2017 AP scores coming out this week

[RegGuheert]

Two quick notes on accessing through "alternative" methods:

 

- Those accessing scores through a proxy server should be aware that all of their internet traffic flows through the proxy. If you do not know/trust the proxy server, be aware that they can do things like log keystrokes, etc., which could allow them to steal your passwords, for instance. Some people recommend changing your College Board password to something simple BEFORE getting on the proxy server, connecting to the proxy server, logging in though the proxy to get your scores, logging out, getting off the proxy server, then logging back in to the College Board to reset your password.

 

- After accessing our DC's scores using the "cell phone across the border" trick, I got back onto my normal ISP (in VA) and tried it again. Sure enough, the College Board was good to remind me of their access schedule.

Edited July 5, 2017 by RegGuheert

[mirabillis]

I also think hearing sooo many 5's here on the WTM boards also may give one a skewed view of what to expect... either we are surrounded here by seriously high-achieving, high-performing kids and/or those not getting the 5's of the world aren't as much reporting their scores. :-) so keep it coming with reporting your dc's scores, good, bad or meh - and do tell if from an online provider. i think it is immensely helpful for those of us looking toward future classes.

[AEC]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong...it won't take the CA homeschool code as the highschool code, which is required to find out your scores!

 

http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/testright/resources/homeschool_codes.pdf says the CA code is 990599, and I'm fairly sure that's what DS used.

 

On the get your scores page it has a search menu to lookup your HS.   I tried entering the code and it claims there are no matches found.

 

Anyone else having better success??

[mirabillis]

we just had to log into my son's CB account. nothing more. once logged in, without the proxy, it said 'you have no scores' - with the proxy, it just showed his scores.

 

[Caroline]

we just had to log into my son's CB account. nothing more. once logged in, without the proxy, it said 'you have no scores' - with the proxy, it just showed his scores.

This is how it worked for us, too.

[RegGuheert]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong...it won't take the CA homeschool code as the highschool code, which is required to find out your scores!

 

http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/testright/resources/homeschool_codes.pdf says the CA code is 990599, and I'm fairly sure that's what DS used.

Your code looks right to me. If this is your student's first AP, and it sounds like it is, then this type of issue is fairly normal, if frustrating. Some simply have to wait for the scores to come through the mail before they can link their student's scores to their account.

 

I've heard stories of high schools changing homeschoolers' school codes to their school code. Hopefully your issue is much less nefarious than that and that it gets resolved quickly!

[yvonne]

I used a proxy to access scores, but it only shows last year's scores, not this year's. 

I hope that does not mean my son's scores are in limbo somewhere!

 

(To undo the proxy server setting, do I just uncheck the proxy boxes in Settings, where I entered the proxy server address? Thanks!)

 

 

ETA:  Sniff!  Site says that, if you took the exam outside the regular exam date window, those scores won't be available till late July/early August.  My boys had to use the late test date. Guess that answers my question.

Edited July 5, 2017 by yvonne

[AEC]

it's requiring us to update his account information...but it will take the 'not listed' choice <shrug>. 

 

DS15 got a 4 on AP HUG - his first AP exam!  And, true to form, he's mostly relieved it's not a 2 and I'm super excited it's a 4.

 

ETA : this was self-taught.  We used the latest ed of the Rubenstein text and the Barron's review.

Edited July 5, 2017 by AEC

[mumto2]

Thanks for reminding us to go look. We used a proxy and have seen the scores. He is pleased. :)

 

The kids have a good friend over who is doing the UK exams and her scores won't be available until the 20 something of August. AP exams feel like they take forever to be graded but that really puts it in perspective. Many of the UK exams have multiple parts but I know she took an exam the same day as his AP.

 

Eta....Statistics AP, self taught, reviewed using Kaplan and Barron. Did a practice exam out of the ways to a 5 book at end.

Edited July 5, 2017 by mumto2

[counselinggirl]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong...it won't take the CA homeschool code as the highschool code, which is required to find out your scores!

 

http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/testright/resources/homeschool_codes.pdf says the CA code is 990599, and I'm fairly sure that's what DS used.

 

On the get your scores page it has a search menu to lookup your HS.   I tried entering the code and it claims there are no matches found.

 

Anyone else having better success??

 

AEC - I can't be sure but I was asked to enter DD's AP#, not the high school code. It was the number on the stickers contained inside the AP Student Pack-it's an 8 digit number specific to her for this years AP exams. Try entering that and see if it works.

[Arcadia]

We have to wait until Sunday. I called at 6am and my husband just called. They won't release our kids results by phone until Sunday. Both are under 13 so we can't use the proxy method.

