Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams are not only a staple of many students’ high school curriculum but they’re also a great way for them to engage with advanced subjects of interest before college. In AP courses, students encounter college-level material with the chance to prove their knowledge to admissions committees through AP exams.
Considering all the headaches associated with studying, you may wonder, what’s the point of AP courses? How can they help you distinguish yourself in diverse application pools? Or, what do AP scores and courses mean from a college admissions perspective? And now, thanks to an interview with college counselor Robert Clark, we’re here to tell you just that.
What are AP exams, and why are AP courses valuable?
Every year, the college board tests high school students across the country on their mastery of the college level coursework they’ve been studying in their AP classes. These exams are scored on a scale of 1-5, with a 5 being the highest score you can achieve.
Hopefully, we don’t need to tell you this— but AP courses are hard! There is a reason for this though— proving you can do well demonstrates a certain level of intellectual curiosity and hard work that colleges value. By doing well on these exams, you’re signaling to admissions officers that you’re prepared for college level coursework and are making the most of your opportunities to further your education.
Another benefit is that AP exams provide a national benchmark for academic performance that’s indifferent to school specific grading policies. Meaning, colleges can evaluate you on a standardized scale, which is increasingly important in an age of rampant grade inflation.
How do colleges read AP scores?
AP exams are nationally standardized tests that provide a consistent way to score a student’s performance. Students all over the world take the same tests and are evaluated by the same grading system. Unlike grades, which can be inflated or deflated by the rigor of a teacher or school, AP scores are designed to be comparable across all students and schools worldwide.
The consistency makes AP scores an important data point for admissions officers to use when reviewing your application. For example, maybe you received a B in your AP Biology Coursework but earned a five on the AP Biology Exam. The additional context of a standardized exam scores shows the admissions officer that you mastered the material AND that the instructor was a tough grader. Conversely, if you receive a high grade but perform poorly on the AP exam, it might raise questions about the rigor of the coursework or your consistency.
What are the AP grade equivalents?
5 (Equivalent to an A)
4 (Equivalent to a B)
3 (Equivalent to a C)
How do AP scores impact your admissions profile?
The importance of AP scores vary by school. Selective colleges often consider them to be an additional layer of information that complements grades, essays, and extracurricular activities. At the same time, others may use AP scores to determine prerequisite requirements or course selection. In both cases, AP scores provide context to your transcript by demonstrating your ability to handle college-level coursework through a standardized scale.
High AP scores can help draw a line under your strengths and proposed course of study. For example, receiving 4s and 5s in science APs can help prove your interest and readiness for STEM fields. Elite schools want to see that you’re ready to handle the challenging coursework they offer. Having high AP scores in relevant subjects can help you do just that. They can also lead to college credit, potentially saving you time and/or money.
While the impact of AP scores varies, most colleges give little weight to scores below a 4. Some accept scores of 3 for credit in certain programs or majors, but many won’t.