AP Scores - Honest Feedback on How Much They Matter in the College Admissions Process
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Anonymous
| How much do AP scores matter in the college admissions process at the super selective schools? I have a child with excellent SAT scores (1550+) and will likely be a National Merit Semifinalist, excellent grades in rigorous classes (4.0 unweighted), and excellent ECs, but incredibly underwhelming AP exam scores (three 5s, three 4s, and two 3s). The three 5s and three 4s are related to his potential major. Has anyone successfully gotten into a Top 10 with AP scores this low? I assume we would not report the two 3s? Today was not a good day with the AP results. |
Anonymous
| Get a grip, OP. |
Anonymous
| Get a grip indeed. You're over the top and I feel for your DC. |
Anonymous
| They do not matter a whit. |
Anonymous
| You kid is not getting in with those scores |
Anonymous
| I am on the opposite end - my above average (but not exceptional at all the things) DD got a 3, and I’m super proud. She was in 10th. Will colleges take that for an elective/gen ed class? |
Anonymous
|
First of all, those are good scores. Give your kid (and yourself) a break.
Second, AP scores are not a primary admissions factor for most schools. They can validate a strong record or elevate someone who doesn’t initially look super-strong. As with so much in admissions, it’s all about context. If he’s coming from a school that is unknown to the AOs or where unweighted 4.0s are common, the AP scores might carry a little more weight as validators of the grades. Also, remember that top 10 schools are getting so many applications from students with similar profiles to your kid and will reject most, even those with all 5s. If your kid applies and gets rejected, you won’t know why, but it almost certainly will not be because he didn’t get all 5s. He has a strong profile. Move on and focus on what he can control—essays and other elements of the application. |
Anonymous
| It's tough to have a kid who naturally is a good test taker and then score lower than expected on APs. But two 3s isn't going to make a huge difference, and the other scores are strong. AOs realize that an AP score is 1 data point- 1 single test, taken on a single day. They know that kids get sick (especially at the end of the semester when stress is high!), schools have disruptions, things happen. If your kid received an A in the class, has strong LORs, it will all work out just fine. Agree with the above poster to just move on and focus on essays and their application, and tell your kid congratulations for getting really great scores- take them our for ice cream and celebrate! My kid got a 3 on one of hers, and honestly we're proud of her- she doesn't do well on big, stressful standardized tests and she was really, really happy to have all 3s, 4s and 5s. |
Anonymous
| ^^ How do you know what AO's realize? Are you one? Serious question. |
Anonymous
| It matters a tiny bit but not as much as the other factors. It would matter more if in areas he planned to study. A 3 is a pass; our private school says submit 3s because colleges assume a 1 or 2 if you don’t. Apply broadly and write quality essays. |
Anonymous
|
My kid had all 5s on their 10+ APs, 1580 SAT, 4.0 uwgpa, 4.92 wgpa, from a magnet program, and got rejected from T10. They are a CS major, though, so that doesn't help.
I know of kids who had lower stats than my DC and got into T10. T10s look for other things than stats. |
Anonymous
DP. Our private has multiple former AOs and they stay up to date on scores and how they are viewed. |
Anonymous
what were there ECs? |
Anonymous
Not that great. One national EC, and the rest were meh. |
Anonymous
| Submit the 4s and 5s, not the 3s. Won't move the needle. |