Can someone be honest? How many APs did your kid take privately?

[Anonymous]

My private (outside metro DC) has never had any classes labelled as “AP”, but they have offered in-school sittings in late Spring for every AP exam which a student has wanted to take. To my first hand knowledge, this has been true since at least the late 1970s, probably starting earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

Rigor is in the context of what the school offers. Schools that don’t offer AP still have honors and advanced classes. In this context, to show that you took the most rigorous course at the school you would have to take honors and advanced courses.

And that doesn't help much anymore. Times have changed. Look, when the schools decided to drop APs they could not have predicted what happened when COVID hit,. They could not have predicted that SAT subject matter tests would go away and that most schools would become test optional. Colleges are left with APs as the last thing they can look to for some level of standardization across schools. It matters more now than it used to, which is probably why some schools that said they were dropping APs actually have not done so -- they saw what the testing change would mean.

A lot of kids are not even taking the AP exam so colleges are only seeing the grade they got in the class, grading that is still school specific. In the scenario where kids are not taking the exam there is really no difference between an honors/advanced class and an AP class.

In part, but kids start taking APs in 9th so a pattern of scores is predictive of the senior year scores, especially if the grades support that. Also, colleges know what AP courses are, it's the point of having standards; they have no idea what every random schools' honors class is teaching.

They also start taking honors classes in 9th grade. Colleges get the course curriculum from each high school; the information that is covered in AP is usually also covered in advanced classes offered by school. The schools that are dropping AP are usually known for academic rigor and colleges trust this so why wouldn’t they trust the rigor of the advanced classes? I understand the benefits of a standardized program I just don’t like college boards monopoly on APs and the hoops schools have to go through.

This is the key question: why wouldn’t colleges trust these schools? The fact is, though, that it looks like at the same time that SFS, STA, NCS, and GDS announced they were dropping APs, they also all reduced the number of high-scoring 9th graders they admitted. So it could be that what students in the class of 2023 are seeing is that they’re at the top of the class, and what colleges are seeing is that the class of 2023 looks unusually weak compared to past classes.

What? How could you know that they reduced the number of high scoring 9th graders they admitted? And again, STA and NCS still have APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

You can get in with top grades alone from the top privates because that in an of itself is a very unique distinction. Sometimes there is one kid in a graduating class with a 3.9 and everyone else falls below--many smart kids significantly below. It's not like public where everyone has a 4.0+. The top kids from these privates get into Ivies even without much more on their resumes.

As other have noted, that plan works for a handful of kids. It's the rest of the class that has something to prove.

Depends on the school. Some schools still place 40/80 kids at the best schools. Saw it last year.

[Anonymous]

I took 9 APs with minimal studying. English Lit, language, Spanish lit, language, Calc, bio, physics, chem, music theory. For any student wanting to do the same, I would recommend first studying the test format, then figuring out how it works, then figuring out how what you know fits into the AP program. For the tests mentioned, I didn’t have to do a lot of extra work. The only test where I learned the material primarily outside of school was music theory, but I definitely did not take an AP Music Theory class, and I’m glad I never did.

I looked at AP European History and AP World History, and I noped right outa there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

Rigor is in the context of what the school offers. Schools that don’t offer AP still have honors and advanced classes. In this context, to show that you took the most rigorous course at the school you would have to take honors and advanced courses.

And that doesn't help much anymore. Times have changed. Look, when the schools decided to drop APs they could not have predicted what happened when COVID hit,. They could not have predicted that SAT subject matter tests would go away and that most schools would become test optional. Colleges are left with APs as the last thing they can look to for some level of standardization across schools. It matters more now than it used to, which is probably why some schools that said they were dropping APs actually have not done so -- they saw what the testing change would mean.

A lot of kids are not even taking the AP exam so colleges are only seeing the grade they got in the class, grading that is still school specific. In the scenario where kids are not taking the exam there is really no difference between an honors/advanced class and an AP class.

In part, but kids start taking APs in 9th so a pattern of scores is predictive of the senior year scores, especially if the grades support that. Also, colleges know what AP courses are, it's the point of having standards; they have no idea what every random schools' honors class is teaching.

