Every year, the topic surrounding how many AP scores need to be submitted for undergraduate applications in the United States is discussed over and over again, and it is always impossible to come to a uniform conclusion. It is true that some students are admitted to Cornell University by early decision with only 4 APs, while others are only admitted to New York University even with 10 APs. However, most U.S. colleges, especially those ranked in the top 30, do not make it mandatory for applicants to submit AP scores, much less how many, except that they will use AP scores as a factor to be considered for admission.
So, is it mandatory to take AP exams and submit scores to prove a student’s academic ability? Today, I would like to recommend a new idea – online AP credit classes.
The Help of AP for College Applications
AP courses are part of the U.S. college preparatory curriculum offered by the College Board. These courses are widely recognized worldwide and play an important role in the admissions and international student scholarship selection process at many universities.
Enhancing Admission Opportunities
Students who complete the AP program with high grades can show colleges that they have the ability and skills to study at a college level of difficulty.
Earn credits
Strong AP scores can be exchanged for some college credits, which can contribute to early graduation or reduce the stress of college-level classes.
Enhance Academic Reputation
AP courses are upper-level courses in the U.S. high school academic curriculum, which means that students who are able to do well in these courses will have a higher competitive edge and academic ability when applying to colleges.
Supplemental Major Options
AP courses cover a wide range of fields from the arts to the sciences, and students can use these courses to gain a deeper understanding of their interests and talents in a particular major, which will be the finishing touches on their college applications.
Increase Scholarship Opportunities
Many colleges and organizations use AP scores as an important basis for awarding scholarships and grants.
Therefore, investing the time and effort to take and excel in AP classes while in high school can be a substantial help in increasing the competitiveness of your college applications, reducing academic stress, and winning scholarships.
Principles for Subject Selection and Application in AP Courses
In the past few years, because of the test-option policy, more and more students have submitted AP scores as a demonstration of their self-academic ability.
Ivy League and TOP 10: Submission of 10 AP scores, all 5s
TOP30: Submission of 5~8 AP scores, at least 3 APs with a score of 5
TOP50: Submission of 4~6 AP scores, at least 2 APs with a score of 5
However, it is important to note that the number of AP scores submitted, and the specific scores are not the only factors in determining admissions outcomes. Colleges take a hard look at each AP subject to further evaluate its fit with the majors to which they are applying. This means that choosing AP courses is not arbitrary, but rather requires meeting the criteria of the university’s admissions officer and finding the combination of courses that will be most beneficial to your undergraduate application. In making our choices, we can follow these three principles:
Basic subjects: study with the goal of getting a high score
Challenging subjects: to demonstrate academic ability and challenge academic difficulty
Subjects related to the chosen major: to match the applied major and to prove that university studies can be completed
Of course, U.S. universities emphasize students’ comprehensive academic ability, and it is very rare for students with biased subjects to be admitted to prestigious schools. Therefore, when choosing courses, you must pay attention to both arts and sciences, and even make up some arts courses.
How Top 30 U.S. Colleges View AP
Princeton University
Accepts and encourages applicants to take and submit AP exam scores.
Academically, applicants are advised to take English, math, a second foreign language, laboratory science, and history. Applicants are also expected to challenge themselves by taking honors and AP courses.
Harvard University.
Accepts and encourages applicants to take and submit AP exam scores.
However, it is emphasized that submitted AP scores should be consistent with their interests and target majors.
New York University
Allows applicants to submit 3 AP scores, which may also replace standardized scores. Requirements are Humanities, Math or Science and 1 subject of choice.
University of California, Berkeley
Adds the submission of AP scores by applicants to one of the academic assessment measures.
Improving the Competitiveness of College Applications:
The Importance of AP Credit Course
Considering the importance that many universities place on AP scores, how can students confidently aim for a score of 5 on each AP exam during their college application journey? Does not achieving a score of 5 mean that admission to top universities is out of reach? In fact, taking AP credit courses can offer you a valuable advantage and help you stand out among your peers in the college admissions process.