 

ETA;

The customer rep checked with her supervisor still no go.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Arcadia

[daijobu]

For those wondering how the proxy site thing works, there are a number of youtube videos that step you through the process.  Here's one.  (I didn't thoroughly vet this particular video, but there are many others that will turn up if you search "use proxy server to find ap scores early."  (Note that in previous years the order may have been reversed with west coast receiving their scores first.  Just ignore that part.)

 

Dd was still unsure whether to use the proxy or just wait until this weekend.  

[RegGuheert]

I also think hearing sooo many 5's here on the WTM boards also may give one a skewed view of what to expect... either we are surrounded here by seriously high-achieving, high-performing kids and/or those not getting the 5's of the world aren't as much reporting their scores. :-) so keep it coming with reporting your dc's scores, good, bad or meh - and do tell if from an online provider. i think it is immensely helpful for those of us looking toward future classes.

 

:iagree:  Very good point!

 

We have this problem just within our family.  The oldest three Guheerts were very high achievers.  The younger children got the impression that APs must be easy because their older siblings got nearly all fives.  But they are finding out that fives are not so easy to come by:

 

Oldest three Guheerts' AP results: 21 Fives and 1 Three

Next three Guheerts' AP results (to date):  2 Fives, 6 Fours, and 1 Three

 

I told MomsintheGarden that it's good we don't have 15 children since the last three would probably get Ones on all their APs! :tongue_smilie:

[daijobu]

:iagree:  Very good point!

 

We have this problem just within our family.  The oldest three Guheerts were very high achievers.  The younger children got the impression that APs must be easy because their older siblings got nearly all fives.  But they are finding out that fives are not so easy to come by:

 

Oldest three Guheerts' AP results: 21 Fives and 1 Three

Next three Guheerts' AP results (to date):  2 Fives, 6 Fours, and 1 Three

 

I told MomsintheGarden that it's good we don't have 15 children since the last three would probably get Ones on all their APs! :tongue_smilie:

 

You have an impressive sample size, lol!  With my n=2, I can't make very many statistically significant conclusions.  

[snowbeltmom]

:iagree:  Very good point!

 

We have this problem just within our family.  The oldest three Guheerts were very high achievers.  The younger children got the impression that APs must be easy because their older siblings got nearly all fives.  But they are finding out that fives are not so easy to come by:

 

Oldest three Guheerts' AP results: 21 Fives and 1 Three

Next three Guheerts' AP results (to date):  2 Fives, 6 Fours, and 1 Three

 

I told MomsintheGarden that it's good we don't have 15 children since the last three would probably get Ones on all their APs! :tongue_smilie:

 

Another factor contributing to the lower scores with your younger children may also be due to the recent revisions of many of the AP classes and the scoring of those exams.  For example, more students received 5's on the old versions of AP Chemistry and AP Biology than the new versions of those exams. 

 

[daijobu]

Another factor contributing to the lower scores with your younger children may also be due to the recent revisions of many of the AP classes and the scoring of those exams.  For example, more students received 5's on the old versions of AP Chemistry and AP Biology than the new versions of those exams. 

 

 

Thank you for bringing this up.  What is the deal with the low percentage of 5's on AP chem and bio?  

[mumto2]

Another factor contributing to the lower scores with your younger children may also be due to the recent revisions of many of the AP classes and the scoring of those exams. For example, more students received 5's on the old versions of AP Chemistry and AP Biology than the new versions of those exams.

 

I haven't looked at prior years score distribution to compare but it seemed like the percent of 5's and 4's was smaller this year when I looked earlier this week. I know I had thought the percentage of 5 grades on the Statistics exams was higher than what this year's reality indicated.

[snowbeltmom]

Thank you for bringing this up.  What is the deal with the low percentage of 5's on AP chem and bio?  

 

I have no idea, but if I had to guess I would say that the CB was getting feedback from colleges stating that kids with 5's were not prepared to skip the intro classes like a 5 would indicate that they should be.  Just as one example, I remember years ago when my son was taking AP Chem with Mr. M and preparing for the AP exam.  (This was the old test.) After submitting his first official practice test, Mr. M. told him that he did so well on the multiple choice section, that he only needed to get 1 point on the FRQ section in order to get his 5.  That seemed crazy to me considering that the FRQ is 1/2 of the test.  Maybe kids that were just scraping by with a 5 in this situation weren't really prepared for college chemistry and were struggling when they used that 5 to skip the first course in college chemistry.

 

This is all pure speculation, though.

 

[Joker]

I was able to use a proxy and retrieved results for ds. He was happy. Thanks for the heads up in doing so as I wasn't aware of it.

