Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well we will see. My kid is at one of those hard high schools and is getting crushed in AP Lang and there is definitely some regret about not doing this online as it is possible this one class, even with likely getting a 5 on the AP test as the teacher says there is a very high 5 rate, will tank chances at a top school.

AOs want the top grades in the hardest classes and sometimes the only way to do that in those schools to have a mix of online and in person.

I would disregard the bs posts about AOs spending their time trying to deduce whether you cheated or got an "easy A" in an AP class, especially if your kid scores a 5 on the AP test. The amount of total paranoia that this community interjects into the application process is completely absurd. Whether you took the class online or in person will never be THE deciding factor on whether you get into a T25, no matter what nonsense is spewed here by randos on the internet. Do what's best for your kid and if that happens to be an online AP class, then that is what it is. [Also, keep in mind, that kids are coming into the admissions process with 14+ APs, so there's literally no way to do that without taking online AP classes. Princeton shared its stat on the class of '29, in case you're curious. You can search it up.]

A lot of the students applying with 10+ AP scores self-studied for the tests and didn’t take classes for most of them at all. Which is a perfectly legit thing to do if you are trying to use the AP scores for credit in college.

Anonymous wrote:Online AP classes are chosen so you can boost your gpa with little to no effort. The kids cheat and have no guilt about this—it is the norm and they freely discuss it. Yes, college admissions officers know this and consider it when assessing rigor and traits like character. Do you think AOs are stupid?

Anonymous wrote:What online platforms are being used? I know of UC Scout operated by the University of California system, but what are the platforms out there that are enabling cheating?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat. Our college counselor advised us NOT to explain why the class was taken online. Admissions officers are unlikely to even notice that the course was online, but pointing it out could unintentionally draw extra attention to it.

It’s REALLY frustrating that FCPS changed the policy on how online AP classes appear on transcripts without any warning. I never would have let DS take an AP class online if we’d known it would show up that way. It’s honestly discouraging that online courses can still carry a stigma of low rigor and cheating, when students are simply trying to navigate the system they’ve been given and make thoughtful academic choices. At Langley, many of the top students take APUSH online, and at TJ it’s AP Econ, which shows just how common and practical taking online classes has become.

I’m a former Langley parent and I know how it goes over there. Students tell each other which classes are easier online than in-person, and the ease of
cheating can be a draw. AP Lang in 11th was another popular choice for online. My DC took APUSH from the excellent in-person teacher these kids are trying to avoid. Their loss as he’s great.

I’m glad FCPS is starting to label classes appropriately. If the OP’s kid got an A in the class but a 3 on the test, I’d surmise they likely cheated for the A.

It is grossly unfair that the current senior class had this change sprung on them. Families signed up for junior year online AP classes in sophomore year believing that the transcript would look a certain way.

Have your kid focus on the exam. Don't get caught up in the collective paranoia of individuals (or multiple individuals) posting repeatedly to disturb your peace of mind. Whether your child took the class online or in person is never (ever!) going to be THE deciding factor, no matter what is spewed in this discussion. As educated parents, we need to regain control from this mass hysteria over every detail the AO might use as a punitive mark against our kids. All things being equal, if the only difference is that one kid took a few online APs and another didn't, the AO doesn't immediately focus on that. They look at the exam scores, the overall application, and eventually favor the kid they prefer on paper—based on essays and the overall candidate profile, not whether they took an online AP class!

Anonymous wrote:But, honestly, do AOs really care whether a class is online vs in person? So many schools don't even offer a full suite of AP classes so online or DE are the only choices. Do we know for a fact that this negatively impacts an applicant, or are we just assuming it does because we, as parents, are in a paranoid state when it comes to college admissions? Keep in mind that sometimes kids have 15+ APs on their transcript--there is no possible way to do this without online AP classes. Seems like a parent-manufactured issue to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat. Our college counselor advised us NOT to explain why the class was taken online. Admissions officers are unlikely to even notice that the course was online, but pointing it out could unintentionally draw extra attention to it.

It’s REALLY frustrating that FCPS changed the policy on how online AP classes appear on transcripts without any warning. I never would have let DS take an AP class online if we’d known it would show up that way. It’s honestly discouraging that online courses can still carry a stigma of low rigor and cheating, when students are simply trying to navigate the system they’ve been given and make thoughtful academic choices. At Langley, many of the top students take APUSH online, and at TJ it’s AP Econ, which shows just how common and practical taking online classes has become.