They also start taking honors classes in 9th grade. Colleges get the course curriculum from each high school; the information that is covered in AP is usually also covered in advanced classes offered by school. The schools that are dropping AP are usually known for academic rigor and colleges trust this so why wouldn’t they trust the rigor of the advanced classes? I understand the benefits of a standardized program I just don’t like college boards monopoly on APs and the hoops schools have to go through.

This is the key question: why wouldn’t colleges trust these schools? The fact is, though, that it looks like at the same time that SFS, STA, NCS, and GDS announced they were dropping APs, they also all reduced the number of high-scoring 9th graders they admitted. So it could be that what students in the class of 2023 are seeing is that they’re at the top of the class, and what colleges are seeing is that the class of 2023 looks unusually weak compared to past classes.

What? How could you know that they reduced the number of high scoring 9th graders they admitted? And again, STA and NCS still have APs.

I assume PP meant that the schools did not accept test scores for one or more years due to Covid, so they did not know how an applicant scored or would score. (Although I’m sure they used other proxies for insight).

So is GDS the only one of these schools that ended up dropping all AP courses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

Rigor is in the context of what the school offers. Schools that don’t offer AP still have honors and advanced classes. In this context, to show that you took the most rigorous course at the school you would have to take honors and advanced courses.

And that doesn't help much anymore. Times have changed. Look, when the schools decided to drop APs they could not have predicted what happened when COVID hit,. They could not have predicted that SAT subject matter tests would go away and that most schools would become test optional. Colleges are left with APs as the last thing they can look to for some level of standardization across schools. It matters more now than it used to, which is probably why some schools that said they were dropping APs actually have not done so -- they saw what the testing change would mean.

A lot of kids are not even taking the AP exam so colleges are only seeing the grade they got in the class, grading that is still school specific. In the scenario where kids are not taking the exam there is really no difference between an honors/advanced class and an AP class.

In part, but kids start taking APs in 9th so a pattern of scores is predictive of the senior year scores, especially if the grades support that. Also, colleges know what AP courses are, it's the point of having standards; they have no idea what every random schools' honors class is teaching.

They also start taking honors classes in 9th grade. Colleges get the course curriculum from each high school; the information that is covered in AP is usually also covered in advanced classes offered by school. The schools that are dropping AP are usually known for academic rigor and colleges trust this so why wouldn’t they trust the rigor of the advanced classes? I understand the benefits of a standardized program I just don’t like college boards monopoly on APs and the hoops schools have to go through.

This is the key question: why wouldn’t colleges trust these schools? The fact is, though, that it looks like at the same time that SFS, STA, NCS, and GDS announced they were dropping APs, they also all reduced the number of high-scoring 9th graders they admitted. So it could be that what students in the class of 2023 are seeing is that they’re at the top of the class, and what colleges are seeing is that the class of 2023 looks unusually weak compared to past classes.

What? How could you know that they reduced the number of high scoring 9th graders they admitted? And again, STA and NCS still have APs.

I assume PP meant that the schools did not accept test scores for one or more years due to Covid, so they did not know how an applicant scored or would score. (Although I’m sure they used other proxies for insight).

So is GDS the only one of these schools that ended up dropping all AP courses?

Holton doesn’t have AP courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

Mommy’s job connections come in handy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

Rigor is in the context of what the school offers. Schools that don’t offer AP still have honors and advanced classes. In this context, to show that you took the most rigorous course at the school you would have to take honors and advanced courses.

And that doesn't help much anymore. Times have changed. Look, when the schools decided to drop APs they could not have predicted what happened when COVID hit,. They could not have predicted that SAT subject matter tests would go away and that most schools would become test optional. Colleges are left with APs as the last thing they can look to for some level of standardization across schools. It matters more now than it used to, which is probably why some schools that said they were dropping APs actually have not done so -- they saw what the testing change would mean.

A lot of kids are not even taking the AP exam so colleges are only seeing the grade they got in the class, grading that is still school specific. In the scenario where kids are not taking the exam there is really no difference between an honors/advanced class and an AP class.

