How many AP credits or AP exams do I need to apply to Ivy League and Top 20 universities in the US? How do American universities view AP and what is the difficulty level of AP courses?   To answer these questions, Ms. Samantha Wang, an international education expert (Education Specialist of IECA, M.Ed. of Columbia University, M.A. of Linguistics of Peking University, and a specialist in early childhood and international education for 14 years), will explain in detail in this article.   01 How many APs do I need to apply to Ivy League and Top 20 universities in the U.S.? 1) For the strongest of the strong, a total of 10-14 AP credits are required in high school, i.e., 3-4 AP courses per school year. This is in addition to extracurricular activities and a balanced mind and body.   2) For the average student, it is more important to take 7-8 AP courses, with fewer AP courses, but with a good GPA, than to take many AP courses and get mediocre grades in all of them. This is the underlying logic that the US Ivy League and top 20 universities use when evaluating applications.   02 Does not getting a 5 on an AP exam affect admissions? When reviewing and evaluating an applicant’s high school transcript and GPA, university admissions officers look for the following:

• Overall difficulty and challenge of course selection and balance
• Whether or not you benefited from the coursework
• Whether the applicant is prepared for university-level study

Ivy League schools, especially universities like Princeton, generally adopt a test-optional policy even during epidemics and do not require standardized test scores, but standardization is still an important criterion for Top 20 universities admissions officers, and strong AP scores can still help a student to stand out from the crowd.   In practice, most strong applicants, especially those in STEM programs, submit their own SAT/ACT/AP scores.   03 How are AP courses selected? If you are applying to an Ivy League school or a top 20 university in the future, you should first satisfy the basic course requirements for admission to your target university and meet the application threshold. Ivy League schools and top universities like Harvard emphasize a liberal arts education, and no matter what major you apply for, you should take both the arts and sciences. AP US History, Psychology, and Economics, especially US History, are recommended as electives at the high school level.   The College Board recommends that students take these courses: 01 Choose an AP course that interests you and in which you do well in school. 02 Choose AP subject areas that are relevant to your university program of study and your future career path. For example, if one wants to study architecture or become an architect in the future, it is recommended to take courses like AP Calculus AB and BC, AP 2D/3D Art and Design, and AP Art History. If you are applying for a popular engineering major, courses like AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Physics C: Mechanics，and AP Environmental Science are recommended. 03 Know the AP Policy of the University You Are Applying To Some universities allow AP test scores or AP credits to be used for college credit or to waive some pre-professional courses, which is an important reference for choosing AP courses.   04 AP Course Difficulty Ranking There is really no such thing as the difficulty of an AP course, and it should be judged on the basis of one’s own learning strengths, strengths in the subject matter, and interest in learning, which is quite subjective.   In terms of the actual situation of Chinese students, most people would consider subjects such as English Language and Literature, Physics1, and Chemistry to be more difficult because they require a lot of classroom learning, after-school reading, science experiments, etc., as well as the guidance and assistance of professional teachers, and it is usually difficult to get a high score just by studying on one’s own.   However, the percentage of students earning 5 points in each subject can be gauged from the College Board’s 2023 AP exam score data, which provides an assessment of the difficulty of each AP course:   10 Toughest AP Courses

1. 3D Art and Design 7%
2. Environmental Science 8%
3. Physics 18%
4. Spanish Languages and Culture 8%
5. English Language and Composition 10%
6. U.S. History 11%
7. Thematic Studies (Capstone) 11%
8. Latin Language 12% 9.
9. French Language and Culture 12%
10. Computer Science Principles 12%, U.S. Government and Politics 12%, Art and Design 2D 12% (tie)

*According to the percentage of students earning a score of 5 on AP exams in 2023.   10 Easiest AP Courses

1. Chinese Language and Culture 50%
2. Japanese Language and Culture 47%
3. Calculus BC 42%
4. Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism 29 31%
5. Computer Science A 27%
6. Spanish Language and Culture 24%
7. Physics C ：Mechanics 23%
8. Calculus AB 22%
9. Italian Language and Culture 20%
10. German Language and Culture 19%

*According to the percentage of students earning a score of 5 on AP exams in 2023.   It is important to note that many of the AP foreign language exams, such as Japanese, Spanish, German, and Italian, where the test takers who earn a 5 are actually native speakers. However, if we consider these languages as subjects to learn as foreign languages, achieving high scores may not necessarily be easy or straightforward.   05 Plan Your AP Studies and Course Selection in Advance Competitive applicants usually start planning for APs as early as 10th grade so that they are well prepared and have sufficient room for application. By planning early, it is possible to balance AP and GPA with extracurricular activities, books, and international competitions to get closer to your dream school.   When choosing AP credit courses, it is also important to be open-minded and choose reliable U.S. high school credit courses that are recognized by U.S. and world universities, so as to enhance your application.   06 SMOA AP Credit Courses SMOA, St. Mary’s Online, originates from St. Mary’s School, which is a century-old boarding school in the United States and ranked 98th in the United States, and the transcripts and teacher’s recommendation letters issued by SMOA are more competitive!   SMOA’s U.S. high school diplomas, credits and transcripts are certified by Cognia, meet the official standards of College Board AP and UC A-G, and are recognized by universities in the U.S. and around the world. No matter you are applying online at UC or Common APP, you can search for our school code CEEB Code, School Code to submit your U.S. high school credits and transcripts earned at SMOA.

1. High-value U.S. high school diploma, graduation certificate, credits and transcripts:
2. AP course GPA up to 5.0, effectively raising high school GPA:
3. Promising prospects for university admissions:
4. Strong U.S. high school faculty, selected by St. Mary’s School in the U.S., more than 85% with Master’sor PhD degrees:

In the spring and summer of 2024, SMOA will offer U.S. high school all-subject credit courses, as well as up to 30 AP credit courses. In addition to common subjects such as AP Macroeconomics/Microeconomics/Psychology/Physics/Chemistry/U.S. History/English Literature and Composition, there are also more uncommon 2D and 3D art, animation, fashion design, programming, business, and other special U.S. high credit courses and AP credit courses, which are sufficient to meet the needs of students applying to top U.S. universities as well as the needs of prerequisite courses for a wide range of majors.