot of AP tests during the pandemic. But I’m not sure what best action is. Of course don’t send 1s or 2s. Probably not 3s. But it’ll be obvious I think if you take six APs before application time and only send 2 scores.

Maybe you only took those 2 exams, though?
Do you think a college will assume the worst-- that you took all exams and got sub 4 on the rest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you go to a school that doesn't offer AP classes, do you think taking the AP exam matters? (I'm asking for admission; I know that credit will vary by school)

I read somewhere once that admissions committee aren’t usually impressed by this - that they’d rather see you do something else with your time. But it was in the context of people trying to add on even more APs. Accumulating them for the sake of doing so. I think it could help support an application with a high score where APs aren’t offered at the school, especially if taking for a similar class actually enrolled in. I wouldn’t think it necessary for a top known private but helpful coming from a weaker school less familiar to admissions.

[Anonymous]

DC included scores on the common app but of course you don’t have scores from Senior year APs at that point. You don’t send score reports until after you’ve been accepted, and only for placement or credit purposes. In DCs case she got credit for 9 APs so could have graduated early but chose not to (double major). So there was some value in high scores but not much.