AP Testing Still a Thing at Sidwell/GDS/Maret/Potomac/St Albans/NCS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There definitely are still many universities, including big private and public ones, where you can get enough AP/CLEP credit (if you think AP is a joke you haven’t seen CLEP…) to graduate 1-3 semesters early. Those universities do not appeal to private school families because they are wealthy enough that they do not need to save money on college.

This. My older one, at a state flagship, was able to place out of a language and earn enough other credits to be more than a semester "ahead" - they may not graduate early, but it allows for more flexibility in their schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely are still many universities, including big private and public ones, where you can get enough AP/CLEP credit (if you think AP is a joke you haven’t seen CLEP…) to graduate 1-3 semesters early. Those universities do not appeal to private school families because they are wealthy enough that they do not need to save money on college.

The UC schools allow you to do this and they still seem popular at our private. I might not be excited to leave college early, but if you were at a UC school and could be done with undergrad early and stay to pursue a Masters - there's benefit in that. However, the kids getting enough APs are not coming from private but from publics that use AP for rigorous courses...resulting in tons of AP tests.

To the public school parent above, I suspect the public school AP class is prepping your child for the test all throughout the year and that taking the AP test doesn't require that much extra work. If your public kid is taking AP classes, I'd have them take the corresponding AP test. Now, choosing whether or not to take the AP class in the first place (or how many to take) is another question.

That makes sense. Thank you. DC is pretty set on what classes they want, but I guess it is nice to know the scores on the tests won't matter because you don't have to submit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely are still many universities, including big private and public ones, where you can get enough AP/CLEP credit (if you think AP is a joke you haven’t seen CLEP…) to graduate 1-3 semesters early. Those universities do not appeal to private school families because they are wealthy enough that they do not need to save money on college.

This. My older one, at a state flagship, was able to place out of a language and earn enough other credits to be more than a semester "ahead" - they may not graduate early, but it allows for more flexibility in their schedule.

That is nice it allows for more electives.

[Anonymous]

FYI - magnet students in public schools take the AP exams even if they don't take the classes.

[Anonymous]

OP here again - I see lots of comments about AP tests being used to place out of college classes. I get that.

What about the AP test scores being used in admissions as a sign of rigor or academic qualification? I guess that's the question behind my question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only real benefit of taking the AP tests is to earn credit for courses at college. The problem is that many colleges now no longer award credit for these courses. Many colleges and universities have claimed the APs are not equivalent to the rigor of most college courses. Of course, colleges also have a financial investment in requiring students to take as many credits as possible. For a few years, some colleges were using AP scores in lieu of standardized test scores. If you're DC wants to take the test, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't. Just know there are fees involved and, depending on the number of AP tests they take, it can become expensive.

Have you actually looked into this at the schools where your child is accepted? Because at 5 of the schools where my DC has been admitted, they give lots of credit and placement for AP exams. Having crunched the schedule for 4 years, this will enable my DC to easily double major and have at least one minor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again - I see lots of comments about AP tests being used to place out of college classes. I get that.

What about the AP test scores being used in admissions as a sign of rigor or academic qualification? I guess that's the question behind my question.

Yes, it puts the grade in the equivalent class into a broader perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely are still many universities, including big private and public ones, where you can get enough AP/CLEP credit (if you think AP is a joke you haven’t seen CLEP…) to graduate 1-3 semesters early. Those universities do not appeal to private school families because they are wealthy enough that they do not need to save money on college.

The UC schools allow you to do this and they still seem popular at our private. I might not be excited to leave college early, but if you were at a UC school and could be done with undergrad early and stay to pursue a Masters - there's benefit in that. However, the kids getting enough APs are not coming from private but from publics that use AP for rigorous courses...resulting in tons of AP tests.

To the public school parent above, I suspect the public school AP class is prepping your child for the test all throughout the year and that taking the AP test doesn't require that much extra work. If your public kid is taking AP classes, I'd have them take the corresponding AP test. Now, choosing whether or not to take the AP class in the first place (or how many to take) is another question.

PP here. I am not a public school parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see no point in taking AP exams unless you will be trying to get credit and graduate early from college. Some of the most highly selective colleges won't even take it, unless it is an extremely unusual situation and they will still require a student to be there for all 8 semesters.
I don't want my kids to graduate from college early. We, like 75% of private school parents in this area pay full tuition and plan to do so for college as well. I want them to take as many interesting college courses as possible for the full four years. It is the only time in one's life to do so!
If my child was in a different situation I would definitely see the point of AP exams and trying to get college credit, but otherwise the tests are meaningless. The course grades matter for college admissions, not the AP test scores, one is not even required to take or submit AP tests scores(unlike IB programs). My child is taking them because they are required to at their high school ( not one listed above) and I told them to do their best but not stress about the test, just focus on their grade in the class.