 

He received 5s for APUSH and English language. He got a 3 for AP Chem but he was worried he wouldn't even get that so he's good with it.

[RegGuheert]

Another factor contributing to the lower scores with your younger children may also be due to the recent revisions of many of the AP classes and the scoring of those exams.  For example, more students received 5's on the old versions of AP Chemistry and AP Biology than the new versions of those exams.

 

Yes, we discussed this fact at the lunch table with the four youngest today.  But the fact is that DS19 got a Five on the new AP Chemistry exam in 2015, which had the lowest ever percent of Fives at only 8.4 percent. And DS27 got a 3 on the old one.  We don't know how DS19 or DD24 managed to get all Fives other than they are extremely good at taking tests.  (And they are NOT the same: DS19 is an extremely fast processor while DD24 is fairly slow.)

 

Another big difference is that those older three achieved their results entirely with self-study while most of the APs done by the younger students have been in a B&M classroom and/or with extensive one-on-one prep.

 

Fortunately, they are all doing very well.  But the contrast is pretty clear, including to them.

Edited July 5, 2017 by RegGuheert

[RegGuheert]

He was disappointed in his chemistry score. I won't say "I told you so" to him, but we knew the AP chemistry class that he took online was not a very strong course. I think if he really wanted to do well on the AP, he would have had to do significant prep despite getting an "A" in the class.

I hope your son got a high enough score to avoid taking chemistry in college. DS27 was very disappointed to have gone through AP Chemistry only to take it again in college. I think taking it twice made him dislike chemistry even more.

 

IMO, many of the AP exams are that way: There is the course and then there is the test.

 

DS17 started prep for the AP Chemistry exam in February even though he had not yet completed the course. He really bombed the first practice exam. He did not know how to approach many of the problems (both MCs and FRQs) and did not come close to finishing in the allotted time. But the prep paid off. I see AP CS A in a similar light and the English APs also have a strong "prep" aspect to them.

 

I am updating our plan for AP Chemistry for the twins this year: I am inlining online videos and simulation tools that DS17 and I used for test prep directly into the schedule as the relevant chapters are read. I am also adding AP exam questions along with the end-of-chapter problems in the textbook. In short, I am incorporating test prep into the entire course schedule. Then we will devote the last few months to practice tests and reviewing where the students are weak.

 

Even then, I expect the twins will be very challenged by the AP Chemistry exam. But who knows? Perhaps one or both of them will fall in love with Chemistry like DD24 did. (I'm not holding my breath!)

[snowbeltmom]

I hope your son got a high enough score to avoid taking chemistry in college. DS27 was very disappointed to have gone through AP Chemistry only to take it again in college. I think taking it twice made him dislike chemistry even more.

 

IMO, many of the AP exams are that way: There is the course and then there is the test.

 

DS17 started prep for the AP Chemistry exam in February even though he had not yet completed the course. He really bombed the first practice exam. He did not know how to approach many of the problems (both MCs and FRQs) and did not come close to finishing in the allotted time. But the prep paid off. I see AP CS A in a similar light and the English APs also have a strong "prep" aspect to them.

 

I am updating our plan for AP Chemistry for the twins this year: I am inlining online videos and simulation tools that DS17 and I used for test prep directly into the schedule as the relevant chapters are read. I am also adding AP exam questions along with the end-of-chapter problems in the textbook. In short, I am incorporating test prep into the entire course schedule. Then we will devote the last few months to practice tests and reviewing where the students are weak.

 

Even then, I expect the twins will be very challenged by the AP Chemistry exam. But who knows? Perhaps one or both of them will fall in love with Chemistry like DD24 did. (I'm not holding my breath!)

 

Imo, AP Chemistry is one of the most difficult APs.  The course covers a lot of topics.

 

[freesia]

 I agree that it's nice when folks post their scores and providers.  However, we do need to keep in mind that we can't completely "blame" an online provider for a lower score.  Our own children have a toe in the game. They may get sick, struggle with the material, not be willing to put in extra prep time if they are confused, get stressed out.  As I said in my post, my ds got a 3 but he could have taken more advantage of the help and prep provided in his course.  It didn't count toward the grade (as it did in English) so he didn't really take it seriously.That's on him and says more about his character than the providers class.  I'd hate to see folks bypass classes which are good b/c someone didn't get a 5 on a test, iykwim.

[RegGuheert]

What is the deal with the low percentage of 5's on AP chem and bio?  

