The EDUFAX Educational FAQ

Question #191:

My daughter is taking 4 unweighted AP courses. I am aware that her grades in these courses may be lower than grades in regular level courses. Do college admissions officers weight advanced placement courses and if so, how much?

Answer #191:

When colleges receive the transcripts that accompany all college applications, the first thing they do is "unweight" all the courses so that they can consider all grades from an equal position. So it really does not matter whether high schools weight their grades or not; it all evens out in the end. The fact that your daughter is taking 4 AP courses will be noted by admissions officers as an indication of her desire to maintain a challenging courseload -- one of the most important factors in the first reading of a college application. If you are assuming that the AP curriculum will cause your daughter to receive lower grades, perhaps she is not ready for such a rigorous schedule. Most students who choose to take 4 AP courses know what they are in for and are excited by the challenge. If your daughter goes ahead with the plan, give her the emotional support she will need to help her succeed. EDUFAX provides services for the Collegebound High School Student.

Students who read this question were also interested in: AP Courses The Numbers Game Q.#87 : Our school district does not provide 'weighted grades' for AP classes. We have heard that this can be a disadvantage when our son applies to college. If this information was helpful, please click on the smiley

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