<p>I think it’s great if he wanted to tackle all those APs and was able to, but I question the odds. While rare, to say it’s 1 in 9.2 billion shot to ace all 13 of the APs you take is a little hyperbolic. My son scored a 5 on every AP he has taken so far (only 7, not up there with Mr. Lin), because he’s pretty smart and pretty well prepared. But taking and acing 13 APs is a combination of smarts, the nature of the test, and opportunity. Some of the APs have quite a large percentage scoring a 5, others hover around 10% scoring that high. Some schools make APs available early, some (like ours) don’t let you take them till 10th grade. So, it’s obviously an impressive feat, but not as astronomically impossible as the article suggests.</p>
<p>It certainly isn’t as rare as it has been made out to be, for all the reasons people have mentioned, the main one being that these are not independent, random events. My daughter has taken 9 APs so far and has a 5 in all of them, and she’s taking 5 this year and there’s a good chance she’ll get 5 in all (or almost all) of them. And before stickershock jumps on me… yes, she’s a very well balanced kid :).</p>
<p>Count me in with the group who says this young man sounds like a great kid: smart, well-adjusted, well-rounded. I say thank God for people like this, who will help to lead our world into a bright future. I know I have never had that much drive!! Glad someone does.</p>
<p>BTW, I have a brother who is a genius. Believe me, it is not always a blessing. His brain is his worst enemy. Mr. Lin seems like he has the brains and the social balance. How wonderful for him, and how wonderful for all of us — he is sure to contribute to our world in positive ways.</p>
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<p>Why does anyone do anything? He probably wanted to. Lots of teenagers do bizarre things. This is actually a fairly respectful pursuit. He did it because he could. I’m taking quite a few IB exams this year, I’m not going to get a 7 in all of them (I’d have to sell my soul in order to do that in Math HL and Physics - I’m just not going to be in the top 5% or whatever), but if I could I would put in managable work to get there.</p>
<p>I wonder if Allen Lin took those 13 AP tests in one year. I don’t think it’s that rare to have 13 AP tests (with all 5s) by the end of Junior year. Students like this do it because they’re passionate about learning and they are constantly challenging themselves. There’s no doubt that many of them are also interested in going for the AP Siemens and AP State Scholar awards. Nothing wrong with that! I also don’t think these kids are one dimensional at all - most are unbelievably well-rounded and respected by their peers.</p>
<p>You cannot take 13 Ap tests in one year. Scheduling would not allow it.</p>
<p>It’s a poorly written article, reporting on what he did to win the Siemens Scholarship. Nowhere does it state he took all 13 in one year, but they are given mornings and afternoons over a two-week period, so theoretically you could take 13 in one year. They have provision for alternate times if any two conflict with each other.</p>
<p>Actually the schedule allows one to take 15 and one could do a couple more on alternate days. The most I had a student do in one year was 12, I think back in 1998? I remember he was a very intense down hill skier (good racer who almost go killed during senior year in a bad fall during race season). When I asked him during the AP test time how he was managing, he would always smile and say “I am in the zone”. I think he managed all 5’s and a couple of 4’s.</p>
<p>My bad. I can’t count. One could take 21 tests over the two week period. I was looking at S’s school schedule that lists 16.(can’t even count there)
One could do a test each morning and afternoon except for Physics C which is two tests in the afternon.</p>
<p>My son took 10 AP tests (8 self study) Junior year. By the end of Junior year, he had 15 APs, with all fives. That’s why I don’t think it’s that’s rare. I agree, it’s a very misleading article.</p>
<p>Well relatively not that rare maybe. The article does make it sound like it’s never happened which isn’t true. But I would say overall, if you go outside a self selecting sample group like this, it’s going to be pretty rare. I’m quick enough with memorization type stuff and I probably wouldn’t get 15 5s, even if I could do it with studying, I don’t think I’d have the time. That would have to be a range of skills as I don’t think you could for example completely avoid humanities type tests if you’re going for that many. You may be able to avoid math or science I guess if you took a couple “elective” type APs. I have no idea because I’m not in AP. For all I know I couldn’t get any 5s LOL</p>
<p>So obviously, the “9.2 billion odds” is less about being able to get that many 5s than it is about being able to find an another amazing individual like Allen. ;)</p>
<p>At one of our local Privates, no AP’s are offered in the curriculum. The approach & content is quite different from the pattern of a private college prep school (with the usual 3 levels of difficulty). All the classes are designed as advanced honors, so to speak. And there is no predetermined standard of mastery by which grading is determined. This results in every single class being curve-graded. It means that the insanely driven, insanely competitive, or in many cases those with just an immense fondness for the subject & the discipline to over-excel in it, are the students who determine the “A” standard for that class. (Not suprisingly, a 4.0 is much harder to achieve than even at similarly rigorous prep schools. Also not surprisingly, some students who try to beat the game end up burning out & dropping out of academics altogether at graduation; some others just cave in & decide to have a life, too, & end up with a 3.75.)</p>
<p>The point is, lots of students self-study for the AP exams during their yrs there and there is a very high 5-score exam result, too. Many of them take multiple exams.</p>
<p>Then there is the homeschool population which often has much greater freedom, time-wise, for such self-study & excellent results, as they are often supplementing with comm. college classes.</p>
<p>That’s why I agree that the NJ boy, while I’m sure commendable, is not that unusual. It’s just that he’s a “story,” and this is what sells papers.</p>
<p>Northwestmom, your son is <em>awesome</em>. :)</p>