GDS just dropped AP testing

[Anonymous]

This does affect admissions to UK schools and it affects freshman standing at many US universities - especially large state universities. For example, at UC schools AP credits will affect your number of credits, which will affect your status for registration.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this heads up (9th grade applicant this season)

[Anonymous]

So where are the students going to take them this year? Does Sidwell still offer the exams on site? What about other nearby schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They had dropped the AP courses a few years ago (collusion case successfully brought by DOJ as a result of this as we all remember).

Now GDS just announced that they are dropping AP testing

"Over the last year, our team has been in conversation with dozens of college admissions offices from small liberal arts colleges to large flagship state institutions. In each of these conversations, we have confirmed what we shared with families when GDS moved away from AP courses: For college admissions, there is no advantage to taking AP tests if you attend a high school that does not offer that coursework."

Is this statement true? How about the increasing # of kids who have been applying and matriculating at UK/Ireland/Canadian schools? How about schools like NYU that actually take AP testing in lieu of SAT/ACT (optional of course).

Something about this decision sits wrong with me...they are making it even harder for the subset of students who dont want to go to SLACs.

Also what about the college credit that some schools - esp. state flagships still offer for AP tests 4+

How's that for GDS equity mission?

I don’t know how ANYONE can know that nor make that claim. No it’s not true.

Did they put that in writing? How pretentious.

We know many elite athletes homeschooled by traveling tutors who sit for AP tests. And go on to fantastic colleges plus the highest echelon of their sport play.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD13 is starting 8th grade and we need to apply for high schools in January. She will go to university overseas as we cannot afford the US system. I knew GDS had stopped offering AP courses but didn’t know they were still doing AP testing. What difference does dropping the testing part make?

I guess they are reprimanding the teachers who still held AP test prep sessions during class or outside of class.

Don’t want to make the kids who were unaware AP tests can be taken look silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The right thing to do.

Yes, any objective measure of the kids should be eliminated. Kids should only be judged by the adversity score of their essays.

And how much if a Mini Me they are of their favorite teacher who needs to go to bat for them at application time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there is no advantage for admissions but there is an advantage in terms of graduating early, picking up a minor, repeating a class without delaying graduation...

I also think in the world of no SATs and grade inflation, submitting lots of 5s in challenging APs is one of the few things left to show you can handle challenge.

The top schools don't give all that much credit because literally all of the kids are coming in with "college" credit. It probably helps at other colleges.

Examples
https://registrar.fas.harvard.edu/test-scores-advanced-standing#advancedstanding

Advanced Placement examinations, the International Baccalaureate diploma, and international credentials will no longer be recognized for Harvard College credit toward the degree beginning with the students who enter the College in Fall 2020.

https://cce.caltech.edu/undergraduate/ugrad-admissions

Please note that we do not grant credit for AP, IB, A Level, Pre-U, or college courses taken prior to enrollment.

https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/registrar/for-students/course-registration

If a student has taken International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement or college courses during secondary school, we view this as significant evidence of academic accomplishment and preparation. In addition, some Amherst departments will allow a student to forego introductory level courses in areas in which rigorous work has already been completed. However, we do not accept such courses for credit or advanced standing.[/QUOTE}

My child is graduating early from Cornell with help from AP Credits (for 5s) and summer class credit transferred from other colleges. I know it is not considered a top school here but its not bad!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there is no advantage for admissions but there is an advantage in terms of graduating early, picking up a minor, repeating a class without delaying graduation...

I also think in the world of no SATs and grade inflation, submitting lots of 5s in challenging APs is one of the few things left to show you can handle challenge.

And have time to take higher level classes, intern and do study abroad. Even ivys accept 5s on core classes like calc, bio, us history, English lit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This does affect admissions to UK schools and it affects freshman standing at many US universities - especially large state universities. For example, at UC schools AP credits will affect your number of credits, which will affect your status for registration.

GDS parent here. I’m no longer shocked at the bad decisions this administration makes. Two posts back, someone clearly shows that many top schools do actually factor AP scores despite the dogma here and at GDS college office that they don’t.

I know for a fact that BC does. As in direct from the head of admissions. And they aren’t alone.

So what exactly is GDS saying here? Come to GDS if you want to go to a SLAC and only a SLAC?

This will also create 100-200 GD parents across 10th-12th grade calling random schools to see if they will let our kids sit for these tests.
My kid wants to keep UK option open. So they want to take a couple AP tests after 10th grade. Now what, GDS sent me a college board link that shows all schools in DC that offer the test. No further guidance. Just call around.