 

I don't know anything about AP Biology, but with AP Chemistry, one of the big changes is that they have created a time crunch.  They have fewer MC questions, but some of the questions require significantly more time and effort to solve.  On the FRQs, the first three questions now have many parts which are dependent upon each other.  If you don't properly identify the reaction in the first part, the rest of your answers are in real jeopardy.  They did increase the time on this section from 95 to 105 minutes, but still DS17 was never able to finish the FRQs, even though he knew the material.

 

I don't like the College Board's ongoing trend of "Let's make it longer to make it harder," since this unfairly disadvantages slow processors, but it is what it is.

[JeanM]

I hope your son got a high enough score to avoid taking chemistry in college. DS27 was very disappointed to have gone through AP Chemistry only to take it again in college. I think taking it twice made him dislike chemistry even more.

 

IMO, many of the AP exams are that way: There is the course and then there is the test.

 

DS17 started prep for the AP Chemistry exam in February even though he had not yet completed the course. He really bombed the first practice exam. He did not know how to approach many of the problems (both MCs and FRQs) and did not come close to finishing in the allotted time. But the prep paid off. I see AP CS A in a similar light and the English APs also have a strong "prep" aspect to them.

 

I am updating our plan for AP Chemistry for the twins this year: I am inlining online videos and simulation tools that DS17 and I used for test prep directly into the schedule as the relevant chapters are read. I am also adding AP exam questions along with the end-of-chapter problems in the textbook. In short, I am incorporating test prep into the entire course schedule. Then we will devote the last few months to practice tests and reviewing where the students are weak.

 

Even then, I expect the twins will be very challenged by the AP Chemistry exam. But who knows? Perhaps one or both of them will fall in love with Chemistry like DD24 did. (I'm not holding my breath!)

 

My ds doesn't know yet what he will study in college (he's a rising junior now), but if he needs chemistry, it would be best if he took it again. This was not really a case where he knew the material, but blew the test.

 

It sounds like you have a good plan for AP chemistry for next year.

 

 

 I agree that it's nice when folks post their scores and providers.  However, we do need to keep in mind that we can't completely "blame" an online provider for a lower score.  Our own children have a toe in the game. They may get sick, struggle with the material, not be willing to put in extra prep time if they are confused, get stressed out.  As I said in my post, my ds got a 3 but he could have taken more advantage of the help and prep provided in his course.  It didn't count toward the grade (as it did in English) so he didn't really take it seriously.That's on him and says more about his character than the providers class.  I'd hate to see folks bypass classes which are good b/c someone didn't get a 5 on a test, iykwim.

 

Oh, I totally agree. In this case, the provider (the state of Maine) really didn't do a very good job. Honestly, my ds is responsible for not recognizing that, despite the fact that DH and I both told him so. Luckily I've heard through the grapevine that all of their online courses are being re-vamped. I don't know if that is really true, but I hope so. The course was free for us, which was hard to resist.

Edited July 6, 2017 by JeanM

[3andme]

If you don't want to deal directly with a proxy server, you can try earlyscores.com or apstudents.net. These sites were created by students so I can't vouch for their technical security however they do make it easy to get your scores without a proxy. For some added protection, I changed the CB password before using it and then changed it again immediately after just in case.

 

Good news here! 5's on Microeconomics, US History, and Comparative Govt. This is our third year doing AP tests and I feel like my ds and I have finally found a good formula for AP prep - solid subject preparation and then last 3-4 weeks review only using as many actual AP or review book tests as available. We do self study but I spend a lot of time researching materials and understanding course expectations/scoring to assist ds.

 

I also think hearing sooo many 5's here on the WTM boards also may give one a skewed view of what to expect... either we are surrounded here by seriously high-achieving, high-performing kids and/or those not getting the 5's of the world aren't as much reporting their scores. :-) so keep it coming with reporting your dc's scores, good, bad or meh - and do tell if from an online provider. i think it is immensely helpful for those of us looking toward future classes.

 

I do think the results may be skewed because the AP scores are often used as an outside source of academic validation for homeschoolers and therefore taken more seriously than by some B&M students. This is certainly our main reason for doing APs here. 

 

Most high school students don't even submit their AP scores until they start college and are looking for credit. The primary benefit they get from AP classes is a higher weighted GPA and evidence of course rigor on their transcripts for college admissions. Some of these students don't take the exam seriously because it doesn't affect their final grade, it's free (cost picked up by school) and they don't expect or care about getting college credit.

