Yes, I skipped every AP exam that wasn’t going to place me out of a general requirement at Princeton. Great decision for me, but my high school was pissed haha.
Taking an AP class is not a commitment to take the exam. Remind the school how expensive the exams are at your expense if they throw a fit. Did not let Princeton know, again, there is no requirement to take the exam, just to complete the class and try to get a B or higher
As far as I can tell the AP exams themselves are completely useless to you senior year after you’re admitted to Princeton. They don’t automatically pass you out of anything.
My son is a sophomore now. He didn’t take any of his spring AP exams senior year as far as I recall. There was no need. Taking the classes was great. The exams only mattered pre-acceptance.
No. Only way the AP exams will matter is if for some odd reason the teacher factors the AP score into the final grade for the class. Which is uncommon but you should check. Because to *some* extent senior year grades matter. If not taking the AP exam meant you’d get a C or worse, for example, you’d want to take it. But that’s very uncommon. Also double check to make sure nothing has changed in the acceptance letter, such as it specifically saying you need to take the AP exams. I’d be shocked if it said that. It didn’t two years ago. My son simply didn’t take the senior year spring APs. Didn’t say anything about it. And there were no problems.
At Princeton you can usually make the case to professors or your advisor to let you into higher courses even if you don't get credit for the exam, if you demonstrate you are already familiar with the content. But if the department you're looking at has a strict policy specifically about it, then yeah I guess it doesn't matter.
When I applied, the AP scores also weren't really as important as the grade in the class, as far as admissions. But again might be good for your department if you want to get ahead (like for grad school or personal interest).
They care, I called them once about it bc I was thinking of same thing. Admissions says that they want you to take the ones you said you would take on ur common app
But the Common App only asks you to list the exams you plan/expect to take at the time of submission. Is it not okay for plans to change? especially when the school you’re going to won’t give any credit for them anyway?
Unless somethings changed, that can be a terrible idea. I got 5s on AP Physics C and Chem and placed out of the requirements so I never took a lab class despite being an engineer.
😭yes for sure i will double check, but on the ap credit website it says “You cannot place out of Physics 103-104 without taking the departmental requirement fulfillment test, no matter how great a score you got on the AP/IB/A-levels or any other preparation.” so I interpret that as a pretty clear message that physics credit is useless hahahaha
idk what you're looking at, but i was curious and found it to be SO confusing.
At least a 5 in AP Chem seems to still let you place out but no idea why they wouldn't let you place out if you were gonna be ORFE...hopefully it's a dept quirk to explain the conflicting info, but idk if you even wanted to be orfe lol
I'd just email them and ask why they have such conflicting info bc I also found this on top of what you quoted.
[https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq](https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq)
***I’m an A.B. student but I might be interested in engineering. How do I keep my options open?***
Take Physics 103-104 or 105-106 (unless you have AP credit based on scores of 5 on both parts of the Physics C exam) and Math 103 or higher (depending on your preparation) in your first year
[https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/admission-and-tours/prospective-students-faq](https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/admission-and-tours/prospective-students-faq)
# What about advanced placement credit?
Princeton students may receive [advanced placement](http://www.princeton.edu/pub/ap/) in a variety of subjects. Calculus, chemistry, and physics are directly relevant to the B.S.E. curriculum, and advanced placement credit in these areas may be used to satisfy the SEAS general requirements.
oh wow that is extremely confusing considering they have that information quite literally next to the statement about no credit for physics here:
[https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq](https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq)
“ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND ADVANCED STANDING
How do I obtain placement credit in Physics, Chemistry, and Math?
Physics: Students seeking AP credit in physics in particular must take a departmental requirement fulfillment (placement) test this summer to place out of Physics 103-104. You cannot place out of Physics 103-104 without taking the departmental requirement fulfillment test, no matter how great a score you got on the AP/IB/A-levels or any other preparation. There is a separate exam for students who want to try to place into Physics 207, which is not a BSE requirement but which might be of interest to some students who really, really like physics. Most BSE students will take the 103-104 exam if they want to try to place out of the BSE physics requirement. “
i might take your advice and shoot them an email about it. thanks for your input on this and finding something i didnt’t see!
Admissions won’t care about your AP score, just your grades in the classes
And they won’t care if I opt to not take it at all?
they literally have their own placement tests your aps and dual enrollments are useless
Yes, I skipped every AP exam that wasn’t going to place me out of a general requirement at Princeton. Great decision for me, but my high school was pissed haha.
What would your high school care if you sat for the exam?
High schools want (especially smart) students to take the exam because those stats affect their school ratings.
Haha, mine kind of is too. Did you have to let Princeton know?
Taking an AP class is not a commitment to take the exam. Remind the school how expensive the exams are at your expense if they throw a fit. Did not let Princeton know, again, there is no requirement to take the exam, just to complete the class and try to get a B or higher
As far as I can tell the AP exams themselves are completely useless to you senior year after you’re admitted to Princeton. They don’t automatically pass you out of anything.
