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

[Anonymous]

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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.

How? The common app counselor letter?

No, there is separate information presented as part of the school profiled. It is something the privates provide to the colleges directly. Our private has revised the standard a few times over the years, mostly to take into account the effect of the increased number of advanced offerings.

All schools provide this, it's called a class profile; most are fairly similar in content, but some are more detailed than others. Essentially, it lets a college put your child's transcript in context vis a vis the rest of the class.

No, you miss the point. The topic was that some school profiles affirmatively define what is most rigorous through objective criteria.

Uh, the admissions people compare kids within the same school mostly. So yes, the school profile helps them determine which kids took the most rigorous classes available at the school. [/quot

“Uh” no, again that was not the discussion. Some schools define the most rigorous track objectively and affirmatively explain what it is. No one is saying the school profile could not serve as a proxy for that, but that was not the point.

You don’t get but then you don’t care to. School profiles define “objectively” and “affirmatively” what the most rigorous courses track are in that school. Go find one online and explain to me how they are somehow deceptive, according to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought UC schools also give a GPA bump for Honors courses.

“Nonresidents:

UC will grant honors weight for AP or IB courses and transferable college courses only, but not for school-designated honors courses. The weight is given to letter grades of A, B, or C.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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

Here's the GDS profile from 2019-2020 in case some of you have not seen what these look like. This was before the era of no AP courses taught and back when SAT subject tests were still around

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1614795921/gdsorg/xsi5hisivizvk4kmcgzn/GDS_HS_Profile.pdf




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

How? The common app counselor letter?

No, there is separate information presented as part of the school profiled. It is something the privates provide to the colleges directly. Our private has revised the standard a few times over the years, mostly to take into account the effect of the increased number of advanced offerings.

All schools provide this, it's called a class profile; most are fairly similar in content, but some are more detailed than others. Essentially, it lets a college put your child's transcript in context vis a vis the rest of the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought UC schools also give a GPA bump for Honors courses.

“Nonresidents:

UC will grant honors weight for AP or IB courses and transferable college courses only, but not for school-designated honors courses. The weight is given to letter grades of A, B, or C.”

It was a terrible idea for the top privates here to get rid of AP designated classes. Will the students even have a chance at a UC school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought UC schools also give a GPA bump for Honors courses.

“Nonresidents:

UC will grant honors weight for AP or IB courses and transferable college courses only, but not for school-designated honors courses. The weight is given to letter grades of A, B, or C.”

It was a terrible idea for the top privates here to get rid of AP designated classes. Will the students even have a chance at a UC school?

Apparently they have a chance at UC schools, because kids from the top privates get into UC schools each year.

[Anonymous]

Exeter has never had AP or IB courses. Their students do fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exeter has never had AP or IB courses. Their students do fine.

>snort<

They’re Exeter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought UC schools also give a GPA bump for Honors courses.

“Nonresidents:

UC will grant honors weight for AP or IB courses and transferable college courses only, but not for school-designated honors courses. The weight is given to letter grades of A, B, or C.”

It was a terrible idea for the top privates here to get rid of AP designated classes. Will the students even have a chance at a UC school?

Apparently they have a chance at UC schools, because kids from the top privates get into UC schools each year.

But the kids admitted to UCs so far (especially before this year’s class) did have APs because they weren’t totally phased out yet. Curious how it’s played out this year and how it will be in future years.

[Anonymous]

Previous poster is correct. The current kids have APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought UC schools also give a GPA bump for Honors courses.

“Nonresidents:

UC will grant honors weight for AP or IB courses and transferable college courses only, but not for school-designated honors courses. The weight is given to letter grades of A, B, or C.”

It was a terrible idea for the top privates here to get rid of AP designated classes. Will the students even have a chance at a UC school?

Pomona!

Occidental!

Studies majors!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exeter has never had AP or IB courses. Their students do fine.

>snort<

They’re Exeter.

No if fact they do not. The white privilege male outplacement has been rough there over the past two cycles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if you can choose which AP scores to send to colleges (official score report from college board)? if you take 3 APs in a year, can you send only 1 or 2 of the scores?

Yes, you can choose which AP scores to send. You do not have to report them all. My advice is to register for all possible AP exams and then cancel the ones your student doesn’t feel prepared to take. If you cancel by a specific date in April or March, then you get a refund.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought UC schools also give a GPA bump for Honors courses.

“Nonresidents:

UC will grant honors weight for AP or IB courses and transferable college courses only, but not for school-designated honors courses. The weight is given to letter grades of A, B, or C.”

It was a terrible idea for the top privates here to get rid of AP designated classes. Will the students even have a chance at a UC school?

Pomona!

Occidental!

Studies majors!

My kid would be ecstatic if they got into Pomona or Occidental.

[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?

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?

Half the kids get forced to take it and their test fee is paid for by the Eliminate the Achievement Gap NGOs and taxpayers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all know that a number of DC area private schools got rid of AP courses (subsequent DOJ investigation followed too)

Parent here and have noticed that while the school does not teach the "AP class" it still offers the AP test to students who want to take it if they study for the test on their own.

Other parents and I have asked college advising office and they have said "do not take the AP tests, colleges know DC private schools don't do AP so the test itself gives the kid zero benefit"

So it surprised me to see that perhaps a dozen kids are taking AP tests in a number of high-level courses in the AP subject areas at my kid's school and then to hear that the teachers are doing extra help sessions for kids taking the AP tests. I've heard the same from parents at one or two of the other DC private schools.

Is this parents being pushy? College advising office fibbing about US colleges knowing that DC schools dont offer APs? A bit of both? Or are there that many kids applying for UK colleges that require a minimum number of AP tests regardless of what DC schools decided to do?

Truly confused and sensing some mixed messaging. I mean if some kids take the AP tests then doesn't that entirely negate the "we don't have APs" narrative that these DC schools are banded together to announce two years ago to colleges?

I’m glad some teachers have the integrity to teach their students to do well in the test and cover more material and make it cohesive and comprehensive for them. Some years the AP even provides direction and scope to some of the open ended questions, so if a teacher obtained that information and did not inform the class, I’d be livid.
Scores of 5 on core subjects are very valid for testing out to the next level or a prerequisite at many top colleges. Then one can double major, do more internships, do a study abroad, etc during their 4 years at undergrad.

Do your homework yourself parents. Some Wash DC private schools are counting on your ignorance.

This.

There’s really nothing to argue about. If you like experimental progressive teaching just sign up and turn your brain off. The private schools around here get away with a lot of garbage. They cherry pick outlier studies supporting their agenda and then back up the truck. Gawd forbid if you move to another city, you and your kids will be in for a rude awakening.