First, it’s important to understand that AP scores reflect your mastery of a particular subject, not the sole criterion that determines whether or not you’ll get into a top school. The U.S. higher education system emphasizes a holistic approach: academics, leadership, community service, athletics, and the arts are all important elements of the test. While high AP scores can increase the strength of your application, they are not the only key.
Secondly, the advantage of online AP credit courses at U.S. High School is that students can improve their overall academic skills and be exposed to college-level courses without having to take AP exams. This not only increases the competitiveness of the application process, but also benefits the GPA. Especially for students who do not perform well on standardized tests, AP credits provide another way for them to demonstrate their academic abilities.
In summary, AP credits can provide proof of your academic prowess and further enhance your application by increasing your GPA. Therefore, even if you don’t have a high AP test score, you can still highlight your application advantages and become the favored choice of prestigious schools.
SMOA – AP Credit Course
From the top 100 boarding schools in the United States
–St. Mary’s School, with higher prestige
St. Mary’s Online Academy (SMOA) is the online American high school of St. Mary’s School, which is a century-old school and one of the Niche top 100 boarding schools in the U.S. SMOA offers pure U.S. high school credit courses, AP credit courses, and U.S. High School Diploma courses. Students can enjoy pure US high school personalized education and improve their GPA scores and academic backgrounds without leaving their homes in the Asian time zone.
Cognia Accreditation and College Board Accreditation
–Credits are recognized by universities around the world
Our diplomas, credits, and transcripts are accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization Cognia (AdvancED), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the American Boarding Schools Association (TABS), and the Western Boarding Schools Association (WBSA). AP courses are accredited by the College Board and the University of California A-G Curriculum, and credits, transcripts and diplomas are recognized by universities in the U.S. and around the world.
Rich selection of courses, 20+ AP courses
–Rolling classes throughout the year, multiple class types, customizable
We offer more than 20 AP credit courses, such as AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Psychology, AP2D Art and Design, AP Computer Science A, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP English Literature and Composition, and many more courses.
Elite Teachers Guarantee Teaching Quality
–Pure U.S. High School Education, Recognized Around the World
Our elite U.S. teachers are selected by St. Mary’s School U.S.A. More than 85% of our teachers hold master’s or doctoral degrees, with an average teaching experience of 5+ years, and have rich online teaching experience, bringing the original U.S. classroom and U.S. teaching methods to the U.S. high school classroom.
Liam Gan, the gold tutor of AP Statistics, has a master’s degree in actuarial science from Columbia University; he was an adjunct instructor & teaching assistant at UC Berkeley, and has won the honor of “Most Popular Teaching Assistant” for many times;
As an eDiscovery Data Services Manager, he led a team of about 20 people to collect eDiscovery data from clients’ network infrastructure and applications, and was responsible for quarterly recruiting and evaluation;
Worked as an eDiscovery Data Analyst to support Fortune 500 financial institutions with eDiscovery structured (archive) and unstructured data (email, hard drive) through data collection, analysis and processing.
500+ Graduates Entered Top Universities in the World
–Great reputation and credibility
Students who have received online American High School Diploma diplomas, credits and transcripts have gained admission to world-renowned universities, art schools and colleges in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
Have our own mainland AP exam test center, AP exams do not need to go far away from Hong Kong or abroad
In addition to this, the advantages of SMOA’s online US High School credit courses are:
- Comprehensive and rigorous grading, process assessment, focus on final results
- Effectively improved GPA, 4.33 for regular and 5.0 for AP.
- Real-time teaching in Asian time zones + asynchronous classes, flexible and efficient learning
- Professional learning platform, teaching system, bilingual learning coach 7*24 supervision
Each AP course may bring some specific advantages, and you need to choose the most suitable AP course for you according to your own interests and academic goals!
SMOA’s winter break class, which opens on February 19th, includes AP US High School credit courses, and the available courses are AP Calculus BC, AP Calculator Science A, AP Physics 1, AP Statistics, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Psychology, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, and so on. The remaining seats are already tight, so if you are in need of any of these courses, please hurry up and get in touch with us!