constant chatter about Montgomery County schools being better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Acceptance weight is pretty subjective—why wouldn’t colleges give you additional weight if you take some AP tests without taking the underlying courses?

Because it shows that what you choose to do in your leisure time is to take standardized tests. Most residential colleges would rather have a similar student with the same in-school academic record who does almost anything else in their spare time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread has gotten strange. I want my kid to be well educated and kind. Could care less if they go to Harvard. I assume some kids from each of these HS will get into Ivys and most won’t. That’s not my measuring stick.

+1

Are there great schools in DCPS? Sure. Is DCPS, as a system, far less resourced and far more dysfunctional than MCPS? Also yes. If you can afford in-bounds for JKLM, great. If you can’t, the “lower tiers” of MCPS are generally far better than various DCPS options. That’s part of it, too: MCPS has more options, for all kinds of things.

OK, but things aren't this simple. Great DCPS schools don't come with the built-in administrative support that MCPS schools provide, whatever tier they're on. For example, most DCPS principals are hired on one-year contracts, three years tops. In MCPS, most principals are on five-year contracts.

No MCPS high school is at something like 175% capacity JR, not even close. That's because many by-right/neighborhood high schools in MoCo appeal to most-inboundary residents, not just one high school (JR) like in DC. Also, MCPS doesn't face competition from charters. When we had issues with bungled class assignments, mishandled AP testing, a teacher leaving mid-year and not being replaced at JR, there was essentially no recourse.

In MCPS, where my nieces and nephews attend upper-tier schools, parents can go up the chain to complain with a much higher chance of success than in DCPS. MCPS has never experienced the dysfunction of DCPS because they're in a state as much as anything else. DC is a merely a city with a high poverty rate.

You just provided examples that underscore my point. As a system, DCPS is far less resourced and far more dysfunctional that’s MCPS. You can get into the specifics of those, that that’s what it boils down to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Not necessarily. I serve on the admissions committee of a highly selective DC area college, roughly every other year. Our members are trained to look at AP scores first, along with IB Diploma scores and those used in various countries from which a good many applicants apply (French Bacca, German Abitur, British A-Levels etc.). We like to see half a dozen strong scores, and are happy to see more, whatever else may be true about an applicant and an application.

If the scores submitted are a disaster, we generally won't read an application through.

Don't kid yourselves. Easy As are plentiful in this country in this century. At our institution, the scores shed light on transcripts, not the other way around. At much less selective colleges, your theory may hold up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Not necessarily. I serve on the admissions committee of a highly selective DC area college, roughly every other year. Our members are trained to look at AP scores first, along with IB Diploma scores and those used in various countries from which a good many applicants apply (French Bacca, German Abitur, British A-Levels etc.). We like to see half a dozen strong scores, and are happy to see more, whatever else may be true about an applicant and an application.

If the scores submitted are a disaster, we generally won't read an application through.

Don't kid yourselves. Easy As are plentiful in this country in this century. At our institution, the scores shed light on transcripts, not the other way around. At much less selective colleges, your theory may hold up.

This is interesting. I didn't realize that admissions folks looked at AP scores. Perhaps this explains DC's stronger-than-expected results when applying to college with a 3.75 UW GPA and 1390 SAT. DC had 8 4s and 5s on AP exams. Was admitted to his reach dream school, which surprised us a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Not necessarily. I serve on the admissions committee of a highly selective DC area college, roughly every other year. Our members are trained to look at AP scores first, along with IB Diploma scores and those used in various countries from which a good many applicants apply (French Bacca, German Abitur, British A-Levels etc.). We like to see half a dozen strong scores, and are happy to see more, whatever else may be true about an applicant and an application.

If the scores submitted are a disaster, we generally won't read an application through.

Don't kid yourselves. Easy As are plentiful in this country in this century. At our institution, the scores shed light on transcripts, not the other way around. At much less selective colleges, your theory may hold up.

You aren't really proving or disproving the opposite...if someone submitted great AP Test scores and just grade level courses on their transcript, are you saying you would ignore that they took an easy course schedule?