[mumto2]

I agree that it's nice when folks post their scores and providers.  However, we do need to keep in mind that we can't completely "blame" an online provider for a lower score.  Our own children have a toe in the game. They may get sick, struggle with the material, not be willing to put in extra prep time if they are confused, get stressed out.  As I said in my post, my ds got a 3 but he could have taken more advantage of the help and prep provided in his course.  It didn't count toward the grade (as it did in English) so he didn't really take it seriously.That's on him and says more about his character than the providers class.  I'd hate to see folks bypass classes which are good b/c someone didn't get a 5 on a test, iykwim.

I totally agree but want to say that I have been so grateful for some old posts over the years that said exactly what the student did and what the results were for these exams and SAT Subjects. Doing these exams on our own has been stressful......

 

Yes, for outside providers I can see where it could be a problem and possibly unfair if someone rates their programs unfairly. Hopefully everyone will be as honest as you regarding the extra work asigned etc. For students that are studying on their own it's really helpful to know that a student getting x on a practice exam in Barrons received x on the actual in 2017 for instance. Some of those old posts were my main encouragement. Dh got really tired of hearing we were on track according to someone's ancient post! ;)

[mirabillis]

.

Edited July 6, 2017 by mirabillis

[daijobu]

Dd16 relented to the pressure and checked her scores early:  

 

AP Bio: 5

AP Stats: 5

 

2017:

AP Bio was taken at Stanford Online High School.  This course is probably the single best course they offer.  Dd is only enrolled as a part time student, and will be taking an advanced bio class next year.  The teachers (of AP bio) are excellent and the other students are top notch.  

 

AP Stats was taken at PAH.  Dd is very mathy, so she didn't need much help here.  There were some other talented students in the class, including one who did really well in USACO.   She knows quite a few who will be joining her at APUSH next year, so we feel like there is a bit of a community at PAH.  

 

2016:

AP Chem at PAH (score: 5).  You've probably read the rave reviews about Mr. M.  He is truly amazing, and we're lucky to have him available to teach homeschoolers.  The caveat is that your student need to assume responsibility for taking on the bulk of the responsibility for learning and understanding the material.  If you want to be successful, AP chem must be your student's #1 priority that year.  (I have a lot more to say re: success in AP chem, so lmk if you want more info.)  Here's a previous post #46.

 

2015:

AP Comp Sci at Edhesive (score 5).  A much easier exam, basically covering one semester worth of material, rather than a year.  But to be safe, it's a good idea to have some programming experience before beginning the class.  (Python is a good choice.)  This is a good choice as a first AP exam because it's easy and looks impressive, and will give your student a confidence boost.  

Edited July 5, 2017 by daijobu

[daijobu]

I mean a reader on these boards may get a skewed notion that every homeschooler breezes in easily with 4's and 5's. That's all you ever hear about on the boards. Either the kids on these boards are super high-achieving test takers, or we don't hear about the other half.

 

Just to be clear, my dd didn't breeze into any of her 5's.  Her freshman year, she was basically taking AP chemistry ... and a bunch of other classes.  In fact, none of her other classes had any hard deadlines.  She was taking math with me, so if she needed extra time, all she needed to do was ask.  She was taking writing with a tutor, so basically same situation.  History was ad hoc, no deadlines, no assignments.  (I suck at history.)  Spanish was easy, no tests.  

 

But she worked really really hard in AP chem.  When new assignments were revealed, her life stopped until they were completed.  She was in a friendly competition with another student or two to be the first to ask follow up questions, detailed questions about homework and reading that wasn't 100% clear.  (She was often gobsmacked by a girl who would complete her assignments so quickly and then ask extremely detailed questions that rather than expose weakness, actually revealed a deep understanding of the material.)  AP chem was pretty much her life.  

 

To a lesser extend it was the same for AP bio.  Never slacked, always showed up for office hours, always prepared for class, always earning participation points.  She routinely asked me to quiz her from her notes.  (Sometimes while hiking.)  She was taking more "real" classes with actual deadlines last year (WTMA history, eg).  

 

I'm worried for her about next year though.  Can she manage to do just good enough without stressing herself out?  

[MarkT]

Sister back east looked up DS' scores for us:

AP Calc AB  4

AP Eng Comp 5 

APUSH  5 - DS was sick that day! (fixed)

 

He is a good writer!

I am very proud.

 

[we skipped AP Physics 1 exam because can't get college credit]

 

per request all classes were through local B&M Charter school but not BASIS

 

Edited July 6, 2017 by MarkT

[rbk mama]

Anyone else have a student testing with accomodations?  DS's scores are delayed ("Code 89"), so I'm wondering if that's normal for tests that were done with accomodations?  Other DS got all 5's on a slew of them.   :hurray: 

[quark]

We just checked using a NY proxy server (looked for one with https for added security). A was very skeptical and also wary (did not help that the URL we used -- thanks daijobu -- had spys and a Russian extension lol) but I decided we should stay true to our goal to keep taking risks so we checked early!

