How would college respond to this?

Question

I got a 5 on my AP BC Calc Exam but I got a C average for the class. Which one would colleges care more about, my school grade or my AP exam grade?

Answer 1

This is kind of a hard question to answer, and I hope that what I'm going to say isn't going to let you down. To be honest, colleges would care more about how well you're doing in your classes and your GPA rather than your AP test scores. The reason they have a preference for classes is that the classes that you take and your grade in that class really reflects how hardworking you are. If you think about it, to do super well in a class, you most likely need to ace all of the tests, complete all of your homework, study regularly, etc etc. However, taking a test and getting top marks doesn't really show if you're a dedicated student or not, it just shows that you know the material or that you're a test taker.

One of the many reasons that colleges give for why they prefer grades over test scores is that they really want to look for students who are smart, dedicated and hardworking. There are a lot of smart people out there who can ace every standardized test. But, when it comes to classwork, these people might not be motivated enough to do all of the homework or read the textbook, etc.

I hope this doesn't get you down though. Another thing that colleges consider is the rigor and toughness of your classes. If you're taking AP Calculus classes and stuff, and you're getting like B's or C's, they might be more lenient because they know that you're pushing yourself by taking harder classes.

I hope all of this helps.