In part, but kids start taking APs in 9th so a pattern of scores is predictive of the senior year scores, especially if the grades support that. Also, colleges know what AP courses are, it's the point of having standards; they have no idea what every random schools' honors class is teaching.

They also start taking honors classes in 9th grade. Colleges get the course curriculum from each high school; the information that is covered in AP is usually also covered in advanced classes offered by school. The schools that are dropping AP are usually known for academic rigor and colleges trust this so why wouldn’t they trust the rigor of the advanced classes? I understand the benefits of a standardized program I just don’t like college boards monopoly on APs and the hoops schools have to go through.

This is the key question: why wouldn’t colleges trust these schools? The fact is, though, that it looks like at the same time that SFS, STA, NCS, and GDS announced they were dropping APs, they also all reduced the number of high-scoring 9th graders they admitted. So it could be that what students in the class of 2023 are seeing is that they’re at the top of the class, and what colleges are seeing is that the class of 2023 looks unusually weak compared to past classes.

What? How could you know that they reduced the number of high scoring 9th graders they admitted? And again, STA and NCS still have APs.

I assume PP meant that the schools did not accept test scores for one or more years due to Covid, so they did not know how an applicant scored or would score. (Although I’m sure they used other proxies for insight).

So is GDS the only one of these schools that ended up dropping all AP courses?

That makes sense, although the Class of ‘23 was admitted pre-Covid and needed test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

Rigor is in the context of what the school offers. Schools that don’t offer AP still have honors and advanced classes. In this context, to show that you took the most rigorous course at the school you would have to take honors and advanced courses.

And that doesn't help much anymore. Times have changed. Look, when the schools decided to drop APs they could not have predicted what happened when COVID hit,. They could not have predicted that SAT subject matter tests would go away and that most schools would become test optional. Colleges are left with APs as the last thing they can look to for some level of standardization across schools. It matters more now than it used to, which is probably why some schools that said they were dropping APs actually have not done so -- they saw what the testing change would mean.

A lot of kids are not even taking the AP exam so colleges are only seeing the grade they got in the class, grading that is still school specific. In the scenario where kids are not taking the exam there is really no difference between an honors/advanced class and an AP class.

In part, but kids start taking APs in 9th so a pattern of scores is predictive of the senior year scores, especially if the grades support that. Also, colleges know what AP courses are, it's the point of having standards; they have no idea what every random schools' honors class is teaching.

They also start taking honors classes in 9th grade. Colleges get the course curriculum from each high school; the information that is covered in AP is usually also covered in advanced classes offered by school. The schools that are dropping AP are usually known for academic rigor and colleges trust this so why wouldn’t they trust the rigor of the advanced classes? I understand the benefits of a standardized program I just don’t like college boards monopoly on APs and the hoops schools have to go through.

This is the key question: why wouldn’t colleges trust these schools? The fact is, though, that it looks like at the same time that SFS, STA, NCS, and GDS announced they were dropping APs, they also all reduced the number of high-scoring 9th graders they admitted. So it could be that what students in the class of 2023 are seeing is that they’re at the top of the class, and what colleges are seeing is that the class of 2023 looks unusually weak compared to past classes.

What? How could you know that they reduced the number of high scoring 9th graders they admitted? And again, STA and NCS still have APs.

I assume PP meant that the schools did not accept test scores for one or more years due to Covid, so they did not know how an applicant scored or would score. (Although I’m sure they used other proxies for insight).

So is GDS the only one of these schools that ended up dropping all AP courses?

Class of 2023 was admitted and started 9th before Covid.

[Anonymous]

Many threads on this here.

GDS dropped AP courses but still offer proctored AP tests. Many faculty in UL classes end up teaching side sessions in April to help kids prep for AP tests.

The irony is that in the official GDS college profile sent to universities, they still list how many kids took AP tests and how many tests taken in total.

Way to walk the talk

For all the "relax guys" GDS hoo ha, they actually further the arms race with stuff like this

"ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS
In May 2022, 80 GDS high school students sat for 113 Advanced
Placement examinations; 38% earned scores of 5, 80% earned
scores of 4 or above, and 91% earned scores of 3 or above."

