How Colleges Use AP testing Scores During COVID-19

AP testing Scores During COVID-19. A lot has changed since COVID started, especially as it concerns the way colleges evaluate candidates numerically. For one, the SAT has largely been relegated to either an optional component. In some cases like that of the UC and CSU system, it isn’t even allowed to be considered during the college admissions process. Furthermore, SAT Subject Tests have also been cancelled entirely by the College Board. With no news of its return, the SAT test dates are still consistently being cancelled. There’s one test that has remained steady in both its administration. AP scores 2021 and AP scores 2022.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

AP Testing Has Grown in Importance

Simply put, college admissions evaluators need data in order to make informed decisions. Numerically, that historically meant a combination of:

GPA.
Weighted coursework.
SAT or ACT.
The PSAT/NMSQT.
SAT Subject Tests.
AP test scores.

GPA has always taken a huge weightage from that combination. It was helpful for colleges to gauge additional data points for confirmation or even compensation (think: the student who got a 3.5 but a 1590). Today, however, the COVID environment has reduced the reliably available metrics to just the GPA and testing AP scores 2021. And AP scores 2022 look to continue on with the same policies. In other words, while GPA has retained its weightage in the sphere of numbers, AP test scores have ballooned in importance in the absence of all the other numbers.

Is sending AP scores a good idea. A Way to Gauge Readiness for a Major

Say you have two students with A’s in AP Calculus AB who both attend the same high school. One chose the process of sending AP scores and has reported a 5 on the AP Calculus test. Whereas the other does not. All other things held equal, a college admissions reader would be inclined to give the edge, at least as it concerns Academic Potential, to the candidate with a 5. Are final decisions made this way? Absolutely not! Because all other things are never equal. Especially if these two students in question are applying for different majors.

Do colleges look at AP scores for admission?

As much as colleges like to say they don’t take majors into consideration when making final decisions, this is quite frankly impossible. From a purely mathematical point of view, every university has a limited number of seats in each department. UC Berkeley has only so many seats available for freshman applicants of EECS; Stanford has only so many seats available for Economics; and Michigan has only so many seats at its Ross School of Business. The point is, AP test scores can start mattering in highly competitive scenarios like the ones I just mentioned. While it is certainly this remains only one factor of many. Any AP testing edge a student can get over other applicants can be beneficial. When combined with other differentiating factors, an AP testing score that is relevant to one’s major can make a difference. Though likely not the only difference.

Returning to the hypothetical 5 on the AP Calculus AB test. That would help any student applying for a major that is quantitative in nature. Be it Computer Science or Economics. At the same time, however, it’s not necessarily important to get a 5 on AP Calculus if one is applying as an English major, or a Political Science major, etc. Hence, we recommend students prioritize the AP’s that matter – and deprioritize the ones that don’t. Remember: 5’s are what colleges want to see, since 5’s correspond with A’s and proficiency. So, we’d rather have students earn 5’s on a few tests. (the ones that matter.) Rather than 4’s and below on many tests. (including the ones that don’t matter).

Do you have to send AP scores to colleges.

Lastly, remember that you are not required in sending AP scores to colleges. Also you don’t have to report AP test scores on your college application, unless explicitly stated. Usually, there’s a field where you can enter exam results. However, in the event that you earned a bad score on a test, you almost always don’t need to report it. And while it’s common knowledge to many, it’s also worth noting that you won’t be able to report any AP test scores from the 12th grade. Because they won’t arrive until months after your application has already been submitted.

AP testing Recap & Conclusion

AP testing scores have vastly grown in importance with the absence of other scores and numbers. Students should make the most of their opportunity to perform well in these tests. And if done so, you show colleges their readiness for the major they are applying to. If a student earns a bad score on a test, they don’t have to report that AP test score on their college applications. Unless it is explicitly stated in the application, do not submit a bad score.

We hope that this provides some valuable insight into how colleges view AP test scores while making your college application profile even stronger. We specialize in youth mentorship and college counseling. From 8th grade to 12th, we have you covered for any stage in your high school career. Schedule a free consultation with us here.

We are always posting more helpful tips and tricks to help reduce the stress of college application season. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.

See you soon!

Sarah Gooch

Essay Editor

Q:How many total years of experience do you have in your current role, including but not limited to ReadyEdgeGo?

A: I have five years' experience in coaching student writing, but this is my first year with ReadyEdgeGo.

Q: What about working with students do you most enjoy?

A: I love helping students find depth and meaning in their own stories—but I also just love it when they make me laugh!

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: In theory, I enjoy painting and writing poetry, but these days I actually spend most of my free time socializing or watching movies with my husband.

Q: What is your one piece of advice for high schoolers?

A: Don't just focus on achieving top grades and credentials because they look good on applications, or your education will be meaningless. The numbers and awards have their place, but stay connected to your sense of curiosity, discovery, excitement, and wonder so that the content you're learning is constantly transforming you—it's something you care about, something you remember after the final exam. Work on the aspects of yourself no one can measure, like integrity, wisdom, kindness, and compassion, so that you're not only developing your academic and career potential but also investing in the type of adult you're going to be, the person you'll have to live with after you clock out every day for the rest of your life.

Doing the hard inner work of building your character and learning deeply instead of just earning grades will set you up for a satisfying, well-rounded life. Strange as it sounds, it will also put you ahead in your academic and career goals, because colleges and hiring managers aren't looking for an empty set of data on a spreadsheet; they want a fully fleshed-out person marked by passion, creativity, and a story no one else has lived.

So go on studying hard for tests, but also spend some time asking yourself what matters in life and who your role models are. Read up on topics that amaze you, and build something incredible just for fun. Cultivate that spark of joy you feel when you're immersed in a subject that fascinates you. If you can hit that balancing act of doing your homework and meeting deadlines but also investing in the kind of person you want to be, then trust that all the rest will follow: schools will recognize you as a dynamic, all-star person, and you will also build a life of happiness, close relationships, and peace.

GoBlog