<p>@1dilecon - when you take the BC exam it incorporates an AB score in it. So you’ll get two test scores for the one AP exam.</p>
<p>So nice to pop in on this thread and see all the great news each day. Congrats to @Quagmiro & @Overthedge. It’s such a relief to have some solid acceptances and merit. And I’m sure your kids are thrilled.</p>
<p>Don’t be hard on yourself @class2015. I’ve had several friends discover financial irregularities on the part of their spouses that they would’ve never guessed. It happens.</p>
<p>@go2mom - I confess that I didn’t follow the state mock trial after Spygirl’s school was eliminated. I think I can guess who is going to Nationals. Kudos to go2girl for those great tributes. She’s leaving a quite a hole to be filled next year. Are you going to South Bend with her? </p>
<p>As far as AP classes go, we signed a form authorizing the AP charges to be taken out of our regular tuition. And as another poster mentioned, we could’ve bought a new iPad!</p>
<p>Thanks, eyemamom, that makes sense.</p>
<p>Kids aren’t required to take AP exams at our schools, so I’ve always left it up to her whether or not to sign up for the exams.</p>
<p>Our (public) school system requires that kids take the AP exams if they are enrolled in the class. The school system pays for the tests. There are also always a number of kids in DS’s school who self-study and take AP exams. We don’t start school until after Labor Day and don’t get out until the third week of June, so there is lots of school left after the tests.</p>
<p>@Class2015 - Congratulations on S’s three acceptances so far! I hope Rhodes and CofC come through too! It sounds like we have some overlap:). I can appreciate your battle with the ex. My divorce decree requires us to share college expenses. Unfortunately, the law in our State has since changed and that provision is no longer enforceable as written. Ugh!</p>
<p>@GertrudeMcFuzz - Your story about chorus is so bittersweet. It really struck a chord (pun intended) with me. My D is also a vocalist and we too are retiring the black dress. She is planning on joining an a Capella group in college so hopefully it won’t be the last time I will hear her sing on stage. </p>
<p>@go2mom - Congratulation on D’s performance at State mock trial!</p>
<p>Our HS also requires all AP students to sit for the AP exam to receive credit for the class. The practice exam is pretty much the class final. They don’t do much the remaining 2 weeks of class after the exam.</p>
<p>I just talked to d and it looks like we’re going to be hosting a pre-prom and potentially post prom party. We’ll invite all her friends and parents beforehand to come over for dinner and pictures. I’m definitely getting it catered! She then wants to do a small thing afterwards. I’m a strict no drinking house so the after party will by its very nature be smaller. </p>
<p>Son '14’s school requires that he take all AP exams with the classes, but the school district does pay for them, which is a huge savings. He also decided to self-study for AP U.S. government, so he’ll be taking six exams. He’d love to conclude his high school years as a National AP scholar. His older brother earned that honors in HS. The thing is, at least one of his AP exams will not earn him any credit. So he will be retaking statistics in college. He does not mind. It’s math, and he loves math.</p>
<p>For UCs and CSUs (and probably other public), AP credits can bump up your kid’s status to Sophomore (after 1 term). At UCLA, you can’t use most AP credit as substitute for GE (General Education/breath) requirements but AP credits can bump up your status from Freshman to Sophomore (after one term). This is huge when signing up classes since you have priority than most Freshmen.</p>
<p>He’s taking the tests. Shortly afterwards the seniors go out for three weeks for their projects; then they come back and make presentations during finals week. No finals for seniors!</p>
<p>I can’t keep up with all the acceptances, scholarships, etc. But congrats to everyone who is receiving good news!</p>
<p>Our HS requires the kids to take the AP exam, or else the course gets designated as Honors instead of AP, and they lose the (tiny) GPA bump given for an AP class even though they did all the AP coursework, so everyone takes the exams. The school does not pay, and it adds up! My DS will be taking 4, including Psychology for which he is not taking an AP class – he took a non-AP psych class last semester and the teacher told him that they cover enough of the AP material that with minimal self-study they can do well on the AP exam. He figures he’ll probably get credit for it, and it might give him the chance to take a more interesting advanced psychology class as one of his humanities electives.</p>