The reality is that many kids who plan to apply for Top 50 schools started self study taking APs at GDS in junior year. Also kids who planned to apply to UK schools as well as kids who planned to apply to state flagships which increasingly actually do look at APs NOT just for course credit but also as a signal of rigor - especially when they don't know that the cabal of DC schools stopped offering AP courses. And the kids in public schools and many parts of the country are taking 7 - 14 AP tests by end of senior year. For average UCLA or Berkeley admit, i think close to 12 APs....

Longer story but many of the junior class at GDS took at least one AP test last year (the now seniors) - except CC office discouraged this and yet told colleges proudly how many GDS kids took APs. so yeah....there's good consistency for you.

Only this year did this GDS CO start actually telling freshman kids and parents that you should start to plan to take AP tests if you want to apply to UK or get course credit at many US schools (not Ivies)

Until this year, they only told families in junior year and by then it was too late to sign up for junior spring AP tests for self-study so only parents who pushed hard or had outside help even knew to sign up for AP tests for their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that APs are not offered at any private schools but I hear all the time that students take them privately. My child wants to take 2-3 in total but a friend’s son took 7 AP exams privately (over 4 years of HS) and got into one of the HPY. Same HS as our DC. If one is looking to get into competitive Ivy Leagues with all other factors in place (High GPA, SAT scores, robust activities etc.,). What is a good and reasonable number of APs to take?

Or are their parents here that can share that their DC took NO AP exams privately and their DC still got into a top school in the last 3 years? (Not a sport recruit)

Just trying to figure out whether we encourage our DC to take more AP, a few, or none.

Thank you for sharing.

Not sure where you are hearing they are not offered at any private schools. They are offered at the Cathedral Schools.

I will add though they don’t offer all AP classes. For example AP American history is not offered at STA. Many kids had a 90 or 95 in the class and then took the AP exam and bombed it. They don’t have time to study for the exam with spring sports and a 12 page history paper due at the same time and all of the SAT and ACT prep they’re trying to fit in. There’s no time so they take the class and many of them bombed the exam and that’s that.

GPAs and lack of APs can hurt college application especially for certain schools which do have a cut off.

Many STA families are not happy with their college options and feel their sons were encouraged to settle for colleges much lower than they could have been accepted to. For SOME students not all it felt like there was no guidance to reach higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many threads on this here.

GDS dropped AP courses but still offer proctored AP tests. Many faculty in UL classes end up teaching side sessions in April to help kids prep for AP tests.

The irony is that in the official GDS college profile sent to universities, they still list how many kids took AP tests and how many tests taken in total.

Way to walk the talk

For all the "relax guys" GDS hoo ha, they actually further the arms race with stuff like this

"ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS
In May 2022, 80 GDS high school students sat for 113 Advanced
Placement examinations; 38% earned scores of 5, 80% earned
scores of 4 or above, and 91% earned scores of 3 or above."

The reality is that many kids who plan to apply for Top 50 schools started self study taking APs at GDS in junior year. Also kids who planned to apply to UK schools as well as kids who planned to apply to state flagships which increasingly actually do look at APs NOT just for course credit but also as a signal of rigor - especially when they don't know that the cabal of DC schools stopped offering AP courses. And the kids in public schools and many parts of the country are taking 7 - 14 AP tests by end of senior year. For average UCLA or Berkeley admit, i think close to 12 APs....

Longer story but many of the junior class at GDS took at least one AP test last year (the now seniors) - except CC office discouraged this and yet told colleges proudly how many GDS kids took APs. so yeah....there's good consistency for you.

Only this year did this GDS CO start actually telling freshman kids and parents that you should start to plan to take AP tests if you want to apply to UK or get course credit at many US schools (not Ivies)

Until this year, they only told families in junior year and by then it was too late to sign up for junior spring AP tests for self-study so only parents who pushed hard or had outside help even knew to sign up for AP tests for their kids.

GDS is still strongly discouraging sitting for AP exams for the majority of kids. They said this year that AP exams are beneficial only if you want to apply to a UK school or if you want to graduate early from college with the extra credits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many threads on this here.

GDS dropped AP courses but still offer proctored AP tests. Many faculty in UL classes end up teaching side sessions in April to help kids prep for AP tests.