When they place out of the required intro or preq. classes with AP scores, they get to take more of the interesting classes during their time there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely are still many universities, including big private and public ones, where you can get enough AP/CLEP credit (if you think AP is a joke you haven’t seen CLEP…) to graduate 1-3 semesters early. Those universities do not appeal to private school families because they are wealthy enough that they do not need to save money on college.

The UC schools allow you to do this and they still seem popular at our private. I might not be excited to leave college early, but if you were at a UC school and could be done with undergrad early and stay to pursue a Masters - there's benefit in that. However, the kids getting enough APs are not coming from private but from publics that use AP for rigorous courses...resulting in tons of AP tests.

To the public school parent above, I suspect the public school AP class is prepping your child for the test all throughout the year and that taking the AP test doesn't require that much extra work. If your public kid is taking AP classes, I'd have them take the corresponding AP test. Now, choosing whether or not to take the AP class in the first place (or how many to take) is another question.

PP here. I am not a public school parent.

Yes - I know...my reply was to your post and Also to PP at 9:29 who said they had a child in Public. Sorry for confusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another parent here who finds our school's messaging to be confusing. We get same messages that you have gotten but also told by admin that many Juniors choose to take AP English and AP US History exams. I have not heard of extra study sessions. When we asked college counseling, our contact described the AP as not needed but icing on the cake if you wanted to take them. Given the messaging, I was really surprised to see that the Junior class schedule and workload will be adapted to accommodate AP History and English this year. (and maybe this is every year, but I didn't know about it if that was the case).

This was the case at my son's school even before they did away with APs. English and US History never used the AP curriculum, but it was assumed that a lot of kids would take the tests, and there was some specific prep offered toward the end of the year. My kid (and many others) got 5s on the exams, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again - I see lots of comments about AP tests being used to place out of college classes. I get that.

What about the AP test scores being used in admissions as a sign of rigor or academic qualification? I guess that's the question behind my question.

Yes, it puts the grade in the equivalent class into a broader perspective.

Thanks - so in that case, why are these school college advising offices discouraging the AP test for applicants to the most elite colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again - I see lots of comments about AP tests being used to place out of college classes. I get that.

What about the AP test scores being used in admissions as a sign of rigor or academic qualification? I guess that's the question behind my question.

Yes, it puts the grade in the equivalent class into a broader perspective.

Thanks - so in that case, why are these school college advising offices discouraging the AP test for applicants to the most elite colleges?

NP. This is my concern. How do the schools communicate rigor to colleges, especially if DC wants to apply to a college unfamiliar with these DMV schools? With the current test optional environment, it seems like eliminating another standard isn't a great idea?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again - I see lots of comments about AP tests being used to place out of college classes. I get that.

What about the AP test scores being used in admissions as a sign of rigor or academic qualification? I guess that's the question behind my question.

Yes, it puts the grade in the equivalent class into a broader perspective.

Thanks - so in that case, why are these school college advising offices discouraging the AP test for applicants to the most elite colleges?

NP. This is my concern. How do the schools communicate rigor to colleges, especially if DC wants to apply to a college unfamiliar with these DMV schools? With the current test optional environment, it seems like eliminating another standard isn't a great idea?

Grades and courseload.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again - I see lots of comments about AP tests being used to place out of college classes. I get that.

What about the AP test scores being used in admissions as a sign of rigor or academic qualification? I guess that's the question behind my question.

Yes, it puts the grade in the equivalent class into a broader perspective.

Thanks - so in that case, why are these school college advising offices discouraging the AP test for applicants to the most elite colleges?

NP. This is my concern. How do the schools communicate rigor to colleges, especially if DC wants to apply to a college unfamiliar with these DMV schools? With the current test optional environment, it seems like eliminating another standard isn't a great idea?

Grades and courseload.

right but if some of those similarly situated kids w/ similar course load and academics take AP tests and others don't take AP test, then are the admission officers ignoring the AP test? Seems implausible.

That's why I worry the guidance the DMV elite high schools are giving to not take the test and then offer the test to kids who want to take it is entirely BS.