<p>“MIT’s study is a variation of one conducted at Harvard about ten years ago. 2 or 3 departments found that students who had achieved a 4 on the AP did more poorly in the next level of class than students who had taken the introductorysemester-length class in the subject at Harvard. However, students who had achieved a 5 did as well. On that basis, it was decided to accept only scores of 5.”</p>
<p>I think that accepting only 5’s is probably a wise decision for these “rigorous colleges”. </p>
<p>However, that said, I still find it rather disconcerting that the same college which is so concerned about the student’s preparation for the “next level” that it refuses to accept any AP credit (even a 5) allows their students to spend an entire year taking foundation courses on a “pass/fail” basis. I am certain that if a similar study were undertaken, it would show that students who “barely passed” their introductory courses “did more poorly in the next level of class” than those who would have score an A.</p>