AP score distributions 2021

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of one exam, it seems most score distributions are lower this year (eg, 1/4 of APUSH test takers got 4/5 on exam vs 1/3 the prior year). Assuming that trend continues, do you believe colleges will note this (even for applicants from hs classes of 2023 and 2024 who are also impacted by this) or is that expecting too much minutia in their application review?

I wish College Board would separately release the score distributions for in person testers and digital testers. Could shed some light on impact of remote learning and cheating.

The premise for your question is that AP scores count for college admissions in the first place. In fact, they don’t.

Next question?

My child’s hs counselor advised that colleges may use AP test scores as another data point in admissions given the elimination of sat subject tests and test optional for sat/act tests. - OP

Oh, your counselor said it may happen? It must be true then!

Not sure why you are so hostile to kids submitting high APs. All things being equal for the class of 2022, Is rather be the UMC white or Asian kid from the DMV with a 4.0+W GPa, 34 ACT, all 4/5s APs to submit than the kid with just the 4.0W and no ACT or APs. Even if they are “optional”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Individual scores aren’t out (except some 2021 graduates can see them through their college account) but the College Board has released the score distributions for many of the exams.

Link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of one exam, it seems most score distributions are lower this year (eg, 1/4 of APUSH test takers got 4/5 on exam vs 1/3 the prior year). Assuming that trend continues, do you believe colleges will note this (even for applicants from hs classes of 2023 and 2024 who are also impacted by this) or is that expecting too much minutia in their application review?

I wish College Board would separately release the score distributions for in person testers and digital testers. Could shed some light on impact of remote learning and cheating.

The premise for your question is that AP scores count for college admissions in the first place. In fact, they don’t.

Next question?

My child’s hs counselor advised that colleges may use AP test scores as another data point in admissions given the elimination of sat subject tests and test optional for sat/act tests. - OP

Oh, your counselor said it may happen? It must be true then!

Not sure why you are so hostile to kids submitting high APs. All things being equal for the class of 2022, Is rather be the UMC white or Asian kid from the DMV with a 4.0+W GPa, 34 ACT, all 4/5s APs to submit than the kid with just the 4.0W and no ACT or APs. Even if they are “optional”.

No one is being “hostile.” We’re just correcting misinformation. You might want to relax a little bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:30% of APUSH got a 1!

In 2019, 31% had a 4-5 and 24% had a 1. This year, 28% had a 4-5 and 30% had a 1. It’s always a brutal curve, because the sheer volume of information tested is so high. And it almost always lists of one of the 5 hardest APs. Given DL and the fact that they testing the full volume of material, I’m surprised the curve isn’t worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30% of APUSH got a 1!

In 2019, 31% had a 4-5 and 24% had a 1. This year, 28% had a 4-5 and 30% had a 1. It’s always a brutal curve, because the sheer volume of information tested is so high. And it almost always lists of one of the 5 hardest APs. Given DL and the fact that they testing the full volume of material, I’m surprised the curve isn’t worse.

My kid took it in 9th grade and virtual this past year. I can’t imagine that she did well but hoping she didn’t get a 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of one exam, it seems most score distributions are lower this year (eg, 1/4 of APUSH test takers got 4/5 on exam vs 1/3 the prior year). Assuming that trend continues, do you believe colleges will note this (even for applicants from hs classes of 2023 and 2024 who are also impacted by this) or is that expecting too much minutia in their application review?

I wish College Board would separately release the score distributions for in person testers and digital testers. Could shed some light on impact of remote learning and cheating.

The premise for your question is that AP scores count for college admissions in the first place. In fact, they don’t.

Next question?

My child’s hs counselor advised that colleges may use AP test scores as another data point in admissions given the elimination of sat subject tests and test optional for sat/act tests. - OP

+1. My kids s counselor did as well. My kid only got the World History SAT subject test before they were cancelled. Her counselor said they would use APs instead. And that APs would help validate high grades during DL.

