How important are AP scores to Ivy League schools? (2024)

FAQs

How important are AP scores to Ivy League schools? ›

While strong AP exam

In a nutshell, while AP exam scores are not necessarily make-or-break factors for Ivy League admissions, they can still positively contribute to your overall application. Best of luck!

Most students who attend extremely selective schools have taken anywhere from 7 to 12 AP courses in high school, although there are exceptions to this rule. If a high school offers only a limited number of AP courses or none at all, colleges will not fault students for taking fewer of these classes.

Harvard only accepts AP® scores of 5 for course credit. If you have 4 scores of 5, you can opt to obtain Advanced Standing. You can use AP® credits to opt-out of lower-level classes. Harvard has general academic requirements that all students must take.

If you want to report AP scores, you should definitely report tests on which you received a five, and for many schools, a four is also very impressive.

For these reasons, an AP® score like a 4 looks great on your application. If you score a 3 or higher, then more selective colleges will begin to accept your AP® exam scores. The score of 4 is deemed by the College Board as “well qualified”, meaning that you know the material and could do well in the college class.

What is a good AP® World History score? Scores of 3, 4, and 5 on an AP® exam are passing scores and generally considered a good score. The College Board defines a 3 as 'qualified, 4 as 'well qualified,' and a 5 as 'extremely well qualified.

To be a competitive candidate for admission, you will need to take at least 8 AP® classes, more if you can. It is a good idea to take 1 AP® course in each of the following core disciplines: English, Foreign Language, History, Math, and Science to impress the admissions officers.

How many AP classes is too many? In general, college counselors recommend taking 5-8 AP courses. That said, there are lots of factors to consider when enrolling in AP classes, beyond the ones previously mentioned. The other biggest factor to consider is which AP classes your high school currently offers.

How Many AP Classes Should You Take for Ivy Leagues and Other Top US Universities? For students aiming for the Ivy League and Top 20 schools in the United States, a good target is to take (and pass) 10-14 AP classes throughout your high school career — or 3-4 each year.

Does Harvard prefer AP or honors? ›

I'm afraid that it is not likely that you will get into Harvard unless you receive the honor roll in as many AP classes as you can possibly take at your school - taking 4 or 5 APs each year as a junior and senior is the norm for accepted Harvard applicants.

As with many college-admissions related questions, the answer to this question is, “It depends.” However, as a general rule, your AP exam scores aren't going to be a major make-or-break factor in whether you get into a college or not.

Does Harvard prefer IB or AP courses? Harvard does not explicitly state a preference for IB or AP courses. To receive credit for IB classes, accepted students must earn an IB diploma.

In short, all scores of 5 on AP exams should be reported to elite colleges. However, for scores of 4 or 3, submitting the scores is dependent on the student's coursework and other AP results. Scores of 2 or 1 should never be shared.

The Bottom Line: Do Colleges Look at AP Scores? Colleges typically ask students to self-report their AP scores on applications. As a result, they will see any scores you choose to report (and won't see any you choose not to report).

Advanced Placement exam scores are not eligible for course credit at Brown, but students may use certain AP scores for placement to enroll in higher-level courses and/or to satisfy concentration requirements.

For students who have completed only one AP or IB exam, submitting that one score will fulfill Yale's testing requirement. There is no minimum number of subject-based exam scores required. But our advice is to use your test scores to provide as much evidence of your academic strength in your application as possible.

Nine schools give students no credit for AP work. These institutions include some of the top schools in the country: Dartmouth University, Brown University, the California Institute of Technology, Williams College, and Amherst College.

Credit is generally granted for a CollegeBoard Advanced Placement (AP) score of 4 or 5, or equivalent scoring rubric on other (domestic or international) exams.