The Increasing Importance of AP Tests in College Admissions Decisions

With several prominent schools again requiring standardized testing we are seeing an increasing number of students focusing on SAT and ACT exams. From our standpoint, it is important for families to remember that only 9 of the top 25 universities and 3 of the top 25 liberal arts colleges (as determined by U.S. News) currently require the tests. Despite the noise, our view on testing remains unchanged. We generally recommend that families take one of the tests once or twice, keeping in mind that the schools that have reinstated the tests had significantly favored applicants who submitted them long before making them mandatory again. In brief, the real change has been more transparency around the tests at a few schools, which is good thing for applicants. While it is true there are still a number of ‘test-optional’ schools that significantly favor applicants who submit an SAT or ACT, there is also a vast universe of excellent schools that do not care about the tests. Ultimately, for most students, the SAT or ACT will not determine their college destination.

AP exams are of greater interest to us as there is still significant confusion about them among both parents and students. Over the past 10 years, the number of high school students taking AP exams has grown dramatically with roughly 36% of high school graduates having taken the tests in the most recent year. More importantly, the number of underrepresented minority students taking the exams continues to grow dramatically and in our own analysis of more affluent, college focused school districts, 70%+/- of graduates take AP exams. AP exams are elevating the competitive standard at many schools.

More important than the number of students taking AP exams is how colleges and universities think about them. A historical analysis of the websites of the top 25 ranked universities (U.S. News) shows that over the past five years a notable shift in the language regarding AP exams has occurred , with 17 out of the 25 schools expressing stronger support for submitting AP exams in their application process. Notably, Cal Tech stands out as the first school to require AP score submissions. The language concerning AP exams at the ‘test optional’ schools on the U.S. News list is also becoming increasingly clear. For example, Princeton ‘recommends’, Duke ‘values’, Cornell ‘welcomes’, and Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, and Emory ‘encourage’ score submissions. For students considering UC schools, it is important to note that ‘test-blind’ UCLA and Berkeley mention valuing and using AP scores in their admissions process. In summary, while SAT and ACT scores may not be crucial for most applicants, there is growing evidence that taking and excelling in AP exams is increasingly important. For several reasons, when recommending where students should spend their time, we favor AP tests over the SAT and ACT.

The increased importance of AP exams and results is in part due to a lack of standardized test scores as well as fewer schools reporting class rank information, but the underlying issue is grade inflation. Data from the Department of Education and the College Board reveals that average GPA levels rose from 2.68 in 1990 to just below 3.4 by 2016. In more affluent, college-oriented school districts, reported average GPAs now range from 3.5 to 3.7. AP exams have become a way for colleges to adjust for grade inflation and gain a better understanding of true student ability

We are increasingly dedicating time to help families in developing strategies for AP class and course selection as well as focusing on the AP courses that are likely be more relevant to a student’s target school. Although our findings are typically tailored to the individual student, the College Board has released some data to help families decide how many AP exams their child should take. To achieve the status of an AP Scholar with Distinction, students must average a score of 3.5 or higher on at least five AP subject tests. Although the College Board clearly has an interest in promoting more testing, our discussions with college representatives suggest that the statistics related to this award serve as a solid baseline for students looking to apply to more competitive schools. We are available to provide assistance to those seeking help.