High school senior here! I applied ED (1) and EA (3) to my four chosen schools this weekend, but just realized that there was a place to write down my individual AP scores (the testing section) and now I’m really worried about the fact that I didn’t use it.
I have scores from 4 previous APs:
AP Gov - 5
AP Lang - 5
AP Spanish Lang - 5
AP Calc AB - 2 (I got an A every quarter in the class, I did not retain nearly enough of what I learned )
So I would have reported the three 5’s, if there’d been a more obvious place for them… but I didn’t think about it enough. Apparently you can put them in the standardized-test section. I’m worried this will affect my chances and/or colleges will look askance at the award (4/5 on my personal list) without visible individual scores.
Thoughts? I’d love some reassurance and/or some tough love á la “should have paid more attention, kid!” I know there’s nothing I can do now but post about it
I wouldn’t worry about it - but an AP class without a score will have them likely think it was a low score - like a 3 which may or may not be needed depending on the school. They’ll think it’s a three because of the award you got.
Your classes count more than the score.
But if you want it added, write to admissions counselor and ask them to add for you. On the flip side, they might wonder, how did you miss that? Sloppy.
Some school portals (after they set one up) may also offer an opportunity for you to load them there.
Don’t know your schools - but I’d likely do nothing but add to the Common App for future schools.
It was sloppy or would be seen as so - so I wouldn’t call it out.
Others might feel differently.
Hopefully the portal will give you a way to add it. Others might feel it’s ok to send the three scores into your admissiosn rep.
Many schools don’t consider AP scores in admission at all. If you list the schools here, people may be able to tell you if AP scores are even considered at those schools.
@tsbna44 and @tamagotchi: Can OP make up for their mistake by asking College Board to send their AP scores directly to the four ED/EA schools? Costs a bit of $ but seems much better than asking schools to fix it which, as @tsbna44 said, screams sloppiness. For future applications, OP can self-report and send scores only after they decided to attend.
Thank you for the responses so far! Yep, it was sloppy on my part, so I don’t think I’d want to email admissions folx.
Schools are Penn (ED), UMBC, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and McDaniel College.
I’ll check their portals to see if there’s somewhere to upload scores afterward (doubt it though) but I really love that idea of getting CollegeBoard to send them directly, maybe… does anyone have more info on those AP Score Reports and whether they could be useful here?
I am guessing UMBC might not use AP scores in admission decisions… my D applied to UMD and we were told by admission officers that UMD absolutely does not use them for admission to the university, although they may use them for admission to an impacted major. I do not personally know anything about the other schools you listed.
I don’t know that I’d send scores from College Board as I believe they will send all and I wouldn’t send a 2. I would suggest updating the common app to disclose the 5s for future schools. Don’t include the 2 - yes they may assume it’s a low score, but there are also legitimate reasons people can’t take the ap exam.
I’m not sure the 5s move the needle enough to justify contacting those you’ve already submitted to.
ETA if your scores and gpa are in line with the schools’ profile (leaving aside UPenn as obviously it’s a reach for everyone). I wouldn’t worry about the APs at all. I think they can sometimes help if you’re on the margins.
If UMD doesn’t consider AP scores, I doubt UMBC, SMCM, or McDaniel would either; they’re all less selective than UMD and I’m pretty sure they’re all still test-optional (regarding SAT and ACT, at least) as well. So that’s something, then!
Penn, though… I’d call my ~8% chance a roughly 6% chance now
I like the other three and am pretty sure I’d get in no matter what scores I did or didn’t submit - so, as always, hooray for matches/safeties!
By default they will send all scores (“Your score report contains scores from all of the AP Exams you have ever taken”). You can choose to withhold a score, but I believe the school will see on the report that it was taken and withheld. Which scores should I send? – AP Students | College Board
I would suggest waiting to set up the portal for Penn (and the other schools) to see if there is a simple way to self-report scores. Several of my D’s schools allowed self-reporting of test scores in the portal.
You’re right about the withholding option! It doesn’t look like the report from CollegeBoard would say “x class’ AP score withheld”, but admissions offices could infer it anyway by looking at AP classes taken (assuming no self-study.)
However - Penn DOES have a score self-reporter in their admissions portal!!! It looks like I can just upload screenshots of my individual AP scores there under “other” (non-SAT-or-ACT)!
If you think you are statistically in range for Penn, then no need for the others - with McDaniel throwing money at you. They need you a lot more than you need them. St. Mary’s isn’t a hard admit so you’ll be fine. St. Mary’s doesn’t use them in awarding merit.
A fellow Marylander?! And one who’s familiar with McDaniel, no less?!?! They do seem happy to throw money, at least through that “scholarship calculator” thing that they’ve sent out six times.
Great to know that about St. Mary’s, too! I’ll definitely fix it for Penn, but I won’t stress about it for the other three. (Might fix it for all of them if it’s possible, but that’s just for my brain’s contentment.)
I appreciate you (and everyone) writing back - I feared this to be a pretty niche stupidity that wouldn’t receive much advice. I’ve lurked on CC for a couple years but this is my first time actually posting, so the responses have been really nice!
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