Reply to Is National AP Scholar impressive for top 20 schools? DS will have taken 17 APs by graduation

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Probably more impressive to/useful for public flagships.  T20 privates don’t think APs = college level work. [b] In some ways and in some fields,[/b] they’re actually counter-productive because profs have to break kids of the bad habits AP rewards (eg trite, superficial, formulaic writing).[/quote]

Get over yourself... how many AP essays have you read?[/quote]

Lots.  I’ve also taught at two t20 privates, was an undergrad at a 3rd, and have a kid at a fourth.  So i’ve seen a lot of essays (and understand the grading standards) in that context as well.  Also had a side gig teaching AP teachers (some of whom were also AP graders) and have discussed differing expectations between AP vs elite colleges with them.  [/quote]

So the kids in reg English staring at their phones or the ceiling are better prepared than kids taking more rigorous classes? Then tell us why all T20’s value rigor so highly. [/quote]

What she is saying is that AP’s can be formulaic and superficial. There are private schools that teach non AP classes that actually go more in depth in their classes and some colleges prefer students who have taken those kinds of courses instead. [/quote]

What an idiotic comment.  Colleges look for applicants that have taken the most rigorous coursework available at their own school.[/quote]

Actually, if you listen closely, what top schools are saying is take the most rigorous courses your school offers in your area(s) of interest.  Not “collect them all.” Not that AP is inherently more rigorous than other options (so yes, take the post AP courses in your field vs more APs in other subjects).  Not that your high school is the only place you should look for/can find academic challenge.  And certainly not that all APs are created equal. (Usually departments decide what (if anything) any given AP course/score gets you and there’s wide variation, with Calc B/C on the valuable end of the spectrum and history and social science courses on the lower.  But it varies by university and it keeps changing.)

[b]To be clear, I’m not saying OP’s kid won’t get into a t20 private school.  I’m just saying (a) if s/he does, 17 APs with good scores won’t be why and (b) it’s important for kids at t20 schools to know, as early as possible, both that what gets you a 5 on an AP is not likely to get you an A at t20 school and that what you learn in an AP class is generally not equivalent to what you’re expected to know/be able to do by the end of a similarly named course at your college.  So be careful wrt subbing AP for foundation courses in your major or adjacent fields.  APs are fine for checking off requirements and giving you breathing space wrt courseload.[/b]

[/quote]

Not quite. [b]There are plenty of colleges that expect you to be taking rigorous classes in all subjects[\b] before college. That’s not saying that you need to take 17 AP’s (did this kid sleep? Did he have time for other activities?) but don’t put your eggs all in one basket.

Before a kid decides to do this kind of thing he/she should realize that it might not get him/her into a top university and they should weigh whether it’s worth being stressed all through high school. [/quote]

“The most rigorous” is different from “rigorous.”  So, yes t20s expect math beyond Algebra 2 and four years of a foreign language regardless of what a HS students’ strengths/interests are, but that doesn’t mean you must take Calc BC or AP Latin (if offered) to be a competitive candidate.[/quote]

The poster’s assertion is that AP’s were potential liabilities to an application unto themselves and irrespective of impact on other achievements/activities, which is patently absurd. [/quote]

Not what I said. [/quote]

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