 

Senior year was the first time A took APs and A was juggling many other DE classes, including a uni math class, for a total of 8 classes in the year, PLUS we had two serious family issues to juggle too. I don't mean to brag but can I say I am so proud of the kid? For my own sanity, I had to give up watching over the kid in spring semester due to how much the family issues were affecting me and A just took the reins, owned the whole journey, and ran with it.

 

AP Chemistry with PA Homeschoolers.

A truly loved this class and thinks very highly of Mr Moskaluk. I was similarly impressed with his efficiency, good humor and incredibly detailed, well prepared materials. He even sent us a write up on quarks after seeing my email address. Very strongly recommended by A. A did really well in the class too and was one of the small number of students who were given a "golden crown' to wear in the end of the year class student photo collage. Score: 5. (Expected by A and hoped for by me.)

 

AP English Literature with PA Homeschoolers.

A chose this class with Mrs. Serbicki over the one with Ms Inspektor due to the reading list. I was secretly happy because they covered Room With a View by Forster and that was one of my favorite books growing up. A also took very writing intensive DE Lit and DE US History classes in fall while taking this AP class. Prior to this class, A was meh about poetry but fell in love with Ms Dickinson's work as a result of this class. To be fair, A being a reluctant writer for so many years, I truly think the DE writing experience might have contributed to A's AP Lit essay skills. Score: 5. (Unexpected -- A said it was one of the most difficult exams ever taken and hoped hard for a 4; I was expecting a 3 or a 4).

 

So glad and happy for the kid.

 

Bonus: Saves more time in addition to all the DE credits as A probably does not have to take Berkeley's Reading and Writing requirement too now thanks to the 5 in AP Lit.

[quark]

I'm worried for her about next year though.  Can she manage to do just good enough without stressing herself out?  

 

I think the stress is always there but I also think you can control how bad it gets. We had a truly hard time last spring. We were smacked by life in so many ways in so many directions. But we worked hard at staying cheerful and true to ourselves. When there were times when A was really tired, we took time off. I kept reminding A that there is no need to kill oneself over a test. I kept reminding A of how to stay happy and well rested. And then when I struggled with those things myself, A turned around and reminded me and kept reminding me.

 

Continue to be there for each other!

 

She is a hard worker and very focused and knows what she wants. I think half the battle is already won!

 

Wishing her (and you!) the very very best!

 

Edited July 5, 2017 by quark

[rbk mama]

Ohhhh, now you have me nervous again.  Dd is scheduled to take 4 APs next year, her junior year.  I tell myself it will be okay because we got a head start on calculus in February with the AoPS book:  she has some experience with derivatives and integrals and limits.  She's pretty mathy in general, so she should do fine with physics C.  But she really really wanted to add APUSH and AP Comp to her schedule, and did so against my advice.  Why not save them for senior year?  Although I have to say those PAH teachers seems very enthusiastic.  We're already receiving emails for them about things to do and read about over the summer.  (I love getting a head start on classes.)  

 

Nervous, nervous.  

 

 

four is fine, DS did that his Junior year and so did my nephew a few years back

My nephew just completed his Freshman year in college and due to the AP classes was quite ready for College level material 

 

I would be nervous about 4 PAH classes, mainly because of the heavy writing requirements of both APUSH and AP English Comp.  But the other PAH classes may require substantial work as well.  Older DS, now a rising senior, has taken 5 APs both 10th and 11th grade (and a few before that), but he usually only takes 1 outside class and the rest are self-studied.  This past year was the first time he took two PAH classes (AP English Comp and AP Physics C, and he was grumbling the whole time that he could have easily self-studied for the physics C exams - which I'm glad he DIDN'T because he never would have done any labs on his own!).  We've found that with classes, a lot of assignments are simply not necessary if you already understand the material well (obviously this depends on the teacher, some are worse than others in this regard.)  I personally felt like DS learned and enjoyed the material better when he self-studied, because he was freed up to research areas that he was really interested in, as opposed to spending tons of time on assignments that often didn't add much to his knowledge or understanding.

[MarkT]

I would be nervous about 4 PAH classes, mainly because of the heavy writing requirements of both APUSH and AP English Comp.  But the other PAH classes may require substantial work as well.  Older DS, now a rising senior, has taken 5 APs both 10th and 11th grade (and a few before that), but he usually only takes 1 outside class and the rest are self-studied.  This past year was the first time he took two PAH classes (AP English Comp and AP Physics C, and he was grumbling the whole time that he could have easily self-studied for the physics C exams - which I'm glad he DIDN'T because he never would have done any labs on his own!).  

