Taking an AP Test? Relax and read on...
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May 7, 2008 Posted by Ned Johnson
So raise your hand if you or someone you know is near the point of melting down about AP exams this week and next. At the risk of invoking the ire of every AP teacher from here to California, I offer this advice: don't sweat them for they really don't matter. At least, they don't matter as much as other things or as much as you think. APs are not an admissions criterion for college. As you look at your schedule of what needs to be done this week and next, and whenever you find yourself overwhelmed by the impossibility of everything you need to do, repeat this mantra "Grades first. Grades first." Grades are what matter most to the colleges you hope to attend. That you take AP courses matter; it shows that you are taking rigorous courses. That you do well in those courses matters; again, grades come first. The scores that you get on your APs really don't matter. When colleges sit down to look at your application, they are looking at gpa, rigor of course selection and, in most cases, SAT or ACT scores. AP scores aren't even invited to the table. Now, AP scores may matter once you at a college if you hope to opt out of a 101 course and tackle the harder stuff early or if you want to graduate early, save money on courses at college or want to double or triple major. However, those are separate issues from actually getting into a college. If you study like a maniac to get a top score on the AP and, as a consequence, bomb a test, quiz or paper in that or another class, you have made a bad trade-off. Remember, grades first. Also, you can also pay a fee to suppress an AP score you consider too low. Lastly, for many kids, an argument can be made that opting out of introductory courses at college may not be the best choice. One, college can be an adjustment. Taking harder classes may mean lower grades. Two, you may be better served by taking classes with other freshmen as these are your classmates and future fellow alumni. Lastly, (this is really for guys) your chances of finding people to date among upper classmen may be less fruitful than among first year students. So, ideally you've been preparing all along, have a light workload in your other classes, and will do fabulously on your APs. But, if your life is harried, you're buried in work and you are stressing out, remember: grades first. You can get into the college of your dreams with lower AP scores in a way that you cannot with low grades. Grades first.