AP Scores Are Out… Here’s How Y’all Did 🤔

The day has finally arrived. AP exam scores are out.

For those who did well, congrats! Chances are your scores will help you earn college credit and save money on tuition.

For those who didn’t do as well… don’t worry. In my opinion, students overestimate the importance of AP exams, especially in the scope of the admissions process.

Let’s dive into my thoughts.

“I got a 1 or 2. Am I cooked?”

No, you’re not cooked. In fact, I knew several people at MIT who failed an AP exam.

In the scope of admissions, colleges care more about the fact that you took an AP course to begin with rather than the score you received. The numbers admissions readers care more about are your GPA and SAT/ACT scores. Sure, a 5 on an AP exam can signal that you’re smart, but these scores are mainly useful for obtaining college credit and placing out of introductory courses, not much else.

But there’s an exception.

Let’s say you get a low grade in an AP class. By getting a 4 or a 5 on the corresponding AP Exam, you can somewhat “compensate” for this grade and encourage admissions readers to be more forgiving. For example, they may assume you had a strict teacher or that you had an extenuating circumstance—not that you’re weak academically.

However, if you fail an AP exam, the solution is simple: don’t self-report it on your college application.

In case you didn’t know, when you apply to college, you’re not required to send your official AP test scores. Rather, you self-report the scores your received, and you get to choose which scores you want reveal to admissions officers.

As such, students who get a 1 or a 2 will simply won’t share that score. Of course, admissions officers may assume that you failed the exam, but it’s also possible that you didn’t take the exam to begin with. They won’t penalize you.

Don’t hide too many scores, however. While colleges won’t care if you omit a couple scores scores, they still want to see most of them. If you submit an application with no self-reported scores yet have taken several AP classes, that will raise a red flag.

“I got a 3. Should I self-report?”

This is the age-old question. Most colleges award credit for a 4 or a 5; fewer award credit for a 3.

Look at your list of colleges. If most won’t give you credit for a 3, don’t report the score.

Also, remember, 3 is a passing score. Sure, it may not stand out to T20 schools, but it won’t hinder your chances of acceptance either.

“What exams did students do the best on?”

I’m gonna copy the stats from my brother’s video for this (thanks Mahad). Here are the AP exams y’all did the best on:

1. AP Spanish (83% pass rate)

2. AP Calculus BC (80% pass rate)

3. AP Precalculus (76% pass rate)

4. AP Chemistry (75% pass rate)

5. AP Physics C: Mechanics (75% pass rate)

Note that this list omits foreign language APs, art APs, and AP Seminar because fewer students take these.

“What exams did students do the worst on?”

Copying my brother again for this.

1. AP Physics 1 (46% pass rate)

2. AP English Language (54% pass rate)

3. AP Environmental Science (54% pass rate)

4. AP Human Geography (56% pass rate)

5. AP Psych (57% pass rate)

I’m also omitting the same courses here.

“Gohar, I’m not in any AP classes but I’m reading this anyways.”

First off, thanks.

Second, don’t worry if your school doesn’t offer any AP courses. Colleges will evaluate your application in the context of your school’s offerings. As long as you’ve taken the hardest courses available at your school, you’ll be fine.

How did you do on your exams? DM me on Instagram (@goharsguide) to let me know!

If you want study help, come join my Discord! We have a global community of students helping each other succeed in school. I’d love to see you there.

And if you need help with college applications, check out Next Admit! We have a team of Ivy League consultants eager to help you navigate the admissions process.

I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar