How to Send AP Score Reports to Colleges
Many high school students are eager to report their accomplishments to colleges when it comes time for college applications. For some achievements, this is easier done than others. There are places on the Common Application to report your academics recognitions and awards earned in extracurriculars. Not all achievements can be so easily reported, though.
Reporting official test scores is a little more involved. Official score reports for tests like the SAT, the ACT, and even AP exams must be sent directly from the testing agency. In the case of the AP exams, this means that in order to have an official score report sent, you will need to request one from the College Board. In this post, we’ll outline the three ways in which you can have an official AP score report sent, and how to self-report your AP scores as well.
Requesting Score Reports on Your AP Answer Sheet
The simplest and most efficient way of requesting a score report sent to your college of choice is by selecting this option on the AP answer sheet at the time of your AP exam. This is not only the easiest way to report scores, but also the cheapest way. When you take the test, you are given one free score report, but only if you request it on your answer sheet. Simply fill in the four-digit code for the school of your choice and your official score report will be sent to that college.
Keep in mind that your score report is cumulative. This means that the college will receive not only the score for your most recent exam, but also your scores on any previous exams (unless you have deleted or withheld them, which we’ll discuss later). You should also know that you will have an opportunity to cancel your score report if you receive your score and decide you don’t want it sent, but you will have to pay for this service.
Requesting Score Reports Online
You can also send score reports after the fact by logging into your College Board account. Simply visit the College Board login and follow the prompts to select score reports. Unlike the single score report you select on your answer sheet, online you can request multiple score reports to be sent to colleges, universities, and scholarships.
Also unlike the score report option on your answer sheet, the online score report request is not free. You will pay $15 per score report for regular delivery, or $25 per report for rush delivery. Regular delivery takes 7-15 business days, while rush delivery takes 5-9 business days. Exact delivery dates will depend on the location of the score report recipient and when exactly your request is received.
Requesting Score Reports By Mail or Fax
If you’re not able to request scores online or you prefer to do it by mail or fax, this option is also available to you. Simply send a signed, written request with payment to the College Board address based on your payment method.
Send your requests to the address below based on your payment method:
Check/money order made payable to AP Exams: The College Board, P.O. Box 21535, New York, NY 10087-1535
Credit Card payments: AP Services, P.O. Box 6671, Princeton, NJ 08541-6671 or fax 610-290-8979
Requests that don’t require payment: AP Services, P.O. Box 6671, Princeton, NJ 08541-6671 or fax 610-290-8979
Standard delivery of reports, which takes about 7-14 business days, costs $15 per report. Rushed delivery, which takes about 5-9 business days, costs $25 per report. According to the AP score reporting website, you will need to include the following information in your written request:
- “Your full name, mailing address, phone number, sex, date of birth, AP number(s) and Social Security number (if provided on your answer sheet)
- Name and address of your school
- Full name of the exam(s) for which you are requesting additional score reports (e.g., “English Literature and Composition”, not “English”) and the year(s) you took the exam(s)
- A credit card number and expiration date (required for fax orders), or a check or money order for the exact amount due (make checks and money orders payable to AP Exams)
- Name, city, state, and four-digit college code(s) of the college(s) you would like to receive the report
- A signature from you or your parent/guardian”
What If I Don’t Want an AP Exam Score Reported?
If you receive a score that you do not want reported, there are two options available to you. You can either withhold your score, or delete it. Withholding a score is done on a college-by-college basis. This means that when you request to withhold a specific exam score, it is withheld only from the college specified. You can request to withhold an AP exam score by following the directions on the College Board’s AP score reporting site.
Your other option is to delete your score entirely. This is the better choice if you score poorly and know that you will never want to share that score with a school. Deleting a score is permanent and irreversible, so think carefully before doing so. You can request to delete a specific AP exam score on the College Board’s AP score reporting site.
How and When to Self-Report AP Scores
Official AP score reports are most commonly used by colleges when they are considered for placement purposes or for granting college credit. More commonly, colleges will learn your AP scores through self-reporting or through your official high school transcript.
Many high school transcripts now include scores on AP exams. If you aren’t sure whether yours does, you can check with your guidance counselor or request a copy of your transcript from the registrar office. If your scores are prominently displayed on your official high school transcript, it’s unlikely that a college will review an additional College Board score report, except for placement or credit purposes.
In addition, there is a section on the Common Application for self-reporting AP exam scores. This section allows you to list your scores on each exam taken on a honor basis. Double-check your score for accuracy before doing so. If you misrepresent them, there are a multitude of ways in which you could be caught, and some admissions committees may assume that you misrepresented your scores with malicious intent.
Some colleges actually prefer for you to self report AP exam scores rather than sending official reports or including them on a transcript. For example, at Princeton, Yale, and Harvard, official score reports are only requested for the SAT or ACT. AP scores can be self-reported on the Common Application itself. If you are accepted, you can then send one official score report for placement or credit purposes at the completion of your senior year. This should be sent to the college you’ll be attending.
Ultimately, you need to know the policy at each school you apply to. If testing is optional or flexible, AP exams might be accepted in lieu of SATs or ACTs. If this is the case, you’ll likely need to submit an official score report with your application. Be sure to learn what the testing policy is at each college on your list well before applications are due.
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For more information about AP classes, see these CollegeVine posts:
Should I Take AP/IB/Honors Classes?
How to Choose Which AP Courses and Exams to Take
Can AP Tests Actually Save You Thousands of Dollars?
