As parents and their children worry more and more about how hard it is to get into college, they look for additional opportunities to distinguish themselves from the rest.聽 and exams have become one of those things high school juniors and seniors take to show that they are competitive.聽 Every year, however, I field inquiries from frantic parents who are looking for a tutor or a place for their child to take these AP exams, in large part because 鈥渢hat鈥檚 what everyone does.鈥澛 Before you stress out about where your child can take an AP exam (either because your school doesn鈥檛 offer this particular exam or because your child is home-schooled) or commit to paying for endless hours of tutoring, there are a few things to consider:
What鈥檚 the goal: to get college credit or create a more competitive college application?聽 In a perfect world, both things would be nice; however, many people are focused on one or the other.聽 AP courses can be taken without taking the exam, and vice versa.聽 If your child wants the possible college credit or score result without taking a course, then take the exam.聽 If your child simply wants to be able to show that they have taken an AP course and received a good grade to get the attention of colleges, then don鈥檛 worry about the exam (it may be a requirement of the course, however, so check first).聽 Know which is most important to you, because this will influence your overall decision.聽
Is your child a junior or a senior?聽 If your student is a junior, then AP exams can be used to show prospective colleges how Johnny scores against other students across the nation taking the same test (much like ).聽 For any exams that are taken in a student鈥檚 senior year, these scores aren鈥檛 seen until the results are released in July (the AP exams are only offered in May).聽 Unless Jane鈥檚 taking a gap year, any AP exams taken during her senior year won鈥檛 show up until after most colleges have already sent out acceptance letters.
What is your desired/accepted college鈥檚 policy on AP credits?聽 Even though the Advanced Placement program is widely recognized and accepted throughout American colleges, each university is allowed to accept them in its own manner.聽 For instance, my alma mater would accept a score of 4 or 5 on the AP English Literature and Composition exam for credit only if you also submitted a portfolio of graded written work.聽 There are schools that will not allow credit in a student鈥檚 field of major because they mandate that each student take all the required courses (thus rendering the credit moot).
AP exams are a big deal, but keeping them in perspective will help make the best decision for you.
Have you decided to take an AP exam?聽