I must be missing something here. While I agree that there is nothing to do now about your AP score and getting a scholarship isn’t the reason to take AP. Our niece got out of a year of classes at a state school because of it. Wouldn’t most people willing to give around $1000 to receive 15 grand in return. In that way IMO you should be disappointed about a score below 3 on an AP.
Ouch, @Nicki20- the kid is feeling bad enough! OP said that he is struggling, feels he has failed and is afraid he has ruined his chances for merit scholarships. OP was asking for info to find out how bad the situation is (answer: not).
(Also, while many state schools will give a lot of credit for APs, many colleges (public and private) cap how much credit they will give- it’s not a given that it is 'give 1K to get 15K)
Thanks all. My son isn’t privy to this post so don’t worry about sparing his feelings. I appreciate the feedback and the diversity of thinking here. To lookingfoward’s question, we are in a bit of a tricky financial spot (which I described in my very first post on this board) where we lived most of our kids’ lives on 1 public school teacher salary. Then in the last few years my wife returned to teaching and I took an admin position so our income doubled but our ability to save while the kids were growing up was next to zero. So short version, when we run net price calculators at most private schools or out of state schools, we generate numbers in 30k plus range even up to 47k per year at my alma mater. This means right now we are looking at Oregon and Oregon State and some local privates (which are still not in our price range without considerable merit help).
My son is trying to figure it all out. One lemonade from this lemon is that he is learning that his original interest in science may be less of a passion and more something that just came pretty easy initially. He has a genuine interest in statistics and sports. He is active in the broadcast group at his school. Developed a pretty cool sports podcast (won a nice regional award with it). He is a pretty sensitive young person and might struggle in an academic environment (or industry) that was overly cutthroat.
I Don’t see a connection between AP scores and merit scholarships. Isn’t that really the answer to the question? I agree there is a cap on AP credit but more my point is saving on tuition by AP scores issort like a scholarship. No speaking to you but many people diminish the savings of AP scores.
Some of us hope for the four-year experience for our kids, that time to build knowledge on top of AP in high school, not just shortcut to the degree. So it’s tough to look at it as the sort of savings we’d prefer. YMMV. I also don’t believe every AP class is the equivalent of the college experience.
@JD7777 Sounds like you have a balanced attitude. So you could possibly afford UO or OSU? Maybe he gets merit there or takes the student loans?
Will a 2 in AP chemistry really affect money in College? I think it really depends. In our search of Colleges/Universities so far, highly selective school (A) is all about need base. The NET price for those school is probably going to be similar to the less selective (B) that cost less. Your expected contribution isn’t going to change between school A and B. The 2 certainly doesn’t look good if they do see the score but most application don’t require AP scores. Instead, they may require one or two subject test score. If your son is going into the STEM field, taking a subject test in Math and/or science is almost a requirement in the selective schools.
Now back to the 2 in the AP. It happened so there is nothing that can be done. We all stumble and fail throughout our lives. It’s how we get through and learn from it. Ask anyone in the STEM field, they all have failed. You mentioned that he has a 4.0. That’s a big concern for me as the AP exam is supposed to be a reflection of what they learned in that AP class. Most instructors will focus on preparing the students for the test. Your school should look into that particular AP class if other students are not scoring well on the exam. My son took the Chemistry this year so I have look into the scoring of the test. It is likely that your son struggle in the free response question (especially #7). According to the score distribution, that is a good indicator for test score.
My suggestion in moving on?
Have him study and take the subject test (if any of the school he is interested in is requiring one or two). Subject test is much shorter but you need to coordinate the testing date as you can’t take SAT and subject on the same day.
I am a parent of a rising Sophomore and Senior in HS.
AP test scores are insignificant for college applications. They will want to see that he took rigorous courses such as AP Calculus and AP Chemistry, but they will not care about the scores earned on those tests unless you’re applying to an incredibly competitive school. Otherwise, they will mainly look at his GPA and SAT/ACT scores. EC’s are nice to have, and formulating a good essay are important too.
As for his AP scores, they’re only really important for earning college credit. If he goes to a state school, his 3 and 4 will probably count for credit, so he should not be disappointed about that. If you’re looking to save money, encourage him to continue to utilize the AP program and study for his exams so he can get credit in advance. Don’t let him beat himself up about a bad score, allow him to use that hurt to fuel his drive to succeed further instead.
I’m not trying to spare feelings here at all. I don’t believe AP test scores affect most scholarships or most admissions.
I’m not going to say, they will make no difference at all. Of course 4s and 5s are preferable to 2s and 3s. Yes, there may be times when the absence of AP scores could cause a decision to go to someone who is sitting there with a royal flush of AP test results. As it should. But, it came as a surprise to me how little attention these scores have in Admissions. The SAT1 and ACT are vital for most selective schools admissions and merit money. The SAT2s used to count for some of the more selective schools and several AOs and GCs told me that they can make a difference. I don’t know if that’s still the case. No idea how much impact that SAT essay makes either.
I say not to send the scores because you can’t unsee what’s there. I didn’t send in my son’s test scores to Fairtest schools, for example. And, yeah, the 3s on the APs did not make it to the colleges either.
As for saving money at college by getting AP test credit, you have to pick your college and majors accordingly. It varies even within departments of the same college how AP scores are treated. If you are trying to shave a year or semester off the undergraduate time, plan carefully.
It’s nice having AP credits even just as General credits, as a bit of a buffer in credit count but I would not count on them shortening the time in college or taking the place of the supposed college course equivalent. For example, if you are going premed or into any health professions, that 5 in AP Bio or chem might not count. I’ve notived that so many kids repeat Calculus that it’s more like grade protection to take the danger AP course in high school so you start out on even footing with your classmates in that course
But, yes, if you are applying to HPY or for some highly selective scholarship, it is possible, maybe even probable that whoever is assessing your application is going to put you behind those who took the AP course and tests and excelled in both.
Perhaps you really mean “grade grubbing”.
No one can say AP scores don’t matter. Not flat out, as a universal. Maybe someone has an anecdote, but that’s just what they think, not what they know.
OP’s issue is the son’s disappointment and how best to move forward. The right match colleges won’t be looking for chem superiority if he’s not a chem major. They may even not care one whit if the 2 isn’t reported and other relevant (and good) scores are.
If he’s thinking a stats major, then math scores become more important. But again, all this AP chat is for more competitive holistic colleges.
From my understanding of the AP program as a high school student is that it’s a gamble. Even if your son had passed the AP Chem exam, schools could choose to not accept it as a credit. Most schools only accept 4’s and 5’s for it to count as a credit. Do you know if your son sent in the scores to a school he wants to go to? If not, it shouldn’t affect his ability to get into a school. I personally don’t know what happens if you send in a score that isn’t passing. Also, not passing an AP exam isn’t the end of the world. Especially for chemistry, one of the hardest AP exams. AP exams are literally made to be difficult so not a lot of students pass. I hope this helped.
No. I mean grade protection. I don’t consider it grubbing at all.
I’m sure there is some school out there where AP test scores might make a difference in merit money, but I don’t know of one. The only schools I know that actually care about AP scores are ones like Cambridge and Oxford which use them as a proxy for A level exams. Every admissions officer I’ve ever heard talk on the subject (quite a few, as the question comes up frequently), is that that care much more about getting good grades with a demanding curriculum, than what score you got on one day on one test. He’ll have plenty of choices with his current grades and scores, but I agree with others, if he were to work on anything getting the SAT scores above 1400 might give him more options.
Are these same admissions officers going to say you can save money by your AP scores?