<p>Here’s how I viewed AP scores and LB’s question, then why even take the courses?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>A “3” is satisfactory, which means a h.s. student took a college course and managed it fine. It wasn’t a waste of time or money, but is knowledge gained.
The work was conducted at a higher level. Student is better prepared for college. Student has demonstrated time management skills. Even if it’s not reportable to elite schools, a “3” gains graduation credit at some other schools, so saves much money or makes an easier courseload sometime during the college career. Very useful senior year, when applying for post-college opportunities, for example. But, perhaps not at the colleges LB’s kids will attend, that I don’t know.</p></li>
<li><p>A “4” is B or “very good” So everything written about the “3” is still true, but even better, the h.s. person took a course at a high level and did very well…and isn’t even in college yet! It prepares her all the more to excel in courses she’ll take as a h.s. senior.</p></li>
<li><p>A “5” means A or “excellent” along the same spectrum as above.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Side Note: I encouraged my kids to report 4’s and 5’s as points-of-pride on their college applications. If they got a “3” they didn’t put it on the application, which could have even been a mistake since perhaps by putting no score down, the colleges thought it meant a 1 or 2? I don’t know; they got in where they wanted to go. I just don’t want to pass along a bad practice (not reporting 3’s) to other families now.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If your school offers the AP’s and she doesn’t take them, she will look unmotivated. I heard AdComs at many top schools say this at presentations:
we look for students who take maximum advantage of the opportunities offered at their high schools. If a high school is less strong and offers only 2 AP’s but your child takes both, it is fine because it shows your child optimizes the learning opportunities offered.
So if your two kids go to schools where you have many AP’s offered, it is appropriate that they take them to demonstrate their high level of motivation to learn. </p></li>
<li><p>The student LEARNED. Why did it take me so long to get to this point?
For my kids, these courses kept their attention and gave them a great excitement about how much better and more interesting college classes would be compared to their other high school classes.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>p.s. hey, Xiggi, I didn’t see all your previous correspondence or any of this background with LB learning to chill, but…your post was a bit strong, too! I am as frustrated by some of the bright, materially successful parents I know who don’t push their kids a little bit to achieve, as if they’ll just hand them a job when they finish college so why bother to work hard. And unless that remark about Chinese neighborhoods is something that you, too, participate in, wow…pretty insulting!
I do love your Xiggi’s SAT method, tho, that’s a classic.</p>