This is speculation. No college has said that they will use or require AP test scores for admissions.

[Anonymous]

I am OP and not sure why what my child’s counselor said is “misinformation” but the experience of a pp whose child clearly applied to college before the change to no subject tests/test optional was solidified is currently applicable. Also in no way did I say or do I think that AP scores are the primary factor in college admissions. But I do think it is naive to think they may not have more weight given changes in testing requirements over the past year.

Anyway, for those who asked, the head of the AP Program at College Board has been tweeting the score distributions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30% of APUSH got a 1!

In 2019, 31% had a 4-5 and 24% had a 1. This year, 28% had a 4-5 and 30% had a 1. It’s always a brutal curve, because the sheer volume of information tested is so high. And it almost always lists of one of the 5 hardest APs. Given DL and the fact that they testing the full volume of material, I’m surprised the curve isn’t worse.

My kid took it in 9th grade and virtual this past year. I can’t imagine that she did well but hoping she didn’t get a 1.

They need to stop giving APUSH to 9th graders. AP HUG is much more appropriate. Or just honors history. It is so much material and move so fast. To do it well, kids should have a year or 2 to ramp up their student game. Yes, I’m sure someone will jump on here and talk about their 9th grader who found it so easy to get a 5. But, when people talk about the 5 hardest APs, Music Theory, APUSH, Physics C/EM and English Lit are almost always 4 of the 5 on the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30% of APUSH got a 1!

In 2019, 31% had a 4-5 and 24% had a 1. This year, 28% had a 4-5 and 30% had a 1. It’s always a brutal curve, because the sheer volume of information tested is so high. And it almost always lists of one of the 5 hardest APs. Given DL and the fact that they testing the full volume of material, I’m surprised the curve isn’t worse.

My kid took it in 9th grade and virtual this past year. I can’t imagine that she did well but hoping she didn’t get a 1.

They need to stop giving APUSH to 9th graders. AP HUG is much more appropriate. Or just honors history. It is so much material and move so fast. To do it well, kids should have a year or 2 to ramp up their student game. Yes, I’m sure someone will jump on here and talk about their 9th grader who found it so easy to get a 5. But, when people talk about the 5 hardest APs, Music Theory, APUSH, Physics C/EM and English Lit are almost always 4 of the 5 on the list.

I agree though the class itself was good (considering it was virtual). Exam brutal and average score for school is 2 since the only opportunity to take it is as a 9th grader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of one exam, it seems most score distributions are lower this year (eg, 1/4 of APUSH test takers got 4/5 on exam vs 1/3 the prior year). Assuming that trend continues, do you believe colleges will note this (even for applicants from hs classes of 2023 and 2024 who are also impacted by this) or is that expecting too much minutia in their application review?

I wish College Board would separately release the score distributions for in person testers and digital testers. Could shed some light on impact of remote learning and cheating.

The premise for your question is that AP scores count for college admissions in the first place. In fact, they don’t.

Next question?

My child’s hs counselor advised that colleges may use AP test scores as another data point in admissions given the elimination of sat subject tests and test optional for sat/act tests. - OP

+1. My kids s counselor did as well. My kid only got the World History SAT subject test before they were cancelled. Her counselor said they would use APs instead. And that APs would help validate high grades during DL.

This is speculation. No college has said that they will use or require AP test scores for admissions.

Welcome to the class of 2022, where kids spent their most important year in DL, they may or may not have SATs and ACTs and SAT subject tests are gone. No one knows how anything will be weighed. Erring on the side of presenting as much favorable information as possible seems like a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am OP and not sure why what my child’s counselor said is “misinformation” but the experience of a pp whose child clearly applied to college before the change to no subject tests/test optional was solidified is currently applicable. Also in no way did I say or do I think that AP scores are the primary factor in college admissions. But I do think it is naive to think they may not have more weight given changes in testing requirements over the past year.

Anyway, for those who asked, the head of the AP Program at College Board has been tweeting the score distributions.

