Hello,
I have just concluded sophomore year, and I self-studied the AP Computer Science Principles course. Even though I felt ready for the exam, I didn't practice enough and should've put in more effort into my project. Nonetheless, I scored a 4, and I am wondering if I should report it once I apply to universities in senior year. I know that a 4 on this exam is ok, but I plan on applying to top ~20 schools, and I have speculations that this could make my chances worse. I plan to major in Computer Science, and I am also going to take the makeup exam for the AP CSA exam this August(also self-studied).
Thanks!
PS: -I am an international student;
-This was my first AP (the score made me realize the effort:score ratio.
Hi @venturap
First of all, congratulations as this is your first AP Exam and the fact you self-studied and got a 4 is commendable I would say report them both as they are amazing scores regardless of the fact of how many other applicants got a 5 put it in because this year has been tough on us all if you look at this years score distributions they have been big declines in scores with the highest percent of 2s being 40%. Some people might tell you don't report it is worth it if you get a 5 but don't report them because this is the hard work that you are trying to show people in admissions. Good Luck!!! Wishes for your future endeavors
I would report it however, you don't know how many APs tests you'll have completed by next year so just keep it in your back pocket until then.
To keep this community safe and supportive:
For junior year, I am planning to take 4 STEM APs and AP Lang. After finishing sophomore year, I am now trying to stand out more academically (given that I'm an international student) and start a coding club at school with my friend (out of pure interest, to be honest). It is a goal of mine to enter into a high-ranked university, and I think that I have to challenge myself like this to achieve that.