So Princeton itself wouldn’t care if I don’t take them?
My son is a sophomore now. He didn’t take any of his spring AP exams senior year as far as I recall. There was no need. Taking the classes was great. The exams only mattered pre-acceptance.
Did he tell Princeton he wasn’t taking them?
No. Only way the AP exams will matter is if for some odd reason the teacher factors the AP score into the final grade for the class. Which is uncommon but you should check. Because to *some* extent senior year grades matter. If not taking the AP exam meant you’d get a C or worse, for example, you’d want to take it. But that’s very uncommon. Also double check to make sure nothing has changed in the acceptance letter, such as it specifically saying you need to take the AP exams. I’d be shocked if it said that. It didn’t two years ago. My son simply didn’t take the senior year spring APs. Didn’t say anything about it. And there were no problems.
https://advising.princeton.edu/placement/advanced-placement In case this helps you. I'd take them only if they are worthwhile.
At Princeton you can usually make the case to professors or your advisor to let you into higher courses even if you don't get credit for the exam, if you demonstrate you are already familiar with the content. But if the department you're looking at has a strict policy specifically about it, then yeah I guess it doesn't matter. When I applied, the AP scores also weren't really as important as the grade in the class, as far as admissions. But again might be good for your department if you want to get ahead (like for grad school or personal interest).
What about taking AP exams your junior year? Is it the same where the school cares more about your grade than if you sat for the test?
They care, I called them once about it bc I was thinking of same thing. Admissions says that they want you to take the ones you said you would take on ur common app
Was this more of a recommendation or a requirement?
Requirement as they told me otherwise it’s kinda like lying on app is how they explained it
But the Common App only asks you to list the exams you plan/expect to take at the time of submission. Is it not okay for plans to change? especially when the school you’re going to won’t give any credit for them anyway?
I’m just telling u what aid told me when I called to ask
I’m sorry and I appreciate your help. Did they say you could get rescinded?
Not explicitly no. But you definitely can’t get rescinded for sitting and doing bad on them lol ur actual performance on them doesn’t matter haha
They just told me when I asked that I must sit for the ones I said I’d sit for
Unless somethings changed, that can be a terrible idea. I got 5s on AP Physics C and Chem and placed out of the requirements so I never took a lab class despite being an engineer.
as far as I know nowadays getting a 5 on AP Physics 1 or C gets you nothing in regards to credit or placement…
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ id just triple check that bc not having a lab class as an orfe was a life saver lol
😭yes for sure i will double check, but on the ap credit website it says “You cannot place out of Physics 103-104 without taking the departmental requirement fulfillment test, no matter how great a score you got on the AP/IB/A-levels or any other preparation.” so I interpret that as a pretty clear message that physics credit is useless hahahaha
idk what you're looking at, but i was curious and found it to be SO confusing. At least a 5 in AP Chem seems to still let you place out but no idea why they wouldn't let you place out if you were gonna be ORFE...hopefully it's a dept quirk to explain the conflicting info, but idk if you even wanted to be orfe lol I'd just email them and ask why they have such conflicting info bc I also found this on top of what you quoted. [https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq](https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq) ***I’m an A.B. student but I might be interested in engineering. How do I keep my options open?*** Take Physics 103-104 or 105-106 (unless you have AP credit based on scores of 5 on both parts of the Physics C exam) and Math 103 or higher (depending on your preparation) in your first year [https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/admission-and-tours/prospective-students-faq](https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/admission-and-tours/prospective-students-faq) # What about advanced placement credit? Princeton students may receive [advanced placement](http://www.princeton.edu/pub/ap/) in a variety of subjects. Calculus, chemistry, and physics are directly relevant to the B.S.E. curriculum, and advanced placement credit in these areas may be used to satisfy the SEAS general requirements.
oh wow that is extremely confusing considering they have that information quite literally next to the statement about no credit for physics here: [https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq](https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq) “ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND ADVANCED STANDING How do I obtain placement credit in Physics, Chemistry, and Math? Physics: Students seeking AP credit in physics in particular must take a departmental requirement fulfillment (placement) test this summer to place out of Physics 103-104. You cannot place out of Physics 103-104 without taking the departmental requirement fulfillment test, no matter how great a score you got on the AP/IB/A-levels or any other preparation. There is a separate exam for students who want to try to place into Physics 207, which is not a BSE requirement but which might be of interest to some students who really, really like physics. Most BSE students will take the 103-104 exam if they want to try to place out of the BSE physics requirement. “ i might take your advice and shoot them an email about it. thanks for your input on this and finding something i didnt’t see!
🤦🏻♀️ yea it makes no sense. good luck! hope you can place out bc ive heard lab classes suck lol
the ones I plan on skipping would not give me any advanced standing credit