Over the past 40+ years, AP exams have continued their growth trend. Number of test takers as well as their scores have steadily gone up each year, during the past four decades. In 2019, close to 3 million students took over 5 million AP Exams.

 

Let us take a closer look at the role of AP exams in the context of college admissions, the different ways in which a high school student can benefit by taking the AP exams, and some strategies that students should keep in mind while considering APs. This article does not talk about the categories in which the AP exams are offered, the details of any single exam, the process of registering, test preparation or tactical aspects of test taking.

 

Students can check for those details and also availability of specific exams in their region/city on the CollegeBoard website. While AP courses are not part of high school curriculum in general for students in India, the AP exams which are conducted annually during the month of May, is available in over 100 countries, including India.

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How can a good score in an AP Exam help a college applicant?

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There are many ways in which taking AP courses – and getting a good score in the AP exam – can help. First and foremost, your college application just got a whole lot stronger. You’ve demonstrated to colleges that you have the ability as well as the desire to challenge yourself academically. Good performance in an AP exam is seen as readiness for college-level coursework.

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The other big benefit is the fact that most colleges grant college credits or advanced placement for qualifying AP exam scores. E.g. A score of 3 or 4 on the AP exam may merit 4 credits whereas a score of 5 may be equivalent to 8 credits OR a specific score in AP Human Geography may count as a General Studies course, satisfying the “Social and Behavioral Sciences” requirement. Actual details of what combination of credits or waivers are offered vary from college to college.

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For students in India, APs can also act as a mechanism to add gravitas to your curriculum and boost your academic achievements. Irrespective, credits and waivers give you greater flexibility on your academic schedule, and may even allow you to skip introductory courses in college, helping to save both time and money. You are free to pursue and take up additional courses or even graduate early.

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AP Strategy for Students

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You need a comprehensive AP strategy, starting with your sophomore year at high school. What APs to take, how many, what is the best time to take them etc. needs to be considered carefully and plans made accordingly.

• It is important that you are clear about why you are taking the AP exams and tailor your plans based on that. Try to work on a concept rather than working with a number and signing up for everything in sight

• Challenge yourself in areas of your academic interests and strength. Don’t make the mistake of signing up for the most difficult ones, especially if you are going to find yourself struggling with it

• Your choices, in terms of quantity, quality and variety have to reflect your plans and aspirations. The highly selective colleges are most demanding and like to see that you’ve challenged yourself significantly

• Make sure to strike the balance across your high school coursework and other academic pursuits as well as your personal and extra-curricular commitments

• Timing is very important. APs should ideally be taken in those years when the curriculum matches your coursework. Additionally, bear in mind factors such as, AP exams at the end of your senior year will not help you with admission and instead need to be aligned to your chosen area of study. You may even customize it based on the colleges you’ve applied to and their policies.

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Whether the goal is to get an edge in the admissions process or to define the path and set the foundation for a specific college major or simply to free up time for extracurriculars in college, each student should plan and decide their AP strategy based on what is best for them.

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College & Me is a series of articles featuring useful information about College Admissions for undergraduate degree programs in US colleges. 

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