FYI Jack Kernion teaches AP C E&M  PAH and

via his own site for less cost (I believe he does labs)

http://www.physics-prep.com/

[TCB]

My dd got a 5 on APUSH. We self studied using the Funda Funda plan. It was a really good year of learning. I was happy to do a non-traditional course ( not text book based etc) and still have her do well on the test. We did spend the last month going through 2 prep books, but the rest of the year was more enjoyable learning.

[Gratia271]

Imo, AP Chemistry is one of the most difficult APs.  The course covers a lot of topics.

)

Oldest DD18 would agree.  She took AP Chem (revised test) in 10th, AP Physics C in 11th and AP Bio this year in 12th.  She said there is not even a close second in terms of difficulty: AP Chem is the most challenging in her opinion. 

[Gratia271]

DD18 got her results on her last set of AP exams this morning and received all 5s.  Courses were AP Bio, APUSH with Susan Richman, AP Govt self-study and AP Microecon self-study.  Echoing Quark's sentiments above, she is thrilled to have completed so many APs that she can skip courses altogether and credit out or avoid prereqs to move straight to her interests.  For my part as her mom, I am proud of all the hard work she has done to complete 14 APs and to achieve 5s on all of them.  Looking back three years, she didn't expect it but it was always her goal.  :) 

 

 

DS14 received a 5 on AP Stats.  I am so proud of him.  After bringing home three adopted kiddos, our lives have been very little beside turmoil and sleeplesness.  DS really had to make himself stay on task, which is far more challenging for him than academic rigors per se.   The course and the test itself were not difficult content wise for him, but holding himself responsible amidst a lot of other course work with Stanford OHS without much time or attention from me is an extraordinary accomplishment on his part. Oldest DD and I did AP stats together on our own, but DS took the class with Carole Matheny. As other have said over the years, Carole provides superb academic instruction.  But what sets her apart among the many people my DC have worked with over the years is that she cares  so much about each student as an individual.  She is truly dedicated to each student's success.  She's just a wonderful person, and I'm glad I had my son take her course.

[daijobu]

 

 

DS14 received a 5 on AP Stats.  I am so proud of him.  After bringing home three adopted kiddos, our lives have been very little beside turmoil and sleeplesness.  DS really had to make himself stay on task, which is far more challenging for him than academic rigors per se.   The course and the test itself were not difficult content wise for him, but holding himself responsible amidst a lot of other course work with Stanford OHS without much time or attention from me is an extraordinary accomplishment on his part. Oldest DD and I did AP stats together on our own, but DS took the class with Carole Matheny. As other have said over the years, Carole provides superb academic instruction.  But what sets her apart among the many people my DC have worked with over the years is that she cares  so much about each student as an individual.  She is truly dedicated to each student's success.  She's just a wonderful person, and I'm glad I had my son take her course.

 

(Nancy Drew hat on...) I thought his photo in your avatar looked familiar from the AP stat discussion board.  (We like to look over the shoulder of DD in class, lol.)  Congratulations to him!  

 

What class did he take at OHS?  Is he taking anything there or at PAH next year?  

[Gratia271]

(Nancy Drew hat on...) I thought his photo in your avatar looked familiar from the AP stat discussion board.  (We like to look over the shoulder of DD in class, lol.)  Congratulations to him!  

 

What class did he take at OHS?  Is he taking anything there or at PAH next year?  

Thanks!  Congrats to your daughter!!  

 

 

This fall, DS is taking APUSH with Susan Richman (DD loves her!!!), AP Lang with Maya Inspector, AP Comp Sci (either self-study or Edhesive), AP Latin with Lukeion, and AP Govt (home).  Except for math and science, oldest DD and I did most AP work together.  One of our favorites we did together was AP Lang.  I am actually rather sad that I won't be doing as many courses with my now 15 year old twins, but it simply isn't feasible with our adopted kiddos and all of the unanticipated problems. But I am going to read the same books etc... so we can continue our Socratic discussions we all love as a family. :)  

[Omma]

 

Most high school students don't even submit their AP scores until they start college and are looking for credit. The primary benefit they get from AP classes is a higher weighted GPA and evidence of course rigor on their transcripts for college admissions. Some of these students don't take the exam seriously because it doesn't affect their final grade, it's free (cost picked up by school) and they don't expect or care about getting college credit.

 

Wait a second...do you mean that we should weight the GPA for a homeschooler taking an AP course?  Or should we just let the college figure out that we are using an unweighted transcript?