Your premise remains incorrect and your child’s counselor is speculating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30% of APUSH got a 1!

In 2019, 31% had a 4-5 and 24% had a 1. This year, 28% had a 4-5 and 30% had a 1. It’s always a brutal curve, because the sheer volume of information tested is so high. And it almost always lists of one of the 5 hardest APs. Given DL and the fact that they testing the full volume of material, I’m surprised the curve isn’t worse.

My kid took it in 9th grade and virtual this past year. I can’t imagine that she did well but hoping she didn’t get a 1.

They need to stop giving APUSH to 9th graders. AP HUG is much more appropriate. Or just honors history. It is so much material and move so fast. To do it well, kids should have a year or 2 to ramp up their student game. Yes, I’m sure someone will jump on here and talk about their 9th grader who found it so easy to get a 5. But, when people talk about the 5 hardest APs, Music Theory, APUSH, Physics C/EM and English Lit are almost always 4 of the 5 on the list.

I agree though the class itself was good (considering it was virtual). Exam brutal and average score for school is 2 since the only opportunity to take it is as a 9th grader.

Vs my FCPS kid who is very strong in Humanities. In FCPS, APUSH is offered to juniors. She found the class challenging, worked pretty hard and got an A- , and found the exam to be “not too bad”. We’ll see how it plays out, but given her World History AP performance and grades on practice exams, I’d be surprised if she didn’t get a 4 or 5. That’s not a humble brag. She would have been eaten alive on the exam freshman. She also took AP HUG and felt like she could have easily managed the material as a freshman or sophomore. Said it was a big step down from WH or APUSH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am OP and not sure why what my child’s counselor said is “misinformation” but the experience of a pp whose child clearly applied to college before the change to no subject tests/test optional was solidified is currently applicable. Also in no way did I say or do I think that AP scores are the primary factor in college admissions. But I do think it is naive to think they may not have more weight given changes in testing requirements over the past year.

Anyway, for those who asked, the head of the AP Program at College Board has been tweeting the score distributions.

Your premise remains incorrect and your child’s counselor is speculating.

For the class of 2022, everyone is speculating. I had a 2020 kid. College results were already being released when COVID hit. My 2022 kid is playing under completely new and different rules. A screwy end to sophomore year. DL as a junior. Fine arts and ECs cancelled for 1.5 years. SAT and ACT optional. SAT subject tests cancelled. No one knows how colleges will make decisions. And it will probably fall a lot between classes.

But, presenting a good SAT/ACT score and good APs certainly don’t hurt.

Also, PPs seem to not be making a distinction between “optional” (not required) and “not considered” (which is only a few schools).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am OP and not sure why what my child’s counselor said is “misinformation” but the experience of a pp whose child clearly applied to college before the change to no subject tests/test optional was solidified is currently applicable. Also in no way did I say or do I think that AP scores are the primary factor in college admissions. But I do think it is naive to think they may not have more weight given changes in testing requirements over the past year.

Anyway, for those who asked, the head of the AP Program at College Board has been tweeting the score distributions.

Your premise remains incorrect and your child’s counselor is speculating.

For the class of 2022, everyone is speculating. I had a 2020 kid. College results were already being released when COVID hit. My 2022 kid is playing under completely new and different rules. A screwy end to sophomore year. DL as a junior. Fine arts and ECs cancelled for 1.5 years. SAT and ACT optional. SAT subject tests cancelled. No one knows how colleges will make decisions. And it will probably fall a lot between classes.

But, presenting a good SAT/ACT score and good APs certainly don’t hurt.

Also, PPs seem to not be making a distinction between “optional” (not required) and “not considered” (which is only a few schools).

Sorry! Probably *vary a lot between colleges*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Individual scores aren’t out (except some 2021 graduates can see them through their college account) but the College Board has released the score distributions for many of the exams.

Link?

https://allaccess.collegeboard.org/topic/ap-2021-scores