Earning a score of 3 or higher on an AP exam is definitely an achievement to be proud of. While doing so doesn’t automatically secure you a scholarship, it can be a first step in securing funding for college. However, there are many different types of awards that you can receive from earning your Advanced Placement exam score. This article will touch briefly on each one, along with some tips and advice on how to get the most money possible for college.
Why Take AP Exams?
There are many reasons for students to tackle AP classes and exams, not the least of which is the college admissions process. Competitive colleges do not simply look at a student’s GPA; they examine the rigor of his or her courses. If you are a student aspiring for a the Ivy League or other highly competitive universities, it’s important to make sure your academic record lists multiple challenging APs.
The Advanced Placement Program was introduced in the United States in 1955 by the College Board, a nonprofit corporation that offers standardized tests and educational services. AP classes are intended for high school students who want to challenge themselves with college-level classes before they enter college. According to the College Board website, “The AP Program offers students a wide range of courses and exams in over 30 subject areas,” including English literature, history, science and math.
In addition to improving a student’s high school transcript, AP classes offer another perk: the opportunity to earn college credit. Many universities give course credit for qualifying AP scores, meaning that a score of “5” in Literature and Composition, for example, might provide a pre-existing English credit for a student entering his or her freshman year. These extra course credits can be very useful for earning minor degrees, as prerequisites for higher level courses, or for earning exemptions from “101” classes freshman year. Though each university sets its own criteria about awarding credit, and the minimum score requirements can vary based on the university, AP exams often allow students to save money and get a head start on their degrees while still in high school.
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The AP Scholar Awards
An additional benefit to the AP exams comes in the form of the AP Scholar Awards. An AP Scholar is someone who receives an award from the College Board for outstanding performance on several AP exams. There are different award levels, depending on how many exams the student takes — and how many exams he or she scores highly on. There are many advantages to becoming an AP Scholar; for starters, students can list AP Scholar Awards on their college applications and resumes, which makes those AP courses look even better.
AP Scholar Awards are given to AP students who perform at the highest level on an AP Exam. The awards are based on your performance on all AP Exams you have taken and all of the other work you’ve completed in high school.
AP Scholar Awards are presented to students who earn scores of 3 or higher on at least three AP Exams, and receive grades of C or higher in college-level courses while in high school.
To receive an award, you must take three or more AP Exams during your senior year and be enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours of college credit by the end of your junior year.
Types of AP Scholar Awards
Below is a list of all of the different types of AP Scholar Awards. We’ll also breakdown each award further.
- Scholar – This is awarded to students who score 3 or more on at least three AP exams.
- Scholar with Honor – This is awarded to students who have averaged a minimum of 3.25 on the AP exams they take and score 3 or more on at least four of those exams.
- Scholar with Distinction – This is awarded to students who average a minimum of 3.5 on all their AP exams and score 3 or more on at least five of these exams.
AP Scholar
The basic AP Scholar award is a certificate given to students who score 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. The certificate can be signed by any high school administrator, including a counselor or vice principal.
Any high school student who takes and scores 3 or higher on three or more AP exams may receive this award. There is no limit to how many times a student may earn this designation.
AP Scholar With Honors
The AP Scholar with Honors award is the highest honor that can be given to an AP student. It’s given to students who’ve earned a grade of 3 or higher on all AP exams and an average score of at least 3.25 on all other college-level courses during their last two years of high school.
The AP Scholar with Honors award is not a GPA-based award, but it does require the same rigor and dedication as the valedictorian award. Students must have taken at least 15 AP exams and completed all of them with grades of 3 or higher. They also must have completed a full course load in each semester of their senior year, including at least one AP class or honors class in each semester. This means that they must have taken and passed at least 30 credits toward graduation by the end of their junior year — 15 credits more than what is required for the valedictorian award (15 credits per semester).
AP Scholar With Distinction
If you’re an AP Scholar with Distinction, you’ve achieved the highest level of achievement in your AP course. You earned an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams you took and scores of 3 or higher on at least four of those exams. You also completed a culminating project that demonstrates your ability to apply knowledge gained in the coursework to real-world situations.
AP Award Deadlines:
If you want to qualify for any of these awards before you apply for college, you need to take the requisite exams by the end of your junior year so that you can get the award by fall of senior year.
Receiving An AP Award:
Students who receive AP awards are notified by email. The award is then added the student’s online score report. Students can log in to the college board website to view their AP scores and awards. If the student is a State AP Scholar, the printed award certificate is sent to the state’s superintendent of education for distribution.
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Frequently Asked Questions About AP Classes & Awards:
Are AP classes really that difficult?
The courses are meant to be challenging, but if you’re taking the right classes and working hard, it’s definitely possible to earn good grades in AP.
That said, most students who take an AP class find them challenging at first. Because they cover material at a faster pace than regular courses, it can take time to get used to the new pace and learn all of the material. However, with the right strategies and determination, you can succeed in these classes.
What is the highest AP Scholar Award?
The highest AP scholar award is the National AP Scholar Award, which is given to students who score a 5 on three or more AP exams, have an average score of 4 or higher on all other AP exams taken, and have a weighted GPA of at least 4.25.
The next highest AP scholar award is the AP Scholar with Distinction award, which is given to students who score a 3 or higher on four or more AP exams, have an average score of at least 3.5 on all other AP exams taken and have a weighted GPA of at least 3.75
What percent of AP students get an AP Scholar Award?
The percent of students who receive an AP Scholar Award varies year to year, but it’s typically around 10%.
The College Board only hands out a small percentage of the AP Scholar Awards each year. And it varies by state and subject.
In 2017, for example, more than half of all AP students in the U.S. earned some kind of award for their efforts. That’s up from just 23% in 2000 when the program began tracking these numbers.
However, only 5% of AP students receive either an AP Scholar Award or an AP Scholar with Honor Award — the two highest awards available from the College Board. This means that less than 1% of all AP students are awarded one of these top honors each year.
Do colleges care about AP Scholar Awards?
The short answer is yes — colleges do care about your AP Scholar Award. In fact, there’s a reason why you receive an award for having high scores on four or more tests: it’s because these awards reflect well on you as an applicant.
If you have scored high enough to earn an AP Scholar Award, then you’ve proven that you’re capable of doing college-level work. And that’s exactly what colleges want to see in their applicants.
Colleges want to know that their applicants can handle the academic rigor of college life and succeed at it without issue. That’s why they look for students with high GPAs and those who have taken challenging classes — both of which indicate that the student has the potential to perform well academically in college.
