The scores you receive on Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) tests have little impact on your chances of admission to college. Many schools have space on their applications for you to self-report your AP and/or IB scores…and if you received a high score (ie, 5s on a variety of AP subjects), feel free to include the scores – admissions committees will see them. But reported AP/IB scores have little weight in the admissions process. Factors such as GPA, courses listed on your transcript, SAT/ACT test scores and teacher recommendations matter a great deal more.

That doesn’t mean that the AP/IB courses aren’t important. Colleges want to see that you were able to excel in the most rigorous classes available to you, which often includes AP/IB classes. Taking AP/IB classes and receiving high grades, reflected on your transcript (and often your weighted GPA) matter tremendously.

Once enrolled at a college as an incoming freshman, you can sometimes earn college credit and/or skip prerequisite “101” courses by using your AP/IB exam scores. This will allow you to bypass introductory courses and get to more interesting advanced classes more quickly! Some schools even let you bundle AP credits and “accelerate” your graduation.

Bottom line – consider taking AP/IB courses that are offered at your high school, but don’t stress too much about the actual AP/IB exam score. It can be a feather in your cap if you do well, but low scores don’t have to be reported.