Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 14:32     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
What math courses at high school level do they offer? I think most of the AP classes are just semantics. But if you have an advanced child- they need to be able to take 4 yrs of math. What does that look like if no APs are offered? Is there a dual enrollment option/college nearby they can take classes from if needed?
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 14:28     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:For a selective private school, the lack of APs will not matter at all. In fact, admissions officers know that selective private schools often have much harder curriculums than public schools with AP. From my own personal perspective, my kids just switched from an elite private school to a very well regarded public due to a family move and are taking all AP classes, and the AP classes are infinitely easier than what they were taking in the private school.


I have literally heard a senior admissions officer from the University of Michigan say that DC's private school has a more rigorous curriculum than public schools with AP or IB.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 14:27     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For a selective private school, the lack of APs will not matter at all. In fact, admissions officers know that selective private schools often have much harder curriculums than public schools with AP. From my own personal perspective, my kids just switched from an elite private school to a very well regarded public due to a family move and are taking all AP classes, and the AP classes are infinitely easier than what they were taking in the private school.


Really, AP classes are “infinitely easier”? Please, enough with the exaggerations. Pick a class and explain how the AP version is infinitely easier. I guarantee that for STEM classes like Calculus BC the difference is “infinitely small” lol. Everyone can look at the private school class catalogues and see that the syllabus content is the same.

If the private high school is well known then there’s some assessment about rigor. At less known privates students still need to demonstrate rigor or take the risk of being rejected and AP is one of the ways to show it. It’s the same with test optional, it’s risky to apply without scores.


All I know is my northwestern kid (private well-known HS) has a 4.0 for her first quarter.

Many of her new friends from public schools cannot say that. She had a writing heavy first quarter and found it to be relatively easy giving them the rigorous writing demands of her high school. So far college is much easier than high school.


Perhaps your brilliant Northwestern kid can explain to you why her anecdote about her "new friends" does not constitute actual data that private school is easier than public school. A strong public school can easily be as rigorous as a strong private school (the leading producers of NMSF in the DMV area are the public magnets).
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 10:07     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For a selective private school, the lack of APs will not matter at all. In fact, admissions officers know that selective private schools often have much harder curriculums than public schools with AP. From my own personal perspective, my kids just switched from an elite private school to a very well regarded public due to a family move and are taking all AP classes, and the AP classes are infinitely easier than what they were taking in the private school.


Really, AP classes are “infinitely easier”? Please, enough with the exaggerations. Pick a class and explain how the AP version is infinitely easier. I guarantee that for STEM classes like Calculus BC the difference is “infinitely small” lol. Everyone can look at the private school class catalogues and see that the syllabus content is the same.

If the private high school is well known then there’s some assessment about rigor. At less known privates students still need to demonstrate rigor or take the risk of being rejected and AP is one of the ways to show it. It’s the same with test optional, it’s risky to apply without scores.


All I know is my northwestern kid (private well-known HS) has a 4.0 for her first quarter.

Many of her new friends from public schools cannot say that. She had a writing heavy first quarter and found it to be relatively easy giving them the rigorous writing demands of her high school. So far college is much easier than high school.


What an empty brag. You have no idea what AP classes her new friends took in high school, and it’s tacky to shade when you haven’t even met them. From the writing heavy quarter, it sounds like she’s in a humanities major that often lack the weed out classes in stem majors. AP English and History courses are plenty of writing preparation. Also, even if the college doesn’t give AP credit, the exam scores can be used to satisfy prerequisites so the students will skip low level general education classes and dive straight into harder classes. The advanced non AP classes at privates won’t count for anything. To some students having the flexibity to take high level classes matters.

