Reply to constant chatter about Montgomery County schools being better

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Kid just don't need to take more than 6 or 7 APs to crack colleges admitting in the single digits and teens as long as they're extra curriculars and/or work/internship experience knock it out of the park, their GPAs are impressive (not necessarily in the the top 1%, or even 5% at the school).  However, they need 4s and 5s on the exams (mostly 5s) to pull it off, or to be on track for IB Diploma points in the high 30s-40s if they're not legacies, recruited athletes or musicians.

Many kids take one AP class/exam, then take another with overlap content without taking the class at all these schools: JR, Walls, Banneker, MoCo options.

Common overlap content choices below.  Students usually just take one of the classes, but perhaps both exams after self study in one subject.

World History and US History
US Govt and Politics and Comparative Govt and Politics
World History and European History
US Govt and Politics and US History
French and Latin
English Lit and Composition and English Language and Composition
Physics 1, 2 and C
Studio Art 2-D and 3-D[/quote]

This is a very odd post.  If all you need to do is take 6 or 7 APs and have scores to show colleges (i.e., take them by end of 11th grade), you take 2 APs in 10th and 4-5 in 11th and I guess you are done.

In the same breath, PP is saying that a bunch of kids self-study and take all these other tests.  Why would they do that if they already took their 6-7 APs?

First, to say "many" do is nuts...maybe a couple do this from all DCPS schools, and even then in very specific subjects.  US Govt and Comparative Govt overlap only in that Govt is in the name.  Comparative Govt compares govt systems and economic structures across 5 countries, none of which is the US.  French and Latin?  Maybe if you are a native French speaker who studies Latin... no one is studying French and then self-studying for the Latin AP test, and there is no point to doing that.  Physics 1 is Algebra-based, while Physics C is calculus-based...if you are taking Physics C, there is no point in taking the Physics 1 AP test because it is an earlier course in the progression.  If you are taking Physics I, you are not self-studying for Physics C...you would have taken Physics C from the start...you get caught in a circular loop.

Sure, you may take English Lit and then also take the English Language AP at the same time...but why would you do that?  You are not going to take grade level English in 12th grade, so you take English Lang in 11th and English Lit in 12th.

Colleges look at your HS transcript first, and your AP Scores 2nd.  You will not be given any acceptance weight to taking an AP test without taking the AP course.  Your AP test score is only relevant for getting college credit.[/quote]

Acceptance weight is pretty subjective—why wouldn’t colleges give you additional weight if you take some AP tests without taking the underlying courses?[/quote]

You can either believe colleges or not...this is just repeating what they tell kids at HS visit days and what they tell college counselors.  They mainly care about AP Test scores for placement in classes, but taking the AP course and doing well is how they evaluate for acceptance.

Is it possible they are lying and in fact will give bonus points to a kid that doesn't take the course but does well on the test...anything is possible.

The issue is that you have to take core classes in HS and a language (though you can finish a language by like 10th grade if you accelerate), and they care most about AP grades and scores in core classes plus language.  If you are not taking the AP class...then what are you taking?  Honors is not considered as rigorous and JR only offers grade level or AP.
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