Anonymous wrote:I keep reading colleges either don’t look at AP exam scores, or more selective colleges won’t give you credit regardless of score.

So how essential is it to sit for the formal AP exam? Is taking the class and getting an A all that really matters?

Favorable (3-5) results from AP exams taken Junior year or earlier demonstrate to college admissions staff that student knows the material. So favorable results can help with college admissions, even if that college does not give course credit for the AP exams.

Senior year exams happen after most college admissions decisions are made. So they have a wholly different calculus.

Anonymous wrote:Do any FCPS schools require you to take the AP exam for an AP class?

FCPS will pay for up to 6 exams during your academic years. So choose wisely which ones your kid once to take....unless you want to pay out of pocket for any 7th+ exam.

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to state flagship universities so they took all AP exams in order to get college credits (mostly for gen ed and "intro" courses). This allows them to easily double major.

+1
Also, in this era of HS grade inflation, APs and SAT are the way to differentiate you. Well, if you are a high achieving student.

Anonymous wrote:I keep reading colleges either don’t look at AP exam scores, or more selective colleges won’t give you credit regardless of score.

So how essential is it to sit for the formal AP exam? Is taking the class and getting an A all that really matters?

My DS took five AP classes but only sat for two tests. He got into his major and into a great school. His school did some post/advanced classes (research, college level humanities, etc), so I think that also helped with his transcript.

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t even want the college credit for them, why does it matter?

Shouldn’t just taking the class and getting an A be enough for college admissions to show rigorous course study? I’d rather my child not stress out about the AP exams.

Because many of the teachers don't teach and grade rigorously

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to state flagship universities so they took all AP exams in order to get college credits (mostly for gen ed and "intro" courses). This allows them to easily double major.

Mine went to a flagship. Has been granted 15 credits/1 semester worth. It has given him flexibility in choosing distribution requirements, allowed him to avoid a required intro class in his major that doesn't count for the number of credits needed for the major, and is cheap tuition insurance in case a non-mandatory class goes sideways.

If we were more concerned about costs he probably could save a semester of tuition.

Do any FCPS schools require you to take the AP exam for an AP class?

Anonymous wrote:I don't think you have to take the APs unless you are applying to the UCs and UK schools. However, you will need some strong ECs to show the time spent elsewhere. Most kids from the area privates need to self-study for the APs because it's no longer part of the curriculum.

I think the curriculum overlaps, but is just not beholden to the AP perameters. So there's some self study but not like an entire separate curriculum, if that makes sense.

I don't think you have to take the APs unless you are applying to the UCs and UK schools. However, you will need some strong ECs to show the time spent elsewhere. Most kids from the area privates need to self-study for the APs because it's no longer part of the curriculum.

Anonymous wrote:Mine didn't take any of his senior year. I didn't care.

I'm leaning the same way. They work so hard in 10th and 11th.

Mine didn't take any of his senior year. I didn't care.

If you don’t even want the college credit for them, why does it matter?

Shouldn’t just taking the class and getting an A be enough for college admissions to show rigorous course study? I’d rather my child not stress out about the AP exams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:has anyone retaken ap and cancelled old result?

You can to that on the College Board website - there are instructions online. Just follow them. We're going to do it with one AP my DS took in 9th grade and got a "3" I know it counts as credit for some colleges (in state) but it's effectively a "C"

comp sci principles? we are thinking of retaking a 4 now that the kid has two extra years of programming---no need to prep, obviously wouldn't do for subjects like apush or sthing where you have to cram for it and then forget it.

AP Gov't.

ooof thats tough-you have to cram for that one, my DD is preparing for it now/ap gov and freaking out even though she has an A in the class.
How is she studying for Ap gov? did they cover any of that in her history from this year?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids' HS required them to take the test in order to get the GPA weighting so they took all tests.

But why? Dumbest policy ever.

Many require you to take the test to get credit for having taken the class at all. It is a part of the process and helps schools know whether they are teaching the material well too.

It’s not really that dumb. They’re AP classes. Taking the actual AP test at the end shouldn’t be that hard. This thread has provided a multitude of reasons for doing so - to prove content achievement for the high school, college admissions, college placement. High school involves some testing and AP classes especially are meant to be rigorous.

My college didn't give credit for calc and physics AP classes. Why would I have asked my parents to pay for the tests? Content achievement is proven through regular grading.

Content achievement is proved through the AP test score, not the (possibly) inflated regular grade.

This. 100%. I have had each of my kids getting 100% in an AP class and then a 3 in the exam. They were woefully underprepared for them.

HA! My DD is taking 3 Aps this year and freaking out, she has As in all three of the classes but know that to get 5s you need to rock these....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids' HS required them to take the test in order to get the GPA weighting so they took all tests.

But why? Dumbest policy ever.

Many require you to take the test to get credit for having taken the class at all. It is a part of the process and helps schools know whether they are teaching the material well too.

It’s not really that dumb. They’re AP classes. Taking the actual AP test at the end shouldn’t be that hard. This thread has provided a multitude of reasons for doing so - to prove content achievement for the high school, college admissions, college placement. High school involves some testing and AP classes especially are meant to be rigorous.

My college didn't give credit for calc and physics AP classes. Why would I have asked my parents to pay for the tests? Content achievement is proven through regular grading.

Content achievement is proved through the AP test score, not the (possibly) inflated regular grade.

This. 100%. I have had each of my kids getting 100% in an AP class and then a 3 in the exam. They were woefully underprepared for them.