S25 said Chem was “tricky.” That is probably code for “I got a 3.” (Which is what he’s scored on every AP exam except for one…) Oh well. He will just have to retake at Rose, as it’s a required course. If only he would REALLY study for these AP exams!
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UPDATE:
Our D25 just found out she got off the waitlist at UCLA - the dream! She had gotten into UC Davis, but said it was too far north (we are in L.A.), despite all the great things we heard about Davis.
I’m so happy for her. She worked SO hard in HS, and was afraid her math class last year (not great) would have doomed her, despite all her other HS grades being A’s.
Like other kiddos on here, she is taking an AP test today (Gov). We’ll do a Mother’s Day/UCLA celebration this weekend with Dear Wife and D25’s sibs.
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Your child would consider Syracuse if given a full-ride? They seem so at peace with their awesome school, and now with a roommate too, which is amazing! I feel like at some point, it’s so important to embrace what you have. Connecticut College wants your child very, very much it sounds like—a very exciting time!
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He loves Conn and is super happy with his choice! It’s highly unlikely it would happen or he would switch, but that’s what he said. Only a full ride (and being 100% debt-free) would make him change his mind
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Wouldn’t it be amazing if money just didn’t factor into decision-making for most of us? Sigh. 
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I find the different approaches to APs across different schools interesting as well. At my D25’s public school, students take 12 or even more APs – because they’re allowed to take them in the summer, some of them are one-semester classes (like AP Gov and AP Econ), etc. It’s a relatively high-performing school, so a large number of APs is common. (I’m not sure what the counselors push, however – my D25 is not an advanced student and didn’t take any.) Both APs and honors classes are weighted 7 points.
At my D26’s private school, the number of APs a student can take is limited to six – one sophomore year, two junior year, three senior year. Strong students are allowed to petition to take more, but that request is not often granted. My D22 was that kind of student, but even she only ended up with seven total APs plus Multivariable calc (which was weighted 8 points like an AP).
My D26 will take the maximum six and call it done.
I’ve never really thought of it as gatekeeping (even though a teacher must recommend a student for an AP class) – maybe because the private school context is just really different. They expect 100% of the students to go to college, so they’re definitely not holding anyone back that is capable of succeeding in an AP class.
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I think, in large schools, you get uneven access too - like there is a teacher that only “lets” top few take AP whatever, and others says “more the merrier” which is also unfair. There are also tons of biases -not just racism which is where people’s mind usually go. My kid, in middle school, had a teacher basically say to me that one of my kids wasn’t very smart and I am sure it was because they had poor handwriting and spelling and didn’t talk much in class 
Same kid did amazing on their SSATs the next week. Guy had no clue. Also lots of bias towards girls..
Anyway, our LPS something like 85% go to 4 year schools (a few to 2 year programs a number of gap years - that usually end up in school) too. Average SAT is like 1230 (and nearly everyone takes it). Pretty much everyone is capable of an AP.
They DO limit number of APs to keep people w/ a healthy balance and you can’t take classes over the summer to be put on transcript or to skip levels. Basically similar limit to the one you are describing. Anyway, I assume there would be a LOT of paperwork and whining from parents, if teachers had strict power over class levels here.
But really every school is different, which is why the profile they send to colleges is SOO critical and many people don’t even know it exists. Our school profile talks about AP limits/guidelines, etc.
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Yeah, that makes sense! Agreed on the school profile – there’s really no other way for schools to compare apples to oranges.
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Mine said chem went pretty well, which I hope is code for “I got a 4”. That said the reaction to the Euro exam yesterday was very negative and she said, “ if I somehow got a 3 I’ll be shocked and happy”
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Our public school also pays for the tests but if you don’t take, you need to pay the fee. My child has taken 9. 1 sophmore, 2 junior and 6 senior. The most I’m aware being possible is 13….they offer AP Bio to a select number of freshman, which is crazy to me.
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Our school pays for the ap exams, I am curious how much they charge for the examine if you have to personally pay.
$99 if you are in US
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Our private school charges us $98 for all AP exams except AP Seminar and Research – those are $146.
I’m not sure if our public school charges or not – my son has not taken any AP classes.
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My D26’s school did something weird and made Physics a freshman level class, instead of the typical Bio. So she had honors Physics as a freshman, honors Chem as a sophomore, and this year as a junior she wanted to take AP Bio, but they wouldn’t let her. They did, however, let her take AP Physics 1, since she’d already had honors Physics. Thus she’ll have AP Bio as a senior (I guess she’ll mature enough in one year to go directly into an AP class where she’s never learned the material?).
I find this whole curriculum choice to be odd. But the schools are all so different in what they offer!
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S25 said he used no extra time for AP Chem and could’ve gone to the AP Gov exam, but the counselor had recorded him as not taking it today and taking it on the makeup day so there was no seat available. Ok. He also said he didn’t really try that hard on Chem. Great…
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From one Bruin to a baby Bruin…welcome to the family!
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Posting this for my friend, UCSB Psychological & Brain Sciences vs UCD Neurobiology for premed path. What are your suggestions? Which one is good?
Yes.
As in, they’re both good. You really can’t go wrong with any of the UCs for cognitive fields.
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We just paid about $650 for 5 tests 
I should have looked at that bill more closely
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Thanks for sharing this information. I didn’t realize how much they charged if the school didn’t pay for it.