Finding college easy is not the flex people assume it is. It just means she didn’t choose challenging courses, or ended up at an underwhelming college.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 09:11     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
I'm not in this situation, but I'll say that I have one kid who went to a university that doesn't accept credit for AP classes and another who went to UMD, which does take APs. And I was shocked-- the second kid entered UMD as a second semester sophomore due to getting so many credits. And she wasn't alone. I've heard of a lot of kids in the same boat. It seems likely she'll end up doing a one year masters in her fourth year. So she'll be there a typical 4 year period but end with a masters. (Though it's possible that she'll eat up credits with a second major, inefficient study abroad, etc.). Either way, it has made a huge difference in her flexibility and experience.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 23:37     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For a selective private school, the lack of APs will not matter at all. In fact, admissions officers know that selective private schools often have much harder curriculums than public schools with AP. From my own personal perspective, my kids just switched from an elite private school to a very well regarded public due to a family move and are taking all AP classes, and the AP classes are infinitely easier than what they were taking in the private school.


Really, AP classes are “infinitely easier”? Please, enough with the exaggerations. Pick a class and explain how the AP version is infinitely easier. I guarantee that for STEM classes like Calculus BC the difference is “infinitely small” lol. Everyone can look at the private school class catalogues and see that the syllabus content is the same.

If the private high school is well known then there’s some assessment about rigor. At less known privates students still need to demonstrate rigor or take the risk of being rejected and AP is one of the ways to show it. It’s the same with test optional, it’s risky to apply without scores.


All I know is my northwestern kid (private well-known HS) has a 4.0 for her first quarter.

Many of her new friends from public schools cannot say that. She had a writing heavy first quarter and found it to be relatively easy giving them the rigorous writing demands of her high school. So far college is much easier than high school.


Ooh. Sorry no APs at the private HS
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 23:36     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For a selective private school, the lack of APs will not matter at all. In fact, admissions officers know that selective private schools often have much harder curriculums than public schools with AP. From my own personal perspective, my kids just switched from an elite private school to a very well regarded public due to a family move and are taking all AP classes, and the AP classes are infinitely easier than what they were taking in the private school.


Really, AP classes are “infinitely easier”? Please, enough with the exaggerations. Pick a class and explain how the AP version is infinitely easier. I guarantee that for STEM classes like Calculus BC the difference is “infinitely small” lol. Everyone can look at the private school class catalogues and see that the syllabus content is the same.

If the private high school is well known then there’s some assessment about rigor. At less known privates students still need to demonstrate rigor or take the risk of being rejected and AP is one of the ways to show it. It’s the same with test optional, it’s risky to apply without scores.


All I know is my northwestern kid (private well-known HS) has a 4.0 for her first quarter.

Many of her new friends from public schools cannot say that. She had a writing heavy first quarter and found it to be relatively easy giving them the rigorous writing demands of her high school. So far college is much easier than high school.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 23:26     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:If your kid doesn't take AP courses then college is going to take an extra year easy.

Are you ready to pay for that?


Since these parents are already paying for private HS, presumably paying for 4 years of college rather than 3 won’t be that much of a problem.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 21:18     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Elite boarding prep school which offers no AP courses results were outstanding for almost all students.

On the other hand, lower ranked private schools that are more locally known will suffer from colleges not being able to vet the rigor of their curriculum.


This.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 21:18     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for taking the time to respond.

The main issue though is that how would these kids get college credit if they do not take the AP exam? You could be at a competitive private taking some very advanced calculus class, but if you do not take the AP, don't you have to start doing some basic intro to calculus class in college?

And if you do take the AP exam, now you have 2 separate curricula to study for. I get that the classes the privates are offering are very advanced, but I am sure there are differences in what is being taught and students wanting to take the AP exam, have to study on top of the already rigorous class curriculum. It seems like a lot!


No selective colleges accept AP credit anymore. As for placement, some have placement tests and some go off of transcripts.


False.


Care to elaborate? My daughter and all her friends just went through this as new freshmen and I found this true.


How many colleges does your daughter attend?
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 21:15     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for taking the time to respond.

The main issue though is that how would these kids get college credit if they do not take the AP exam? You could be at a competitive private taking some very advanced calculus class, but if you do not take the AP, don't you have to start doing some basic intro to calculus class in college?

