Do AP Scores Matter for College Admissions?
When it comes to navigating high school and preparing for college, there are a million decisions you have to make, including your approach to AP scores. As you probably know, the AP in AP scores stands for ‘advanced placement.’ It should be no surprise, then, that AP courses and AP exams can be challenging. When trying to decide whether to take an AP course and the corresponding exam, it’s natural to wonder: do AP scores matter for college admissions? It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of taking challenging courses as you navigate AP scores and college admissions.
The importance of AP scores for college admissions
The cons of taking AP courses and exams are simple. Taking harder courses might lower your GPA, and the time you’ll spend doing homework and studying for the AP exams might take away from time you could spend doing other things, like studying for the SAT, investing in extracurriculars, or just relaxing and enjoying high school. That being said, strong AP scores do matter for college admissions. They matter even more for those more selective colleges and universities,
AP courses show that you like a challenge
College is hard! Colleges want to see that you can rise to challenge. Taking AP courses, sitting for those AP exams, and getting strong AP scores an show admissions officers, especially those at highly selective colleges and universities, that you take your studies seriously.
Strong AP scores demonstrate your ability to do well in college-level work
While taking AP classes shows that you like a challenge, scoring high on the test demonstrates that you are prepared to succeed in college level work. Highly selective colleges will look for AP scores of fours and fives as evidence that you’ll be prepared once you get on campus. If you can get high AP scores in a variety of subjects, like AP calculus and AP US history, for example, that’s even better.
High AP scores demonstrate tenacity
Colleges know that getting a high AP score isn’t something that just happens. You have to work all year long to learn the material and study for the test. As if that’s not bad enough, you have to actually take the test in May, just as the weather is getting warm and you want to be anywhere but school. Reporting high AP scores on your application shows that you can keep your head in the game for a long time. Those strong AP scores show that you can persist, even when faced with a challenge.
AP scores and international universities
High AP scores can be even more important for American students who want to go to college in another country. (Note that this is not the same as enrolling in an American college or university and then studying abroad for a semester or two. This is for students who will apply directly to a school in another country and then plan to attend that school for their entire undergraduate career.)
Schools in other countries will often use your AP scores to evaluate you for admission because they know that AP scores are standardized across the country. It makes it easier for admissions offices that aren’t as familiar with the American secondary education system to have an idea of what they’re looking at! If you think you might be interested in studying in, say, Scotland or Australia, it is extra advisable to take AP courses and study hard for the exams. That way, you’ll have strong AP scores to show for yourself.
Course placement and course credit
AP scores have a role to play beyond simply helping you get in to college. Once you’re enrolled at your chosen institution, high AP scores can impact what classes you’re eligible to take. Some colleges or universities will accept a high AP score to satisfy a core requirement. So for example, if a college as a requirement of one math course in order to graduate, and you got a five on the AP calculus exam, you may be able to show that AP score and skip having to take that math class in college.
Sometimes, colleges won’t accept AP scores for course credit, but they still might use your high AP scores to indicate course placement. So for example, let’s say you got a five on the AP Spanish test. Your college might still require you to take Spanish to graduate, but instead of making you start at Spanish 101, they’ll see your AP score and allow you to start at a higher level. It is very important to note that different colleges have different policies when it comes to AP scores. The best way to know for sure what your college’s policies are is to call the college!
Need more advice on your college applications?
The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577. We’d be happy to chat with you.