Such utter BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does affect admissions to UK schools and it affects freshman standing at many US universities - especially large state universities. For example, at UC schools AP credits will affect your number of credits, which will affect your status for registration.

GDS parent here. I’m no longer shocked at the bad decisions this administration makes. Two posts back, someone clearly shows that many top schools do actually factor AP scores despite the dogma here and at GDS college office that they don’t.

I know for a fact that BC does. As in direct from the head of admissions. And they aren’t alone.

So what exactly is GDS saying here? Come to GDS if you want to go to a SLAC and only a SLAC?

This will also create 100-200 GD parents across 10th-12th grade calling random schools to see if they will let our kids sit for these tests.
My kid wants to keep UK option open. So they want to take a couple AP tests after 10th grade. Now what, GDS sent me a college board link that shows all schools in DC that offer the test. No further guidance. Just call around.

Such utter BS.

Write an email to the school and CC all the board members. Better yet, have all your friends who feel similarly do it too. This doesn't need to be a permanent change... they can walk it back with enough voices of dissent. If I were you, I'd organize and get this taken care of now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So where are the students going to take them this year? Does Sidwell still offer the exams on site? What about other nearby schools?

JR offers 29 AP tests, but I am not sure if kids from outside the school are allowed to sit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, what GDS is saying is something that I’ve always known to be true and the college admissions counselors have said over and over again is true but that DCUM simply refuses to accept: AP scores don’t matter for college admissions. They just don’t. They only matter for college credit. What’s important to college admissions officials at the top colleges is that you generally take the toughest courses available to you in high school, and in public schools and many privates those courses are AP. But it’s the courses that count, not the scores on the AP exams. After all, most students take more AP courses their senior year than any other year, and colleges won’t even see the AP exam scores into after they have already made their admissions decisions.

Every time I see a “chance my kid” post here where somebody talks about their kid having all 5s I roll my eyes for this reason. They just don’t get it.

I think it’s safe to assume that a school as prestigious and successful in college admissions as GDS knows better about what is important to college admissions than the likes of you.

AP absolutely count for college admissions, most students who attend those selective universities have 8-12 AP taken in high school. Some privates are well enough known for their rigor that they can get by without APs, but I don’t think this translates to ‘all’ schools. Even so, students that apply to the UC system will be a a huge disadvantage without APs.

GDS is saying it doesn’t matter if students take APs, it seems the answer is more nuanced than this. It doesn’t matter for who? All students? The high SES ones with stellar extracurriculars? The hooked students? The competition for unhooked middle class is quite fierce, it is very difficult to separate students that roughly look the same. APs is one way for students to differentiate themselves. Virtually every top university states that they view APs as the student taking the most rigorous coursework and challenging themselves. I think this is a disservice to the students that are strong academics, but not very good at athletics or not too involved in clubs and extracurriculars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there is no advantage for admissions but there is an advantage in terms of graduating early, picking up a minor, repeating a class without delaying graduation...

I also think in the world of no SATs and grade inflation, submitting lots of 5s in challenging APs is one of the few things left to show you can handle challenge.

And have time to take higher level classes, intern and do study abroad. Even ivys accept 5s on core classes like calc, bio, us history, English lit.

My kid’s Ivy takes AP scores for math, science and language…but not for humanities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there is no advantage for admissions but there is an advantage in terms of graduating early, picking up a minor, repeating a class without delaying graduation...

I also think in the world of no SATs and grade inflation, submitting lots of 5s in challenging APs is one of the few things left to show you can handle challenge.

+100

+1 It is one of the few nationally applied tests to determine a student's standing among peers. 5s cannot hurt an applicant.
Many competitive colleges for a long time have not accepted APs to get out of credits, but they can sometimes get you out of intro level courses. Some colleges have special courses for kids who have received 5s (I was admitted into a special history seminar at Swarthmore that was open only to first-year students who received a 5 on an AP history exam).
Some colleges do let you get out of classes with 4s or 5s--this can be a huge financial benefit for kids who may be able to graduate a semester or even a year early. That is a massive savings--I don't understand why GDS doesn't acknowledge this. There are kids at GDS who are on significant financial aid.

[Anonymous]

My kid's school accepted Calculus and English Lit and it saved them from having to take two pre-reqs.

Most other schools they were accepted to would have also accepted the History and Foreign Language APs for credit.