AP Exam Registration

Message from Ms. Coghlan:

If you are planning on taking an AP TEST in the spring, please stop by the main office to pick up a registration form from Dawn.   The cost for each test is $89. If you change your mind and do not choose to take the test, you will still be charged a $15 fee.  All registrations and fees must be turned into Dawn Fitzgerald in the main office by Thursday, March 13  If you have any questions about the AP TEST please see Mrs. Coghlan.

Should I take the AP Exam?

1.  Are you a senior?  Do you know exactly where you're going to school next year?  Then check the list below, get on your institution's website, or call up your admissions counselor and ask them!  You will automatically, FOR FREE get DMACC Eng 105 Composition I credit (3 of them) just for successfully completing this semester of AP Lang.  Ask your institution if they will transfer those credits AS COMPOSITION CREDIT.  If yes, don't pay $89 to take the AP exam.  Take your free credit and run.  If they say it'll transfer as ELECTIVE credit but you'll still have to take the composition class at that college, ask what you would have to earn on the AP exam to exempt you from that course.  The $89 is definitely worth an entire semester course of college.  (It's also cheaper than even one credit at any institution.)

2.  Are you a junior?  Do you think you might apply to out-of-state schools or some upper-tier schools (Grinnell, University of Chicago, Stanford, Rice, etc.)?  If so, you should probably take the AP exam because many of those institutions will require decent AP scores to get the composition credit.  If you're planning to go to an in-state school, check out the list below to get an idea of the benefits.

The Big 4

U of I:  Neither DMACC credit OR AP credit will get you out of your required Advanced Rhetoric class, but taking the AP exam and getting a 4 or 5 will earn you 4 elective credits (rather than 3 credits).

ISU:  DMACC credit takes the place of ENG 150 at Iowa State which is the same thing you get for AP credit.  Therefore, DO NOT take the AP exam.

UNI:  DMACC credit will transfer but will not get you out of the required course.  However, earning a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP exam WILL get you out of the required course.  Therefore, TAKE the AP exam.

Simpson:  DMACC credit will transfer as elective English credit but will not take the place of the course.  Earning a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP exam will give you 4 elective English credits (rather than 3).

What Will I Score?

Good question.  =)  We will be doing another practice exam and some more test prep before the actual test.  For now, consider how you're doing in the class and what kinds of scores you get on in-class essays.  If you are becoming a good critical reader and can consistently score at least a 5 on your essays, you should be able to score at least a 3.  If your institution requires a 4 or a 5, you would want your essays to score a bit higher and you'll want to feel pretty confident about your critical reading.  Talk to your teacher if you're unsure, or go ahead and register, see how the practice exam and test prep goes as we get closer to May, and pay only the $15 if you decide not to do it in the end.