<p>Dear Netters:</p>
<p>I had a question about taking important AP courses in the senior year. How do admission board determine based on this - since the admission process will take place before the students finish it (in the case of ED even before the 1st semester finals) ?</p>
<p>Or to paraphrase, is it not better to take as much AP courses that the student can handle before the senior year…</p>
<p>Thanks in advance…</p>
<p>The schools my son applied to this year, including his EA school, asked for a list of his courses for this current year, as well as a transcript for past years; they would then see his intended AP load for his senior year, as well as any AP classes he took previously. They don’t care about the AP exam scores particularly at this point – that mostly comes into play when registering for classes freshman year, to determine placement if the college allows AP credit. Having APs on a senior year course list (unvalidated until midyear) is fine but whenever it’s reasonable for students to take them, they might want to consider it. Colleges look for evidence that students challenge themselves in their course choice and load even before the senior year, so if it makes sense, why not?</p>
<p>In the long run, the rigorous courses will prepare your student for college level work. In the short run, the adcoms look for the most rigorous curriculum taken to compare applicants. IMO, take AP courses anytime that it is appropriate in the scheduling sequence your school allows (i.e. if government is a senior class, take AP gov as a senior). The student is the ultimate beneficiary, regardless of an admissions outcome. The transcript will show the senior schedule, so the adcoms will know what AP courses are in process. What bugs me is that I know of schools that allow students to drop courses very late in a grading period. An instructor at Choate-Rosemary once told me that he had AP **** classes which dwindled down to only 3 students taking the exam in May because so many kids dropped the course after ED/EA admission and then again after RD in April. What a waste.</p>
<p>Very few AP courses were open to my kids before senior year, so it was a “moot” point. M and B: don’t schools frown on you dropping classes that were on your schedule when you were accepted? I thought that was a big no no.</p>
<p>i dont think many seniors in my ap chem class will take the test cuz theyll already be accepted to schools by then.</p>
<p>garland, you’re right that colleges would not be happy to see courses dropped after E.D. acceptance. The acceptance is always conditional on the successful completion of all coursework in progress. So unless the student discusses this with admissions and makes arrangements for another course, they’re risking having their acceptance rescinded, or at the least, starting off freshman year on academic probation. Not a good idea.</p>
<p>The AP Chem test tore me a new one.
Yet I still managed to get a 5.
There must be a hell of a curve on that test.</p>
<p>Garland: At the public school where I teach AP, kids are allowed to replace a course (AP or other) during the grading period if all agree the course is not the best placement for the student. This applies to only a small number of students. A poor grade is evaluated in the context of effort and ability (somewhat predicted by performance in pre-req class). The replacement course is either another level of the same course or something that is discipline-related like AP statistics to accounting (both deal with #'s - yeah, it’s a stretch).</p>
<p>The students with poor grades in my classes are the slackers (duh). The ones who give it their all do succeed. A precurser to a successful adjustment to college work.
All of my students take the exam (there is fin aid available).</p>
<p>At every AP workshop I attend, I learn about schools’ varying policies regarding dropping the courses or not caring if students take the test. I always feel badly for teachers who are dealing with kids who know they won’t take the test (any grade level), or who will be dropping the class (most likely seniors). I have no experience with what happens to an admitted student when the June transcript does not show the same courses as they receive at mid-year.</p>