<p>Ok, so the thing is that this year im taking euro. I made a list at the beginning of the year as to what tests i want to take this year, and it tops out at around 8-9. the problem is that i dont really wanna take the euro test, mainly because i already have a 5 in apush and im more interested in studying my other subjects (all of them would be math/sci/econ related).</p>
<p>so my question is, if im taking a bunch of ap tests (including a lot of random self-studies), then does it look bad if i dont take the euro test even though im in the class?</p>
<p>I don’t think it would make any sense if you sit for a whole year, do a whole year of AP work for Euro, and then you don’t take this exam, but take a random splattering of exams by self-study. Your load sounds incredibly difficult if you plan to self study for those, so why would you put more strain on yourself than take a test you are actually in the class for? As someone who took the AP Euro exam, comparing it to APUSH, it is much less specific and therefore if you are a good student you should do well. It also looks bad if you take an AP class but no test to private colleges, thus my school rule where we MUST take the AP exam if we are in the class.</p>
<p>^I think he or she is referring to the fact that elite privates tend to care about extracurricular and other non-academic factors more than public colleges do. But to say that it will definitely hurt the op? I don’t know about that. However, I agree with the op’s point that it makes no sense to do all the work during the year and not take the exam.</p>
<p>uh, basically for the class anyways, most people do badly on the tests, but i usually get low As on them (around 80% or so) but i never study for the class at all. same thing with essays; im able to get by with minimal knowledge, and im a good writer so im able to squeak by on those.</p>
<p>So im not supposing that id do bad on the test. its just that i have such a lack of confidence in my euro knowledge that my perception is that not taking the euro test is overshadowed by lots of random 5s in subjects that im superbly interested in. </p>
<p>but based on my schedule in may right now (including ib tests, which are so fun), im looking at having an am and pm test/evaluative performance of some sort for the entire first ap testing week. and my thoughts would be that not taking euro would make my life a little easier and make studying for ap/ib tests a lot funner.</p>
<p>but another thing though, assuming that my eventual total tops 9 (the number of spaces they have on the common app for ap/ib tests), does it really even matter either way? since i could take lots of random tests and there wouldnt even be any room to put them.</p>
<p>I have been told by my Regional Georgetown Admissions Officer, my Regional Princeton Admissions Officer, and my Regional Yale Officer that it does look in their words “awkward, weird, poor” when you do not take the AP exam for the class. </p>
<p>Onto your point about making it easier when it comes time to study for your AP/IBs, logic tells me that it would make it easier if you cut down your self-studies and focused on am exam that you have a class in. I am not trying to be snooty haha but I would think if you are worried about tests, take one you have a class in, not one you don’t.</p>
<p>^what if you do take it and do poorly though? I know i went to a college visit for yale and they don’t even give credit unless you want to graduate early, so in their case do they care if you do bad? i have done bad on 3 of them.</p>