AP tests—why??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Across all schools? Or just privates? Cause I did look at my kid's private schools APs and there was nothing below a 3 and they don't prep for APs or have AP courses sooo 🤷‍♀️

Feel free to share that data from your private school and where it's published so we can all see these amazing outcomes. The College Board publishes distributions of test results of all AP exams nationally on their website. Big public school districts in the area like FCPS and MCPS also publish outcomes on AP exam participation and performance by subject area, annually for their districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Across all schools? Or just privates? Cause I did look at my kid's private schools APs and there was nothing below a 3 and they don't prep for APs or have AP courses sooo 🤷‍♀️

Which school is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

You lack reading comprehension skills. Perhaps your education was too focused on preparing overcrowded classrooms for standardized tests. Whatever the reason, it has failed you.

Yet somehow your meager writing skills were unable to point out where the PP was incorrect in her assessment of the reasons why private school kids shouldn't take AP exams.

If you had basic reading comprehension skills you would see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Not PP but I can speak from personal experience. AP exams are not hard. I got 5s on over a dozen of them, including one where I didn’t take a corresponding class but just read through an exam prep book in about a week. These exams are just not worth your time unless you want the college credit. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

You lack reading comprehension skills. Perhaps your education was too focused on preparing overcrowded classrooms for standardized tests. Whatever the reason, it has failed you.

Yet somehow your meager writing skills were unable to point out where the PP was incorrect in her assessment of the reasons why private school kids shouldn't take AP exams.

If you had basic reading comprehension skills you would see it.

Translation: we all read what you wrote, and you can't justify it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Not PP but I can speak from personal experience. AP exams are not hard. I got 5s on over a dozen of them, including one where I didn’t take a corresponding class but just read through an exam prep book in about a week. These exams are just not worth your time unless you want the college credit. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag.

Wow! Your anonymous internet anecdote is so meaningful!

The rest of us can look at the data published by the College Board which indicates that everyone does not get a 5, so clearly some students find it harder than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Across all schools? Or just privates? Cause I did look at my kid's private schools APs and there was nothing below a 3 and they don't prep for APs or have AP courses sooo 🤷‍♀️

Which school is that?

The School of Crickets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Not PP but I can speak from personal experience. AP exams are not hard. I got 5s on over a dozen of them, including one where I didn’t take a corresponding class but just read through an exam prep book in about a week. These exams are just not worth your time unless you want the college credit. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag.

Wow! Your anonymous internet anecdote is so meaningful!

The rest of us can look at the data published by the College Board which indicates that everyone does not get a 5, so clearly some students find it harder than others.

AP classes and exams are pushed onto low achieving students in public schools. All the students who belong on an advanced track are getting 5s. This system is a money maker for the AP program so they want as many unqualified students taking exams as possible. That explains the scores below 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

You lack reading comprehension skills. Perhaps your education was too focused on preparing overcrowded classrooms for standardized tests. Whatever the reason, it has failed you.

Yet somehow your meager writing skills were unable to point out where the PP was incorrect in her assessment of the reasons why private school kids shouldn't take AP exams.

If you had basic reading comprehension skills you would see it.

Translation: we all read what you wrote, and you can't justify it.

Go back to middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Not PP but I can speak from personal experience. AP exams are not hard. I got 5s on over a dozen of them, including one where I didn’t take a corresponding class but just read through an exam prep book in about a week. These exams are just not worth your time unless you want the college credit. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag.

Wow! Your anonymous internet anecdote is so meaningful!

The rest of us can look at the data published by the College Board which indicates that everyone does not get a 5, so clearly some students find it harder than others.

AP classes and exams are pushed onto low achieving students in public schools. All the students who belong on an advanced track are getting 5s. This system is a money maker for the AP program so they want as many unqualified students taking exams as possible. That explains the scores below 5.

100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

You lack reading comprehension skills. Perhaps your education was too focused on preparing overcrowded classrooms for standardized tests. Whatever the reason, it has failed you.

Yet somehow your meager writing skills were unable to point out where the PP was incorrect in her assessment of the reasons why private school kids shouldn't take AP exams.

If you had basic reading comprehension skills you would see it.

Translation: we all read what you wrote, and you can't justify it.

Go back to middle school.

Perhaps you should and ask them to teach you how to defend your own written arguments. Sorry that you feel ashamed in advocating that private school students skip APs because they're better off not comparing themselves to other students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Not PP but I can speak from personal experience. AP exams are not hard. I got 5s on over a dozen of them, including one where I didn’t take a corresponding class but just read through an exam prep book in about a week. These exams are just not worth your time unless you want the college credit. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag.