The main point was they go hand-in-glove.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Not necessarily. I serve on the admissions committee of a highly selective DC area college, roughly every other year. Our members are trained to look at AP scores first, along with IB Diploma scores and those used in various countries from which a good many applicants apply (French Bacca, German Abitur, British A-Levels etc.). We like to see half a dozen strong scores, and are happy to see more, whatever else may be true about an applicant and an application.

If the scores submitted are a disaster, we generally won't read an application through.

Don't kid yourselves. Easy As are plentiful in this country in this century. At our institution, the scores shed light on transcripts, not the other way around. At much less selective colleges, your theory may hold up.

You aren't really proving or disproving the opposite...if someone submitted great AP Test scores and just grade level courses on their transcript, are you saying you would ignore that they took an easy course schedule?

The main point was they go hand-in-glove.

DP. You are missing the point here. No one is taking grade level courses and AP exams. PP is taking about correlating the AP exam scores with what they see with AP grades.

The rigor of AP courses are different at different schools. The grading in those AP courses are different at different schools.

So what PP is saying which is obvious is if a kid got A’s in an AP course then you would expect to see a 4 or 5 on the AP exam, not a 2 or 3. Grade inflation is rampant and this is one way to assess that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Acceptance weight is pretty subjective—why wouldn’t colleges give you additional weight if you take some AP tests without taking the underlying courses?

Because it shows that what you choose to do in your leisure time is to take standardized tests. Most residential colleges would rather have a similar student with the same in-school academic record who does almost anything else in their spare time.

Oh, so you’re an expert on what most residential colleges want.

That must be exhausting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Acceptance weight is pretty subjective—why wouldn’t colleges give you additional weight if you take some AP tests without taking the underlying courses?

Because it shows that what you choose to do in your leisure time is to take standardized tests. Most residential colleges would rather have a similar student with the same in-school academic record who does almost anything else in their spare time.

Wrong.

I serve on the admissions committee of a highly selective DC area college, roughly every other year. Our members are trained to look at AP scores first, along with IB Diploma scores and those used in various countries from which a good many applicants apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Not necessarily. I serve on the admissions committee of a highly selective DC area college, roughly every other year. Our members are trained to look at AP scores first, along with IB Diploma scores and those used in various countries from which a good many applicants apply (French Bacca, German Abitur, British A-Levels etc.). We like to see half a dozen strong scores, and are happy to see more, whatever else may be true about an applicant and an application.

If the scores submitted are a disaster, we generally won't read an application through.

Don't kid yourselves. Easy As are plentiful in this country in this century. At our institution, the scores shed light on transcripts, not the other way around. At much less selective colleges, your theory may hold up.

You aren't really proving or disproving the opposite...if someone submitted great AP Test scores and just grade level courses on their transcript, are you saying you would ignore that they took an easy course schedule?

The main point was they go hand-in-glove.

DP. You are missing the point here. No one is taking grade level courses and AP exams. PP is taking about correlating the AP exam scores with what they see with AP grades.

The rigor of AP courses are different at different schools. The grading in those AP courses are different at different schools.

So what PP is saying which is obvious is if a kid got A’s in an AP course then you would expect to see a 4 or 5 on the AP exam, not a 2 or 3. Grade inflation is rampant and this is one way to assess that.

Except PP keeps responding to comments that specifically are with respect to just taking the AP test (and doing well) without the underlying course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school). However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below. Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D

This is a very odd post. If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests. Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects. US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name. Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US. French and Latin? Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that. Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression. If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that? You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd. You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course. Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.

Acceptance weight is pretty subjective—why wouldn’t colleges give you additional weight if you take some AP tests without taking the underlying courses?

Because it shows that what you choose to do in your leisure time is to take standardized tests. Most residential colleges would rather have a similar student with the same in-school academic record who does almost anything else in their spare time.

Er, no. It shows that the kid is motivated to learn stuff on his own and does it successfully. If that same kid has sports and ECs, he's doing great.

[Anonymous]

+100!