Why 5s on the a bunch of APs doesn't move the needle anymore

[Anonymous]

5 AP exams taken over 2 years at grade 5 in solid, academic subjects will get you half way into Oxford or Cambridge.

[Anonymous]

Our school only offers AP courses for certain subjects. Either that or Honors and/or their own advanced/AP-like curriculum.

Number of schools doing away with/lessening AP offerings.

I’m curious to see where test (SAT/ACT) requirement's go…

[Anonymous]

My kid:
AP Yoga (9)
AP Addition (10)
AP Spelling (11)

Chip off the ol’ block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not that unusual in Montgomery County. My Jr is taking 5 this year, so will have 8 completed by application time:

AP US Gov't
APUSH
AP Physics 1
AP Language
AP World History
AP Spanish Language
AP Calculus A/B
AP Environmental Science

Scheduled for 6 more next year.

This was pretty standard at my MCPS high school over a decade ago. Definitely nothing new or surprising lol.

[Anonymous]

My kid had taken zero AP classes by senior year. He took two senior year. Not all schools have open enrollment for these courses. His private school offered 1 to freshman, 2 to sophomores and then you had to get As in previous honors courses before you would even be considered for an AP class. Also you were required to take the test if you took the course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole concept of AP is that it is supposed to be a college level class. It should be at least restricted to juniors and seniors. 9th and 10th graders taking "AP" is ridiculous.

100%

At our school, no freshman take AP classes. You can start in 10th b/c there isn't a state history requirement for that year. Most kids take AP Euro, World or HUG. You can't even take AP Psych before junior year. If you take psych before then, it's not the AP class. That makes so much more sense.

[Anonymous]

In case any other parents are hoping to feel more normal here, my kid has a high IQ, does well in school and and didn't get a 5 on a single one of the 11 AP tests he took. It happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In case any other parents are hoping to feel more normal here, my kid has a high IQ, does well in school and and didn't get a 5 on a single one of the 11 AP tests he took. It happens.

^^ Oh wait -- he did get one 5.

[Anonymous]

My kid reported 5s on all 4 AP exams this Fall. He will have 7 APs total.

His school does not have APs Freshmen year and there are prerequisites to get into APs (need Honors Bio before AP Bio, etc).

5s in Euro Hist, Bio, Eng lang & APUSH.

He has received zero rejections so far. 7 college acceptances --all T25 and better. A few 5% acceptance rate schools.

I'm not sure if this factored in, but also reported a 35ACT (36V/R) one sitting. All As.

I definitely think for the high stat schools--the more 'proof' you can provide it definitely helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In case any other parents are hoping to feel more normal here, my kid has a high IQ, does well in school and and didn't get a 5 on a single one of the 11 AP tests he took. It happens.

I think that's more about high school rigor than your kid's intelligence. My kid had all 5s--but his teachers at his private HS are amazing and their school reports a very high number of 5s every year. This is in the HS profile and colleges use that info when looking at a particular HS' rigor.

[Anonymous]

One of mine had 16 APs with all 5s, also great GPA and SAT, still didn't move the needle at even one ivy out of 5 he applied to. Admissions are an enigma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In case any other parents are hoping to feel more normal here, my kid has a high IQ, does well in school and and didn't get a 5 on a single one of the 11 AP tests he took. It happens.

I think that's more about high school rigor than your kid's intelligence. My kid had all 5s--but his teachers at his private HS are amazing and their school reports a very high number of 5s every year. This is in the HS profile and colleges use that info when looking at a particular HS' rigor.

Nope, it's my kid (and not his intelligence either). They might be at the same school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid reported 5s on all 4 AP exams this Fall. He will have 7 APs total.

His school does not have APs Freshmen year and there are prerequisites to get into APs (need Honors Bio before AP Bio, etc).

5s in Euro Hist, Bio, Eng lang & APUSH.

He has received zero rejections so far. 7 college acceptances --all T25 and better. A few 5% acceptance rate schools.

I'm not sure if this factored in, but also reported a 35ACT (36V/R) one sitting. All As.

I definitely think for the high stat schools--the more 'proof' you can provide it definitely helps.

Those are fabulous results. Did you employ outside tutors to help with any of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid reported 5s on all 4 AP exams this Fall. He will have 7 APs total.

His school does not have APs Freshmen year and there are prerequisites to get into APs (need Honors Bio before AP Bio, etc).

5s in Euro Hist, Bio, Eng lang & APUSH.

He has received zero rejections so far. 7 college acceptances --all T25 and better. A few 5% acceptance rate schools.

I'm not sure if this factored in, but also reported a 35ACT (36V/R) one sitting. All As.

I definitely think for the high stat schools--the more 'proof' you can provide it definitely helps.

Those are fabulous results. Did you employ outside tutors to help with any of this?

No. He had a few weeks of ACT test prep, but that was the only outside help.

We reviewed his essays/supplemental/common app. I did a TOOONNNN of research his junior year. Fwiw, I've never used a realtor to buy homes, etc. I think I can do a better job..lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In case any other parents are hoping to feel more normal here, my kid has a high IQ, does well in school and and didn't get a 5 on a single one of the 11 AP tests he took. It happens.

I think that's more about high school rigor than your kid's intelligence. My kid had all 5s--but his teachers at his private HS are amazing and their school reports a very high number of 5s every year. This is in the HS profile and colleges use that info when looking at a particular HS' rigor.

NP. I think this is an important point to consider. Mine got 4s and a couple 5s (and 1 3, which didn't report). Also 35 ACT and some noteworthy ECs/awards. No rejections. Top merit at merit schools. In early at T10 and done. From public HS that would not have a high percentage of 5s and for which ACT was very high.