<p>Regarding impact on college applications, I would be more concerned about the low grade in the class than not taking the AP exam, or getting a low score on the exam. To begin with, not everyone takes the AP exam at the end of the course, and I don’t think schools necessarily “wonder” why students didn’t – some just choose not to, if their high school doesn’t require it. Although you can self-report your AP exam scores on the common app, you are not required to do so, and many schools, even very selective schools, will tell you that they do not consider AP scores in admissions, they are just looking to see if you have taken the most rigorous courses available to you. You only need to send AP scores to a school “officially” if you are seeking credit or to get out of a prereq, once you are admitted, and if you are not, you don’t ever have to send them.</p>
<p>2nd semester Physics (electricity/magnetism) was the hardest class I took in college - dropped it after getting a 30 on an exam and still not understanding how to get the correct answer when we reviewed it in class. That day, I realized being an engineer was not a good career path, so I switched to Finance.</p>
<p>I think the first question to ask is whether this AP Physics B class is a first physics class or a second physics class. At our school it’s a second physics class. D got a B+ in the class, but still got a 5 on the AP exam. She made a lot of dumb mistakes throughout the year, but put it all together for the AP exam. </p>
<p>I can see AP Physics B being especially challenging as a first physics class, because you’re trying to learn physical concepts and mathematical techniques at the same time. </p>
<p>If I were in your shoes, it being October, I would look for a tutor for your son to work with him ASAP. Ordinarily a peer tutor would be fine, but since A students seem to get 2’s, you might want to pay a college student or a physics teacher who moonlights as a tutor. Get references. </p>
<p>I don’t know what to tell you with respect to colleges, because I think that it’s all about the education, but I think spending an hour a week 1-on-1 with a tutor will go a long way to helping him understand the material and build the skills and confidence that he needs to do well.</p>