And if you do take the AP exam, now you have 2 separate curricula to study for. I get that the classes the privates are offering are very advanced, but I am sure there are differences in what is being taught and students wanting to take the AP exam, have to study on top of the already rigorous class curriculum. It seems like a lot!


No selective colleges accept AP credit anymore. As for placement, some have placement tests and some go off of transcripts.


False.


You’re completely clueless. MIT and Stanford take AP credits. Unless you don’t consider them selective enough for your elevated taste.


You are agreeing with me. Selective colleges DO award AP credits.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 20:33     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Haven’t read the comments but one aspect to consider is that there are an abundance of AP materials, website info, videos and tutors out there if your child needs help. Private honors/advanced classes often have their own curriculum and depending on the teacher can be tough to get quick support for outside of school as tutors don’t necessarily know the order of content or format of tests, you can’t always find similar content easily online, etc. The private teachers are certainly willing to support students individually, but it’s just not quite the same transparency of content. So in a nutshell, for some who need support, getting an A in an AP may be easier than getting an A in a private school advanced course.
Private advanced courses did prepare my kids for APs which they took at outside schools, didn’t study too much for and got 4s/5s. I don’t think that really made a difference for college apps but did give some college credit which was nice.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 20:25     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this for two primary reasons.

One, nobody knows what they're talking about.

Two, posters always post crazy shit like "my kid's public school friends are all struggling in college and they took APs and my kid didn't" and I think (a) are you stalking your kid's friends? How do you know their grades?? and (b) nobody "struggles" in college anymore -- the average GPA is like a 3.3.

Anywhere, here's the real answer: college admissions officers judge an application within the context of the high school's particular profile. Every high school includes the school profile with the student's transcript. It will say point blank that the school doesn't offer APs, and it will identify what the advanced classes are in their place. It will describe the grading scale, and when there's no class rank it will typically provide the grading distribution. It will report the average SAT and ACT scores for the class. And typically it will say what percentage of the class goes to a four year college a provide a matriculation list.

The bottom line: you're fine.


including you? 🤣


What did I get wrong? I'm all ears. I'm sorry that I embarrassed you.


Watch your head ... may pop anytime
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 20:21     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this for two primary reasons.

One, nobody knows what they're talking about.

Two, posters always post crazy shit like "my kid's public school friends are all struggling in college and they took APs and my kid didn't" and I think (a) are you stalking your kid's friends? How do you know their grades?? and (b) nobody "struggles" in college anymore -- the average GPA is like a 3.3.

Anywhere, here's the real answer: college admissions officers judge an application within the context of the high school's particular profile. Every high school includes the school profile with the student's transcript. It will say point blank that the school doesn't offer APs, and it will identify what the advanced classes are in their place. It will describe the grading scale, and when there's no class rank it will typically provide the grading distribution. It will report the average SAT and ACT scores for the class. And typically it will say what percentage of the class goes to a four year college a provide a matriculation list.

The bottom line: you're fine.


including you? 🤣


What did I get wrong? I'm all ears. I'm sorry that I embarrassed you.
Anonymous
Post 12/15/2025 20:18     Subject: If your child went to a private school that does not offer AP classes, how did that affect their college outcomes?
Anonymous wrote:I hate threads like this for two primary reasons.

One, nobody knows what they're talking about.

Two, posters always post crazy shit like "my kid's public school friends are all struggling in college and they took APs and my kid didn't" and I think (a) are you stalking your kid's friends? How do you know their grades?? and (b) nobody "struggles" in college anymore -- the average GPA is like a 3.3.

Anywhere, here's the real answer: college admissions officers judge an application within the context of the high school's particular profile. Every high school includes the school profile with the student's transcript. It will say point blank that the school doesn't offer APs, and it will identify what the advanced classes are in their place. It will describe the grading scale, and when there's no class rank it will typically provide the grading distribution. It will report the average SAT and ACT scores for the class. And typically it will say what percentage of the class goes to a four year college a provide a matriculation list.

The bottom line: you're fine.


including you? 🤣