The AP exam provides validation, so if these classes are truly more advanced, then the students should do just fine on the AP exam.
At the elite private schools that substitute their curricula for the AP one ā kids donāt take the AP test (as a rule/generally). And colleges are well aware of these schools and their rigor.
5 Likes
Iām sure AP helps as a signal of student strength of coursework, but colleges also analyze how well previous students from that high school perform at their college. It provides a pretty good measure of a high schoolās average rigor.
1 Like
Some students may want AP scores for the purpose of advanced placement in order not to have to repeat in college what they learned in high school. (i.e. the original intent of AP exams and scores)
2 Likes
Yes
Yes, ACT score (if reported) is converted to an SAT score based on the concordance tables.
1 Like
Where would they take the exam?
1 Like
Thatās exactly the purpose. Why repeat the subject matterā¦?
AP courses do not do that well at preparing the students for the courses for which the AP class is a prerequisite. My wife says that it is an issue with many students who get a 4 or even a 5, who really donāt have the required mastery of the material. It is less the rigor and more the way that itās taught and what is taught.
That is why it is worthwhile for any engineering or physics student to retake calculus in college, unless they took a college course, or attended a high school which patterned their calc classes like college classes, rather than like AP classes.
10 Likes
Yes, it does seem like the AP calc in particular is more computational, rather than proof-based (what you would see in a rigorous college course)ā¦ Agree on that pointā¦
3 Likes
Any thoughts on a humanities kid using AP BC calc to avoid college math? She needs a 4/5 but at most of her acceptances it would be an out. That said, it may be useful to retake calculus at the college level for her own education. She is also very frustrated with us telling her she must take the exam. Sheās the only senior signed up! They all dipped this week and sheās attending study sessions alone and NOT happy. That said, it seems like you are saying taking it again in college may provide a better math education - which would also allow her to avoid this exam and just take the class her fershman year. She is going to major in something in philosophy/policy/classics realm with a potential Econ minor or double major. Does calculus help with Econ?
Sorry, Iām really not familiar with the requirements of economics major f minor. Hopefully somebody with more knowledge of that major or minor can help
1 Like
At many colleges, single variable calculus is a prerequisite for the intermediate economics and econometrics courses, although an easier calculus-for-business-majors version is often accepted. Calculus-for-business-majors is often the model of high school calculus courses that are less rigorous than calculus AB, so it is not like such a prerequisite requires being a top student in calculus, though it means that one needs to know some calculus.
But at some colleges, and optionally at others, the intermediate economics and econometrics courses list multivariable calculus and/or linear algebra as prerequisites, so a strong knowledge of single variable calculus that is enough to go on to more advanced math courses is needed.
I would not say that, since many students do fine going from AP calculus to more advanced math courses; for them, repeating what they know well would be a waste of time and tuition. However, it is best for students to try the old final exams of the courses that are allowed to be skipped with AP credit, in order to verify knowledge to the standards of the collegeās math department. Then the student can make a more informed placement decision.
5 Likes
Another reason for a student not to repeat calculus might be to avoid a poor grade, if it is taught as a harshly graded weed out class. For example, some UW Seattle engineering students told my son that it was best to use AP to skip anything you could, and if you didnāt have the AP score to skip, they recommended taking these classes at the local community college.
4 Likes
Oh thatās a great idea that I didnāt even know was an option. Iām going to try to find some old exams for her two schools and see how she does! She really wants to skip this AP test due to senioritis but this may put her over the edge one way or another
Man the working the system
Game NEVER ends. When can these kids just enjoy what they are studying for its own sake? 
. So she has to think
About grad school gpa immediately. Ugh
5 Likes
Depends on how itās taught. Back in the day when I took AP Calc at a STEM high school it was taught as a proof based class.
1 Like
For a kid who plans to study French and who has some need to take math, perhaps as a distribution requirement), yes, it totally makes sense to use the AP score to place out.
Likewise, the STEM major whose school has an FL requirement could use an AP FL to place out.
In this regard, AP exams are really useful.
As for economics, it probably depends on the school. My kid was an economics major and the program required several math classes (calculus was a requirement for all students) and was pretty quantitative. Also, in spite of being able to skip first year econ with 5s on both AP exams, his advisor recommended that he take the schoolās intro classes to ensure he was 100% on their approach before moving to the next level. I suspect that if heād been majoring in something else and wanted to take an econ course or two that had intro econ as a prerequisite, heād have been fine with that.
It can be helpful to look at the course requirements for any major or minor you may be considering at the schools on your list. Thereās a fair bit of variation in approach.
3 Likes
At some schools students register for courses or housing based in order on the number of credits they have ( so rising seniors go first). Having some AP credits helped one of my kids register first in her cohort for such things.
4 Likes
I would love to know two things from AOās on these 2 issues:
- What is their process for actually reading so many apps? The dean in the article isnāt going to get through 48,000 regular decision applications by reading 10 before 10 as he says.
- On quickly eliminating non-competitive students- Can they share with us what is not competitive? The only guidance we have are admitted studentās published gpa/sat/act. If a student that has stats falling within the 50-75% of admitted students is actually not competitive for another reason, knowing that could save an application read for the dean and also heart ache from the applicant.
If this boils down to comparing an applicantās transcripts to those of his peers, there has to be a lot that goes into that process given how vastly different school districts can be, and perhaps lifting the veil on this could help prevent a kid with a 4.0 from applying with false hopes. Are these schools simply eliminating a bunch of unranked 4.0 kids that padded their gpa with PE classes? Easy fix, tell us what classes are expected maybe?
3 Likes
But everyone would do what is expected, and parents and students would wonder why they werenāt admitted.
1 Like