Should I send my AP scores?Answered
I’m a rising senior currently, and with the release of AP exam scores, I’m not sure if sending my scores would help or hurt my application to more selective colleges. I did really well this year, but my 2021 and 2020 scores are bad, and I missed the cutoff to cancel them. In 2022 I got three 5s and one 4, in 2021 I got one 3, and in 2020 I got a 1. I’m not so much concerned about getting college credit as I am with getting in to a good school, so should I withhold my AP scores?
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2 answers
Depending on the schools, I'd send the 5s and 4 to all schools. And I'd send the 5s, 4, and 3 to UC schools or state schools where the admit rates are like 25-50%.
An Ivy is not going to give you credit for anything less than a 5. And the same goes for Stanford, MIT, Caltech, and other elites. Brown is a dud for APs, the want to see the high scores but give zero credit for them. Some Liberal Arts colleges like Williams want to see the 4s and 5s but they are not going to give you any credit for them. And others like Vassar will cap off your APs at 2 classes max.
Since you are in control of what you reveal and show, just hide the "1" and the "3" for some top schools.
Good luck.
With scores in the 4's and 5's, I wouldn't personally recommend withholding scores, especially if these are in more competitive AP courses (check the scoring distribution if you're interested in that). Regardless, most schools take into account the fact that you made an effort to pursue more difficult classes and pay less attention to your scores themselves unless they demonstrate exceptional aptitude. Besides that, you've demonstrated consistent improvement in your scores which paints you as a dedicated student, colleges will pick up on that.
TL:DR - I'd recommend submitting your scores
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