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

[Anonymous]

I thought the whole point was the courses offered by the schools are better than the AP curriculum and colleges will know this because the schools are so “elite”?

[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?

Most kids don't get 5s - - look at the stats. It is a small percentage of test takers. So, if no one takes it at your school, the college will have to take what you give them. So long as the college you are applying to does know your school, and does trust the rigor, and you do have the tippy top grades, it is fine. Otherwise, who knows?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but for lower middle class kids and above, AP tests are not free to take. That is why you see kids in public skip the exam after taking a class sometimes. This doesn't affect many kids in private I suppose.

[Anonymous]

I don’t trust the advice that a good AP score is meaningless. Many, many colleges still give credit, especially for a 5 and sometimes for a 4. It’s a huge advantage to be able to pass out of a requirement in a subject you don’t want to take any longer (Spanish, for example) and also to be able to skip an intro class in a subject you do want to study. It allows you to take more advanced classes earlier and more classes that you want to take that aren’t in your major or aren’t required. That’s a serious benefit and these privates are not being transparent if they aren’t mentioning that.

[Anonymous]

DC is sitting the AP english exam despite not doing the AP curriculum (private school). DC is a very strong english student, so has a shot at a 5, otherwise I would not bother. DC does not plan on doing any extra work, just turning up to sit the exam and see what happens. If DC gets a 5 then will submit with college apps, but if 4 or below, will not bother.
Having said this, I don't think it matters either way, DC is just doing it as an "extra'.

[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.

What course designation in private schools would an out of state college admissions recognize as "rigorous"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t trust the advice that a good AP score is meaningless. Many, many colleges still give credit, especially for a 5 and sometimes for a 4. It’s a huge advantage to be able to pass out of a requirement in a subject you don’t want to take any longer (Spanish, for example) and also to be able to skip an intro class in a subject you do want to study. It allows you to take more advanced classes earlier and more classes that you want to take that aren’t in your major or aren’t required. That’s a serious benefit and these privates are not being transparent if they aren’t mentioning that.

+1 DD was able to skip the language requirement at her Ivy by getting a 5 in Spanish. For some reason nearly all of GDS's Spanish students ace the AP. Otherwise the APs are worthless for humanities and social science students at the elites. For science-y students, a 4/5 allows skipping the intro math, chem, and physics sequences. But, I would generally advise against normal/non-savant students doing that. These intro courses are taught differently than in high school, and it's worth taking comparatively easy courses freshman year as your child acclimates to college.

[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?

This. Is the assumption that everyone knows these schools, and their rigor? Are some of these schools more rigorous than others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the DOJ announcement that concluded collusion did occur but DOJ chose not to prosecute

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-concludes-its-investigation-dc-area-private-high-schools-decision-stop

No concern over these schools breaking the law? Maybe certain people don't really need to follow all the rules.

[Anonymous]

St. Albans still offers AP classes. For college apps, I feel like a 5 on the AP validates the sometimes lower grade earned in the more rigorous class (kind of proves that the class goes beyond the AP exam). My son also took an exam in a class that was not designated AP.

[Anonymous]

DD took one last year as a junior and is taking 5 more APs this spring from the best DMV private school not named in the title of this post. For the most part, the courses have not covered all of the material on the exam, so she's had to due supplemental studying to prepare, to varying degrees based on the course.

The oft-expressed view on these boards is that the course cover less material but do so at a deeper level. I think it would take some serious comparative analysis to determine if that's actually the case or not.

Still, 4s/5s would help DD place out of some of the non-major prerequisites for courses and free up more space for electives/additional coursework in the major.

But very few people at her school take APs. For example, only 2 people sat for the Calc BC exam last year.

I'm not sure it had any relevance to college applications, but, again, it's hard to provide solid evidence one way or another there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but for lower middle class kids and above, AP tests are not free to take. That is why you see kids in public skip the exam after taking a class sometimes. This doesn't affect many kids in private I suppose.

Admissions officers at college care about the kids grades, etc. each AP test costs about 100 dollars to take. The vast majority of ivy/highly selective college etc applicants are from public school. The colleges do not assume all students have the resources to pay for a or multiple AP tests every year. Your AP grades impact admissions the test scores (or if the test isn’t taken at all)are irrelevant and have no impact on college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD took one last year as a junior and is taking 5 more APs this spring from the best DMV private school not named in the title of this post. For the most part, the courses have not covered all of the material on the exam, so she's had to due supplemental studying to prepare, to varying degrees based on the course.

The oft-expressed view on these boards is that the course cover less material but do so at a deeper level. I think it would take some serious comparative analysis to determine if that's actually the case or not.

Still, 4s/5s would help DD place out of some of the non-major prerequisites for courses and free up more space for electives/additional coursework in the major.

But very few people at her school take APs. For example, only 2 people sat for the Calc BC exam last year.

I'm not sure it had any relevance to college applications, but, again, it's hard to provide solid evidence one way or another there.

This is the only reason to care about AP test scores. If your kid wants to try and get course credit.

[Anonymous]

Yes, don't let them tell you otherwise. AP tests are still very much a thing at one of these schools. The top students take many.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What course designation in private schools would an out of state college admissions recognize as "rigorous"?

The privates generally define what course load is rigorous and send that out with the school profile.