After tutoring high schoolers on various subjects for several years, I\u2019ve found it hard to believe that many sophomores and sometimes even freshmen are already taking AP classes. Before I tell you about this tip, let me talk about AP subjects a little more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a few reasons for choosing the right AP classes and\/or AP exams in May. First, we know AP\u2019s look good, and it\u2019s perhaps the main reason why you decided to skip classes like \u201cWorld Civilizations II\u201d and \u201cAmerican Studies in Literature,\u201d and take AP World history and AP English. True, it seems like a legitimate way to show college admissions committees that you\u2019re constantly challenging yourself by enrolling in college-level courses. However, an AP class is more than a grade on your transcripts. If you don\u2019t do well throughout the year on that AP subject, you could be better off taking a regular\/honors class instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, it\u2019s only impressive when you choose a hard course AND get a decent grade. A \u201cB\u201d in AP World History maybe isn\u2019t as helpful as an \u201cA\u201d in World Civilizations II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back to the exam (we\u2019ll talk more about choosing classes later). Another, if not the most, important part of taking an AP class is the AP exam; you use the score for college credits and prove that you can handle college-level materials. Here\u2019s the thing: AP exams are not as hard as it may sound. For many \u201cpopular\u201d AP subjects, the cutoffs (the percentages of correct questions) for a \u201c5\u201d are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human Geography: 61%
US History: 61%
Physics B: 62%
Biology: 63%
Calculus AB\/BC: 63%
Statistics: 63%
World History 64%
Chemistry: 67%
English Language and Composition: 75%
English Literature and Composition: 76%
Computer Science A: 77%<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you can see, the grading is rather lenient. You clearly don\u2019t need to get every question correct to do well on the exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That being said: \u201cDo the easy questions first, and do them correctly!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did an experiment in my recent AP Calculus AB class. I gave everyone a set of mock test, and asked them to only do the questions they are confident in. The result: everyone\u2019s raw score was converted to a \u201c3\u201d or \u201c4,\u201d and we were still two months away from the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More importantly, in most cases, a score of 4 and a score of 5 are equivalent. And typically, a 4 will allow you to waive entry-level classes in college. Every school has different credit policy so be sure to look them up first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a reminder, many argue that sometimes it\u2019s better to take a lot of AP classes in your senior year, and it\u2019s true. While colleges won\u2019t be able to see those AP exam scores before admissions decisions are released, they will be able to see what classes you are enrolled in when you submit your college app. Of course, if you\u2019re capable of taking AP\u2019s before senior year, go for it. Regardless, taking AP classes for your senior is a good strategy to show colleges that you continue to challenge and prepare yourself by taking hard classes before your departure from high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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