Wow! Your anonymous internet anecdote is so meaningful!

The rest of us can look at the data published by the College Board which indicates that everyone does not get a 5, so clearly some students find it harder than others.

AP classes and exams are pushed onto low achieving students in public schools. All the students who belong on an advanced track are getting 5s. This system is a money maker for the AP program so they want as many unqualified students taking exams as possible. That explains the scores below 5.

Where do you see data that anyone getting below a 5 is unqualified to take an AP class? And if it's so easy to get a 5, why don't more private school students take them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only for the college credit. I really don’t think AP test scores matter for admission. The senior year ones arrive too late so it would only be the ones before that in an application. The class grade matters obviously but 4/5s are not going to impress anyone.

This doesn't sound like an informed opinion. Many public school students start taking APs in grade 9. By end of junior year, they could have 10 AP scores registered.

You should read through the rest of this thread rather than fixate on one post which doesn’t include the details.

If your school’s advanced track of coursework is designated AP, then of course anyone taking advanced coursework will rack up lots of APs. That isn’t the point of this thread.

The question is not about taking the most advanced coursework at your school, but do the AP exam scores matter for college admissions?

Does including 10 AP exam scores help or hurt you? If you got less than a 5 on any of these exams, doesn’t that open you up to scrutiny? For example you got an A in the class but a 3 or 4 on the exam, that looks weak. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag for a competitive application.

The issue at private schools without AP classes is that they are not required to take these exams.

My own kids did not include the exam scores in their college application but later used them to get college credit.

If you have a strong college application the AP exam scores are not going to help you and could hurt you.

So basically private school kids shouldn't do AP exams, because they can't hack the competition and won't stand out compared to their national peers and private school is a haven that allows you to say that your special snowflake is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.

Because AP exams aren't even that hard, so I think you sound pretty ridiculous. My kid had to take select AP exams for UK applications and got all 5's with minimal self-prep to familiarize themselves with rubrics and content standards. The non-AP material they covered in their classes was so much more worthwhile. Essays were expected to be more sophisticated than formulaic DBQ's and LEQ's, and they took proof based math well beyond BC calc.

That's cute how you say that they aren't that hard, based on your child's experience with a few AP exams. Check out the distribution of % of kids who get a 5 on each exam, and you'll have a better understanding of why that parent was saying that AP exams can hurt you if you don't excel at them.

Not PP but I can speak from personal experience. AP exams are not hard. I got 5s on over a dozen of them, including one where I didn’t take a corresponding class but just read through an exam prep book in about a week. These exams are just not worth your time unless you want the college credit. Anything less than a 5 is a red flag.

Wow! Your anonymous internet anecdote is so meaningful!

The rest of us can look at the data published by the College Board which indicates that everyone does not get a 5, so clearly some students find it harder than others.

AP classes and exams are pushed onto low achieving students in public schools. All the students who belong on an advanced track are getting 5s. This system is a money maker for the AP program so they want as many unqualified students taking exams as possible. That explains the scores below 5.

Where do you see data that anyone getting below a 5 is unqualified to take an AP class? And if it's so easy to get a 5, why don't more private school students take them?

Lots of private school students do take them. It is a choice for a lot of us, not a requirement. If we want the credits we can get them.

The AP program is a money making business that has exploited the public school system. Rather than creating advanced coursework themselves, public schools just hand over the curriculum to the AP company.

These exams are not hard.

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of misinformation on this thread. I taught AP Stem classes at a DC private before we were asked to drop the AP label. The AP STEM courses are very rigorous. I still teach mostly the same curriculum as before. We just don’t call it AP. I would never admit this to parents at my school. It makes sense to do it this way though because many of our students still take the AP exams. The credit is useful even if you are planning to graduate in 4 years as it allows you to skip some basic graduation requirements and it makes it easier to double major or just start with more advanced courses. Also, if you plan to apply to schools in Canada, UK, or anywhere internationally, you absolutely need AP scores.

[Anonymous]

I’ve done a survey of six people. Three of us took APs. Three of us did not. Nobody graduated college early. All of us went to good or great universities. We are all gainfully employed. The highest earner among us took APs, did not graduate early, and went to a good but not great university.
In other words: don’t think APs and the stress associated with them are some magical and mandatory path to a top 20 school and a lifetime of career achievement.