Question: At the beginning of this year, I was originally enrolled in AP Psychology. However, I wanted to try being a writer for our school newspaper which is a class. I switched out of AP Psych and into newspaper but decided to take AP Psych online through JHU CTYOnline. I wanted to take AP Psych because the previous year in English, we learned about some of the experiments and I found the topic interesting. I am happy with the course because I was able to learn more about the experiments and theories. However, the class was incredibly easy and I received an A but due to the easiness, I was not prepared for the AP test and decided not to take it.
My question now is should I report this class to my school so it will go on my transcript as a weighted A or leave it off? I do not need the credit and I think that taking an online AP class and then not taking the test will look bad. However, if I receive school credit for it, I will be tied for number 1 in my class of over 500, pending straight A's this semester. The only difference between me and the current number 1 will be that he has taken one more AP class than I have and this will bump his GPA above mine. Without AP Psych on my transcript, I would still be in the top 5-10. However, is there something to be said for being number 1?
Yes, perhaps unfortunately, there is “something to be said” in our society for being Number 1, even though most college admission officials realize that, in many high schools, a fraction of a fraction of a point can separate Number 1 from Number 9 or pursuing a passion (if, God forbid, it’s an unweighted class) can bump a student down to a double-digits rank. So I would suggest that you do put the AP Psych class on your transcript and then use the "Additional Information" section of your applications to briefly explain to colleges exactly what you've told us. Admission officials will give you "brownie points" for pursuing an academic area on your own, out of an interest that was ignited in English last year, even if you concede that it was an easy A.
If adding the class to your transcript didn't make a difference in your class rank, I would probably tell you to leave it off. But since it will make you co-valedictorian ... and since you did the work and got the good grade ... you might as well reap this benefit from it.
(posted 5/19/2011)
Have you been waitlisted or deferred by a college you wish to attend? If so, you are not alone. Thousands of college hopefuls are…
The portfolio is one of the most critical aspects of your application when applying to architecture school, but there is a limite…
College tours are schools’ best opportunity to convince potential students that they’ve got everything you could ever want to suc…
Last week, we were privileged to hear from a UChicago admissions director in an Ask Me Anything forum event to get exclusive tips…
This month we were able to hear from New York University admissions representatives in an exclusive Ask Me Anything event hosted …