 

Thanks for letting me do this tangent alert...

 

Brenda

 

[Gratia271]

Wait a second...do you mean that we should weight the GPA for a homeschooler taking an AP course?  Or should we just let the college figure out that we are using an unweighted transcript?

 

Thanks for letting me do this tangent alert...

 

Brenda

 

It depends on what you want to do and what schools your student applies to.  On the college board here, the weighted-unweighted gpa discussion has gone back and forth on what to do.  Given where my DD applied last fall, we provided both weighted and unweighted, as some schools would not weight if we didn't and gpa factored into scholarship consideration.  Any college level course work, including APs and other course work, was weighted in accordance with what our local HS here does.

[Ann.without.an.e]

DD had hers a few days ago since they load early on the Duke portal and it was exactly what she hoped for :hurray: .  She's happy :)  She has tested out of all of the required calculus for her major.

Edited July 6, 2017 by Attolia

[Gratia271]

Always good to see feedback on providers - you should ask for a partial refund from PAH   :glare:

We had a similar experience with PaH for AP Bio.  My daughter took the class there, and the teacher uses old materials that do not reflect the new exam. BUT my daughter and other students got together, pooled their resources, and DD scored a 5. I have no doubt her peers who were experienced with AP tests like she is or who listened to the advice of experienced students also did well.  She and several other students helped their classmates locate materials on the web, provided google docs etc.  A few students stuck with the teacher's lousy advice, and I would not anticipate good scores for them.  The teacher didn't even provide the most recent tests accessible to AP teachers.  She used the old test questions and format. 

 

I could be mad at the fact her teacher was rather sub-par, but I am not because this is sadly the real world which my daughter is now part of at age 18.  She and her peers networked with each other and pooled their resources  to pull off great scores despite poor instruction. Shame on the adult, and kuddos to these young adults for their initiative and resourcefulness. 

[daijobu]

FYI Jack Kernion teaches AP C E&M  PAH and

via his own site for less cost (I believe he does labs)

http://www.physics-prep.com/

 

Thank you for this.  Do you think there is much difference between his own site and PAH?

[AppleGreen]

Frankly, I am not expecting much. I did not think the class was anywhere near rigorous enough to produce a solid score, at least for my kid. My child even thought the class was, "AP lite".  :crying:  We did so some prep work in the few weeks leading up to the test on Albert and via a test prep book, but the writing will bite my kid. Compounded by the fact that our school did not request accommodations for my kid (Yes, my child has a 504 and yes, I should have been more proactive, I naively thought the three separate conversations we'd had about the necessity of accommodations had covered it and completely forgot to ask about the status of the request until it was too late) that has ADHD and two identified LDs.

 

Yeah, not expecting much. It's fine, annoying but in the big scheme of things, fine. 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2017 by AppleGreen

[Mike in SA]

DS just got his back.  He took four for his freshman year, will likely take as many again next year, and then scale up a bit his junior year.  This year he got a 5 in APHUG and a 5 in Calc-BC - his two official courses, and 4's in APUSH and Cosci (both self-study).  He may decide to retake one or both of the last two if his choice of college wants a 5, just because he has time to do it if he wants to.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I also think hearing sooo many 5's here on the WTM boards also may give one a skewed view of what to expect... either we are surrounded here by seriously high-achieving, high-performing kids and/or those not getting the 5's of the world aren't as much reporting their scores. :-) so keep it coming with reporting your dc's scores, good, bad or meh - and do tell if from an online provider. i think it is immensely helpful for those of us looking toward future classes.

Dd had a mixed bag. She really though she did better on some of them and is disappointed. She was very sick the whole week that these exams took place.

 

AP Studio Art Drawing portfolio: 5. She would have been very upset if she had received anything less. She was dragging on the day they put the portfolios together to send in. At least this didn't come down to one test on one day, but the culmination of work throughout the year. (Public school class)

 

AP Physics 1: 3

While she said that there wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, she just wasn't fast enough at the math, a common issue for her. While the tests had questions from previous exams, they didn't do much other prep. (Public school class)

 

APUSH : 3

She was very Ill the day of this test, but refused to stay home and take the makeup exam. She insisted she was "fine" but could barely keep her head up. She cam home.and slept for 12 hours. I do think the class was an excellent American History class, but they didn't do much prep. I had to assign the prep outside of class and realized this too late. I know dd learned a lot, as evidenced by her contributions to our American Lit club discussions. (Public school class.)

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[lizlatorre]

DD16 took her first AP this year (sophomore). She got a 3 on English Language/Comp - we are very pleased, as testing is very, very difficult for her!