Friday, February 06, 2009

AP Exam Sign-up

It's February, and nearly time to sign-up for the exams in May. If you've never taken an AP exam before, you need to plan for it EARLY rather than last minute. The exams need to be ordered from the College Board, so if you wait til the last minute, you simply cannot take the test.

First, it will cost somewhere around $90. I believe it was $88 last year, but I can't be 100% sure. Be prepared, you may put down a deposit, or pay in full. If your parents' income levels qualify, you may be able to apply for a fee waiver. Ask Mrs. Jung (the accounts clerk in the counseling office).

Secondly, the deadline for signing up will be in mid-March. Listen to the bulletin for more information. DON'T MISS THE DEADLINE!!!

Third...if you haven't already, MAKE YOUR CRAM SHEET! That's the list of ALL the books you've read that may be useful on the open-ended essay test. Review the characters, settings, and basic plot points, so you don't make the embarrassing mistakes that I saw on this last batch of open-ended essays. It's TOM Buchanan, not Dave, not John (not Dick or Harry, either). Romeo and Juliet lived in Verona, not Venice. At no point in the Importance of Being Earnest did Gwendolyn actually get a tattoo...that was added in just the film, NEVER in the original text. Those kinds of errors just make you look careless and silly. And don't be lazy...just because you can't "study" for this exam doesn't mean you can't PREPARE.

Those of you who are still unable to reach a THIRD page on the essay tests need to step it up. Very rarely will a two-pager do all the things an AP essay needs to do, analyze, articulate, demonstrate understanding and control. Push yourselves to get MORE out of your brain and onto the page.

We only have TWO (and a half) sets of tests before the big day. If you're not showing any improvement, in any section of the practice tests, you need to seriously ask yourself why...Why aren't you improving? Why are you taking the test? Why are you really in the class?

Good luck.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

COLLEGE BOARD?

I swear, that company is out to get our money.

mst said...

Of course they are. Just because a company is a "non-profit" doesn't mean they don't want to make lots of money...look at the various charitable organizations whose CEOs bring in six-figure salaries. Where does that fat paycheck come from?

Read this:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/voices/200807/0710edit0.htm

And this:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/589957-how-much-money-does-collegeboard-make.html

But it doesn't matter...if you guys want the benefit that the AP tests offer, you have to pay for it.

Quid pro quo.