<p>School here doesn’t end even for seniors until mid-June so lots of school left after the AP exams. The AP classes typically do a more fun project or additional labs that got squeezed out of the science classes in the rush to cover exam material. They have finals, even in their AP classes on the last 2 days of school (which for seniors is a week before everyone else – who have their exams on their last 2 days of school, so for mixed-level classes the teachers have to give 2 sets of finals for seniors and then underclassmen).</p>
<p>Just got the bill from DD’s school for her five AP exams - due in April. Ouch! And I’m not sure how much credit she would get for any of the classes. If she’s going into science, I’d want her to retake Chemistry and Math anyway. And as she pointed out, whichever school she attends she’ll have to take a freshman writing course anyway! So some of it seems like wasted money to me. But those are the rules.</p>
<p>“But these are the rules.” </p>
<p>I have to wonder. Isn’t Collegeboard a non-profit? Seems ridiculous that kids are being forced to take these tests and that parents are facing stiff fees and kids are facing stiff penalties (bumping it down to an “honors” level.) </p>
<p>They are not enforced at our school. I beieve it’s because our school, like many schools, feel that the AP frenzy isn’t necessarily the best choice…but parents demand them, colleges expect them and kids are often taught to yet another test. Seems like someone should issue a refund if they don’t get a 4 or 5 on the exam!</p>
<p>Don’t forget to go to the google link created by Crowlady and post your new acceptances and scholarships!</p>
<p>Schools here in PA are now graded on both how many students take AP exams and what percentage get 3+. (Two different metrics.) It’s all part of the nonsensical educational measurement frenzy that accomplishes nothing but transferring money from taxpayers and parents to testing agency pockets. That’s why they have to take the tests even though the results aren’t reported until after graduation.</p>
<p>We are not required to take the AP exams but I think most people do. </p>
<p>That Google doc is <a href=“https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZxUwgbCqcCpq4L_2L4lAhqcKQAN0AyGHDAjf1rDX9rI/edit”>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZxUwgbCqcCpq4L_2L4lAhqcKQAN0AyGHDAjf1rDX9rI/edit</a></p>
<p>The more I read about the AP courses and testing, the happier I am that the girls are in a dual enrollment school. We pay $42 per year, per child for between 12 and 21 college units per year. Even textbooks are provided. It sounds so much less stressful than getting a bill for classes and exams, plus, no stress worrying about what you get on the test – you’re getting the units from the course, so you can just concentrate on getting a good grade.</p>
<p>@momreads he might be able to get a general elective credit for AP Stats, even if he doesn’t get a math credit. Thats what my D got. I agree though, the AP credits are supposed to save the students time and money by earning college credit but colleges are picky about what scores and courses they accept, so it doesnt always work out any better. </p>
<p>ovrseasmom: His school, UAH, puts a limit on AP credit at 32 hours, and there is a good possibility he will reach that. So he may not even take advantage of the AP stats credit if it’s available. Fortunately, the school also accepts dual enrollment. so he will get more credit for English and U.S. History. Truthfully, I do not think he’s too concerned. He’s loved the classes he has taken for the most part. </p>
<p>No APs at our school… We used to offer them, and I think we still have a class or two designated AP, but I don’t believe anyone has taken the test in the last couple of years. We had some homeschoolers come to our school to have AP tests proctored last year… didn’t offer even that before last year.</p>
<p>10 years or so we offered some AP courses, but few kids did well on the test (>2 defined as “well”). Now we offer DE. It’s totally up to the teacher if the student gets credit. To be honest, I don’t think it’s better.</p>
<p>Is anyone starting to get worried about the week ahead? I mean worried about your reaction and your kid’s reaction to rejections. Luckily DS is not stuck on one school (or hasn’t said). But I think just the idea of rejection will bring out the mama bear in me and I want to be sure to have that in check. I think we both know that the competition is off the charts and also there are factors way out of your control so the likelihood of being accepted at a lot of schools is shrunk down to a couple of percentage points anyway. </p>
<p>It is just the idea of seeing all of this news at once, during Spring Break, when there is time to think about it. So far he has had all good news, so this will be the first time dealing with the inevitable rejections to come. Part of life, I know. Hopefully the semi-detachment we have had all along will help. Perhaps after the notifications, the pressure of deciding where to go will be the overwhelming distraction and it won’t be as painful as anticipated.</p>