The irony is that in the official GDS college profile sent to universities, they still list how many kids took AP tests and how many tests taken in total.

Way to walk the talk

For all the "relax guys" GDS hoo ha, they actually further the arms race with stuff like this

"ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS
In May 2022, 80 GDS high school students sat for 113 Advanced
Placement examinations; 38% earned scores of 5, 80% earned
scores of 4 or above, and 91% earned scores of 3 or above."

The reality is that many kids who plan to apply for Top 50 schools started self study taking APs at GDS in junior year. Also kids who planned to apply to UK schools as well as kids who planned to apply to state flagships which increasingly actually do look at APs NOT just for course credit but also as a signal of rigor - especially when they don't know that the cabal of DC schools stopped offering AP courses. And the kids in public schools and many parts of the country are taking 7 - 14 AP tests by end of senior year. For average UCLA or Berkeley admit, i think close to 12 APs....

Longer story but many of the junior class at GDS took at least one AP test last year (the now seniors) - except CC office discouraged this and yet told colleges proudly how many GDS kids took APs. so yeah....there's good consistency for you.

Only this year did this GDS CO start actually telling freshman kids and parents that you should start to plan to take AP tests if you want to apply to UK or get course credit at many US schools (not Ivies)

Until this year, they only told families in junior year and by then it was too late to sign up for junior spring AP tests for self-study so only parents who pushed hard or had outside help even knew to sign up for AP tests for their kids.

I don't get it...I can understand why you may officially drop the AP designation (as a PP listed all the college board nonsense), but the school can still offer all the AP tests you did previously and tell teachers to spend a measly 2 weeks helping kids prep for the test. I am sure the teachers basically taught the AP curriculum, but it is just like SAT/ACT prep...you spend 2 weeks teaching to the test.

Seems like that is a win-win for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has not taken any AP exams. Will attend an Ivy League school this fall. Top grades, many honors classes. Not an athlete, legacy, or URM.

What got them in then? Lucky draw from the pool of 1600/4.0 ED applicants? Rigor is usually a major factor.

LOL DCUM's

Yes this happens all the time. Only DCUM thinks EC's, Essays, some obscure something gets a kid into Ivies. Marketing wins...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many threads on this here.

GDS dropped AP courses but still offer proctored AP tests. Many faculty in UL classes end up teaching side sessions in April to help kids prep for AP tests.

The irony is that in the official GDS college profile sent to universities, they still list how many kids took AP tests and how many tests taken in total.

Way to walk the talk

For all the "relax guys" GDS hoo ha, they actually further the arms race with stuff like this

"ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS
In May 2022, 80 GDS high school students sat for 113 Advanced
Placement examinations; 38% earned scores of 5, 80% earned
scores of 4 or above, and 91% earned scores of 3 or above."

The reality is that many kids who plan to apply for Top 50 schools started self study taking APs at GDS in junior year. Also kids who planned to apply to UK schools as well as kids who planned to apply to state flagships which increasingly actually do look at APs NOT just for course credit but also as a signal of rigor - especially when they don't know that the cabal of DC schools stopped offering AP courses. And the kids in public schools and many parts of the country are taking 7 - 14 AP tests by end of senior year. For average UCLA or Berkeley admit, i think close to 12 APs....

Longer story but many of the junior class at GDS took at least one AP test last year (the now seniors) - except CC office discouraged this and yet told colleges proudly how many GDS kids took APs. so yeah....there's good consistency for you.

Only this year did this GDS CO start actually telling freshman kids and parents that you should start to plan to take AP tests if you want to apply to UK or get course credit at many US schools (not Ivies)

Until this year, they only told families in junior year and by then it was too late to sign up for junior spring AP tests for self-study so only parents who pushed hard or had outside help even knew to sign up for AP tests for their kids.

I don't get it...I can understand why you may officially drop the AP designation (as a PP listed all the college board nonsense), but the school can still offer all the AP tests you did previously and tell teachers to spend a measly 2 weeks helping kids prep for the test. I am sure the teachers basically taught the AP curriculum, but it is just like SAT/ACT prep...you spend 2 weeks teaching to the test.

Seems like that is a win-win for everyone.

+1