I’m a former Langley parent and I know how it goes over there. Students tell each other which classes are easier online than in-person, and the ease of
cheating can be a draw. AP Lang in 11th was another popular choice for online. My DC took APUSH from the excellent in-person teacher these kids are trying to avoid. Their loss as he’s great.

I’m glad FCPS is starting to label classes appropriately. If the OP’s kid got an A in the class but a 3 on the test, I’d surmise they likely cheated for the A.

It is grossly unfair that the current senior class had this change sprung on them. Families signed up for junior year online AP classes in sophomore year believing that the transcript would look a certain way.

Anonymous wrote:If she got a 3 and all the other APs were 5s then that tells the AO what they need to know: she didn’t do very well in this class! Aren’t APs the one class where an A in the class really doesn’t matter, it’s the AP score that actually counts? It doesn’t matter whether the class was taken online or not

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well we will see. My kid is at one of those hard high schools and is getting crushed in AP Lang and there is definitely some regret about not doing this online as it is possible this one class, even with likely getting a 5 on the AP test as the teacher says there is a very high 5 rate, will tank chances at a top school.

AOs want the top grades in the hardest classes and sometimes the only way to do that in those schools to have a mix of online and in person.

I would disregard the bs posts about AOs spending their time trying to deduce whether you cheated or got an "easy A" in an AP class, especially if your kid scores a 5 on the AP test. The amount of total paranoia that this community interjects into the application process is completely absurd. Whether you took the class online or in person will never be THE deciding factor on whether you get into a T25, no matter what nonsense is spewed here by randos on the internet. Do what's best for your kid and if that happens to be an online AP class, then that is what it is. [Also, keep in mind, that kids are coming into the admissions process with 14+ APs, so there's literally no way to do that without taking online AP classes. Princeton shared its stat on the class of '29, in case you're curious. You can search it up.]

14 APs in person has become fairly common at our public school for the top 10% of rigor kids, and many who do it do not get in to ivies they settle for UVA in state. It used to be 12AP when Geo and precal were not a thing there.
APGeo in 9th
AP precal in 10 AP AB cal 11 BC 12th
APlang and lit 11th and 12
APhys1 11th
AP bio/APChem/APphysC: most top kids have 2 of the 3 because they double sciences in 10th or 12th
AP Econ 1 or 2 and APGov 12th, some take another in 10th
AP foreign lang 12
APWorld 10, APUSH 11
some fit in AP compsci or AP stat too as a 6th core one of the years

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat. Our college counselor advised us NOT to explain why the class was taken online. Admissions officers are unlikely to even notice that the course was online, but pointing it out could unintentionally draw extra attention to it.

It’s REALLY frustrating that FCPS changed the policy on how online AP classes appear on transcripts without any warning. I never would have let DS take an AP class online if we’d known it would show up that way. It’s honestly discouraging that online courses can still carry a stigma of low rigor and cheating, when students are simply trying to navigate the system they’ve been given and make thoughtful academic choices. At Langley, many of the top students take APUSH online, and at TJ it’s AP Econ, which shows just how common and practical taking online classes has become.

I’m a former Langley parent and I know how it goes over there. Students tell each other which classes are easier online than in-person, and the ease of
cheating can be a draw. AP Lang in 11th was another popular choice for online. My DC took APUSH from the excellent in-person teacher these kids are trying to avoid. Their loss as he’s great.

I’m glad FCPS is starting to label classes appropriately. If the OP’s kid got an A in the class but a 3 on the test, I’d surmise they likely cheated for the A.

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat. Our college counselor advised us NOT to explain why the class was taken online. Admissions officers are unlikely to even notice that the course was online, but pointing it out could unintentionally draw extra attention to it.

It’s REALLY frustrating that FCPS changed the policy on how online AP classes appear on transcripts without any warning. I never would have let DS take an AP class online if we’d known it would show up that way. It’s honestly discouraging that online courses can still carry a stigma of low rigor and cheating, when students are simply trying to navigate the system they’ve been given and make thoughtful academic choices. At Langley, many of the top students take APUSH online, and at TJ it’s AP Econ, which shows just how common and practical taking online classes has become.