<p>My question is, why did you even ask this question if you were already disinclined to believe the most common answer that is passed around on this board (and the one that is generally cited as the true one)?</p>
<p>AP is short for “Advanced Placement”. The entire point of the test – the reason it, and the courses, were designed – was to give students the chance to earn college credit in regular high school courses taught by their high school teachers. It was not designed for admissions purposes and is generally not used by admissions committees for admissions purposes.</p>
<p>You don’t even have to report your AP scores on the application. That’s not being dishonest, and it’s not “tricking” the adcoms. And scoring a 3 on the test and an A in the class doesn’t necessarily mean you look inflated. Think about the way college courses are graded: it is entirely possible to get a C on the final exam and still pull a B or an A in the class. Likewise, it’s also possible to get an A on the final and still get a C in the class. So it is with AP scores – it’s even MORE possible for a student to get an A in the class (which is an entire semester or year’s worth of work) and still get a 3 on the test (which is a high-pressure event that only takes 3 hours tops). It doesn’t make your A look any less deserved.</p>
<p>In addition to that, admissions committees look at your entire package. One small thing does not “keep you out” of anything. If you have a 4.0, near-perfect SAT scores, great SAT II scores, and the rest of your package is tight…do you think a school will decline you based on one 3 (especially when by the AP rubric a 3 means “qualified” as in “qualified to do higher-level college material in this area”?</p>