AP Tests as a Senior

[Anonymous]

Question for some experienced people out there:
My son has already been accepted to a great college that he is very excited about.
He now has serious senior-itis.
His school does not have AP courses anymore except for one or two holdouts that will be going away soon.
He is supposed to take an AP test this week and has put zero time into studying.
How much should I bug him this week? Does it matter at all? Is it only helpful if he gets a good score and meaningless if he gets a bad score? That is what he is trying to tell me. He doesn't have to prepare because it can only be a good thing, and if not, who cares.
Is he right?

[Anonymous]

Your son's score is meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Will a good score help him place out of a class requirement at his college? Could be useful for that. If not then probably doesn’t matter.

[Anonymous]

I would find out his new college's policy on how scores for his specific AP tests would be used. At my kid's college, sometimes a 4 of 5 was helpful (for getting into higher courses, etc.), sometimes a score made no difference. It can vary by subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would find out his new college's policy on how scores for his specific AP tests would be used. At my kid's college, sometimes a 4 of 5 was helpful (for getting into higher courses, etc.), sometimes a score made no difference. It can vary by subject.

The kid is a high school senior already accepted to college. The time has passed for his mommy to figure out what one score on one AP exam might affect what classes he can take in college. If he goes to college and discovers that he didn't test out of a prereq because he was too lazy to study for an AP exam in high school, them's the breaks. It's on him. Loosen the strings, mommy.

[Anonymous]

Your kid maybe burnt out.

If you study for say, 5 hours and get a 3 or 4, and 10 hours to get a 4 or 5, but you are not sure if the school will really take your score, it probably feels kind of pointless.

I was just looking at the chart for my son's chosen college and it was stressful just decoding it.

Let them go. Maybe they would enjoy the course they take at college in place of the one they'd not have to take if the AP score were high enough.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

My senior is bailing on the three they signed up for. It is meaningless for the college they are attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would find out his new college's policy on how scores for his specific AP tests would be used. At my kid's college, sometimes a 4 of 5 was helpful (for getting into higher courses, etc.), sometimes a score made no difference. It can vary by subject.

Do this months ago and act as if you’re in. Of course the college won’t mind you paying them or him wasting 4 credits getting “retaught” material he already knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find out his new college's policy on how scores for his specific AP tests would be used. At my kid's college, sometimes a 4 of 5 was helpful (for getting into higher courses, etc.), sometimes a score made no difference. It can vary by subject.

The kid is a high school senior already accepted to college. The time has passed for his mommy to figure out what one score on one AP exam might affect what classes he can take in college. If he goes to college and discovers that he didn't test out of a prereq because he was too lazy to study for an AP exam in high school, them's the breaks. It's on him. Loosen the strings, mommy.

This. He’ll figure out opportunity cost someday. Or not…

[Anonymous]

My kids school pays for the tests so they are required to take them. But I'd leave it completely up to the kid whether or how much they study for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for some experienced people out there:
My son has already been accepted to a great college that he is very excited about.
He now has serious senior-itis.
His school does not have AP courses anymore except for one or two holdouts that will be going away soon.
He is supposed to take an AP test this week and has put zero time into studying.
How much should I bug him this week? Does it matter at all? Is it only helpful if he gets a good score and meaningless if he gets a bad score? That is what he is trying to tell me. He doesn't have to prepare because it can only be a good thing, and if not, who cares.
Is he right?

Take it from people who have taught APs. If he hasn't studied much yet and the test is this week, he is doing himself a favor by not wasting a few hours to do badly. Depending on the subject, it's highly unlikely he can cram enough to get a 4 or 5.

[Anonymous]

I remember having senioritis. I think it is developmentally appropriate and pretty common so I don’t want this to seem like a knock on your kid. I expect mine will have it too, come next year.

But I am confused by a system that gives kids such a bump in admissions for taking AP tests yet kids can’t do well on the exam. Perhaps kids are taking too many APs for which they are not qualified. Feels like a broken system (not broken kid).

[Anonymous]

Just got the message that my kid wants to skip today's exam to study for tomorrow's since they school they will attend won't give credit.

However, if they transfer it could help, and I think there is something to be said for finishing what you started. This is essentially the final for the course you took.

Gonna be a grumpy week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids school pays for the tests so they are required to take them. But I'd leave it completely up to the kid whether or how much they study for it.

I agree that sitting through it has value.

I also think of the number of things I do in a day that feel like a waste of time but are part of the deal, like carpool or dinner with in-laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My senior is bailing on the three they signed up for. It is meaningless for the college they are attending.

What if after a year, they transfer and those credits would be useful in school #2?