How important are AP scores?

[Anonymous]

My kid didnt send ap score to school but now for some reason all engineering schools are contacting us--because kid took ap computer test--how do they have that info? do they know that kid just took ap comp test or what they actually got? im really confused

[Anonymous]

Well... mine got a 1 on AP Physics and got into a couple of Ivies, a handful of UCs and Cal Poly, etc. Make of that what you will. Did submit a 4 on AP French to Georgetown, did not get in, so who knows if maybe there's something to that counselor's advice?

Where they're going, the scores won't end up buying anything except a ticket to a higher level in Econ and French. I think their SAT enabled them to test out of math at one Ivy. Many European/UK schools require a certain number of scores at 4+ in order for our US education to be considered comparable to theirs, and some want the classes distributed a certain way (e.g. must take Calc AB or whatever).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well... mine got a 1 on AP Physics and got into a couple of Ivies, a handful of UCs and Cal Poly, etc. Make of that what you will. Did submit a 4 on AP French to Georgetown, did not get in, so who knows if maybe there's something to that counselor's advice?

Where they're going, the scores won't end up buying anything except a ticket to a higher level in Econ and French. I think their SAT enabled them to test out of math at one Ivy. Many European/UK schools require a certain number of scores at 4+ in order for our US education to be considered comparable to theirs, and some want the classes distributed a certain way (e.g. must take Calc AB or whatever).

Thank You--this is helpful! Did you cancel the 1 or just not report it?

Interesting=so OK schools accept a 4? I still dont know how these colleges know my kid took the comp test, and because female getting bunch of emails from male heavy schools..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid didnt send ap score to school but now for some reason all engineering schools are contacting us--because kid took ap computer test--how do they have that info? do they know that kid just took ap comp test or what they actually got? im really confused

does anyone know how this is possible?

[Anonymous]

PP -- didn't cancel it. Just laughed. We've had a ton to deal with, with our other kid, so I didn't even know canceling a score was an option. I think they reported it where it was required.

Schools definitely accept 4s -- my kid is living proof. They also got a 1480 SAT and reported that as well. We aren't believers that anything less than a 1560 is shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid didnt send ap score to school but now for some reason all engineering schools are contacting us--because kid took ap computer test--how do they have that info? do they know that kid just took ap comp test or what they actually got? im really confused

does anyone know how this is possible?

Colleges have all sorts of ways of getting data about potential applicants, and all sorts of priorities that they use to filter their marketing material. Yes, College Board has sold student data. But others probably have as well. For all you know, a computer science summer program she attended sold the data. Don't take it too personally--they're just trying to widen their application pools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid didnt send ap score to school but now for some reason all engineering schools are contacting us--because kid took ap computer test--how do they have that info? do they know that kid just took ap comp test or what they actually got? im really confused

does anyone know how this is possible?

Colleges have all sorts of ways of getting data about potential applicants, and all sorts of priorities that they use to filter their marketing material. Yes, College Board has sold student data. But others probably have as well. For all you know, a computer science summer program she attended sold the data. Don't take it too personally--they're just trying to widen their application pools.

ok thanks that makes sense, they may release names of possible interest pool but no ap data per se