AP Scholar with Distinction -- Not so Distinct

[Anonymous]

Today I learned my son received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award from CollegeBoard.

I have been hearing this buzzword from many forums in lists of stats...and it always seemed like it would be something very significant.

When I learned today that all it requires is a 3.5 average score on all exams taken AND that you only need a 3 or above on all exams, I wasn't so impressed with the "distinction." Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of my son who got 4s and 5s on his exams, but please, I don't see the requirements for this award as a very high bar.

Just needed to share.

[Anonymous]

...ok

[Anonymous]

Be happy, not mad that people who you think are inferior share the honor that your son has received.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be happy, not mad that people who you think are inferior share the honor that your son has received.

This. Thread ender, right here.

[Anonymous]

The OP has a point. Everybody gets all As and honors and distinction these days. It's starting to be totally meaningless. Honorable mention means - boy how terrible did you do, but at least you participated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today I learned my son received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award from CollegeBoard.

I have been hearing this buzzword from many forums in lists of stats...and it always seemed like it would be something very significant.

When I learned today that all it requires is a 3.5 average score on all exams taken AND that you only need a 3 or above on all exams, I wasn't so impressed with the "distinction." Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of my son who got 4s and 5s on his exams, but please, I don't see the requirements for this award as a very high bar.

Just needed to share.

How can I say this gently?

We live in an area in which taking APs and scoring well on them is regarded as normal. Most places in the US, it is not so common. And even here in DCUMland, there are students who overcome enormous barriers (internal and external) to taking the courses and exams. What might seem like a leisurely stroll to you can be someone else’s ultramarathon. Earning college credit as a sophomore, junior, or senior is not a participation trophy or grade inflation.

[Anonymous]

Harvard University admitted about 1650 undergraduate freshmen in 1965. Last year it admitted about 2024 undergraduate freshmen. Assuming (a simplistic assumption, I admit) a linear increase, the average undergraduate freshmen enrollment is 1834. So in the last 54 years, there were a total of 54 x 1834 = 99036 undergraduate freshmen enrollment.

So, considering this total number of about 99000 undergraduate freshmen enrollment, I get the feeling that admission to Harvard College freshman class is not that big of a deal. I used to think It was such a huge deal before I did this back of the envelop calculation. I just wanted to share. I totally get where the oP is coming from. OP, you aren't alone. I feel the same way you do. But in my case, the feeling is about getting into Harvard College.

[Anonymous]

I am in my 40s, graduated from a rigorous private days school in the 90s. I took 4 APs junior and senior year and got 4s or 5s on all. At the time that was a lot of APs. I remember I was an AP scholar with something (maybe it was "with honor" maybe it was "with distinction").

I just think these designations were set a long time ago, when ppl took far fewer APs and it was a hard bar to reach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today I learned my son received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award from CollegeBoard.

I have been hearing this buzzword from many forums in lists of stats...and it always seemed like it would be something very significant.

When I learned today that all it requires is a 3.5 average score on all exams taken AND that you only need a 3 or above on all exams, I wasn't so impressed with the "distinction." Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of my son who got 4s and 5s on his exams, but please, I don't see the requirements for this award as a very high bar.

Just needed to share.

Doesn't sound like your kid is on track to be your state's AP scholar. National AP scholar might be a stretch too.

Seriously, though these are silly. NMSF or NMF mean something. AP awards don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard University admitted about 1650 undergraduate freshmen in 1965. Last year it admitted about 2024 undergraduate freshmen. Assuming (a simplistic assumption, I admit) a linear increase, the average undergraduate freshmen enrollment is 1834. So in the last 54 years, there were a total of 54 x 1834 = 99036 undergraduate freshmen enrollment.

So, considering this total number of about 99000 undergraduate freshmen enrollment, I get the feeling that admission to Harvard College freshman class is not that big of a deal. I used to think It was such a huge deal before I did this back of the envelop calculation. I just wanted to share. I totally get where the oP is coming from. OP, you aren't alone. I feel the same way you do. But in my case, the feeling is about getting into Harvard College.

When I went to Harvard for college many years ago, my (inward) reaction to “wow, you go to Harvard!” quickly became “Yeah, me and 20K other people.” Lots of whom weren’t any smarter than the kids who were my friends in HS.

[Anonymous]

I used to think IB diplomas were an achievement until I saw the schools that most of the IB diploma candidates end up attending. Not impressed at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to think IB diplomas were an achievement until I saw the schools that most of the IB diploma candidates end up attending. Not impressed at all.

Tha amount of work that goes into earning an IB Diploma is tremendous. Any kid who is able to complete that has my respect, regardless of where they go to college. For what its worth, the two recent grads I know with IB Diplomas went to Harvard and Williams.

[Anonymous]

"The OP has a point. Everybody gets all As and honors and distinction these days. It's starting to be totally meaningless."

Like meaningless borders.

[Anonymous]

My DC was a National AP scholar. He got the same postcard size certificate as for the AP Scholar with Distinction. Neither made any difference in college admissions or life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to think IB diplomas were an achievement until I saw the schools that most of the IB diploma candidates end up attending. Not impressed at all.

Tha amount of work that goes into earning an IB Diploma is tremendous. Any kid who is able to complete that has my respect, regardless of where they go to college. For what its worth, the two recent grads I know with IB Diplomas went to Harvard and Williams.

Along with many more going to UMBC and similar schools that will never be compared to Harvard or Williams. It’s no more rigorous than taking a bunch of AP courses and can be less demanding.