<p>AP Scores matter. I have no official source to quote this but I’ve come across multiple times in my research that they do infact matter.</p>
<p>1) The common application this year has a section for you to report AP scores, so the colleges do get them before the admissions decision if you’re using the common app. Some other colleges that don’t use the common app require that you list your scores as well.</p>
<p>2) AP (and SAT II, for that matter) scores give the college a much better idea of how proficient you are when used in conjunction with your class grade. If you got an ‘A’ in AP Chem and then a 2 on the exam, colleges will probably figure that the AP Chem course either didn’t cover sufficient material or was too easy. On the other hand, if you get a ‘B’ in AP Chem but then get a 5 on the AP test, the college will be much more impressed with your B than they might otherwise.</p>
<p>3) It helps give them valid data to check against your interests that you mention in your essays/statements. If you claim to be a native Spanish speaker with impeccable grammar and then you score a 3 on the AP Spanish Language exam, they might be very suspect of your claim to be fluent in Spanish.</p>
<p>4) APs are an excellent judge of self-study. If you take an AP test and score highly without taking an AP class to prepare you for the test, the colleges will take note.</p>
<p>Overall) It all comes down to a cohesive application. As mentioned above, if your AP scores contradict anything else in your application, they’ll probably give a good amount of weight to the AP scores. On the other hand, if your AP scores coincide with everything else on your application, it helps solidify your position.</p>
<p>Anyone is free to correct me if anything I’ve said is wrong.</p>