What Is the AP Scholar Award?
It is a recognition from the AP Program at College Board. In College Board’s words, the program recognizes high school students who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through their performance on multiple AP Exams.
There is no application and no fee. College Board works out eligibility from a student’s exam scores, and students who qualify are notified by email in the summer.
The award is an academic distinction and not a scholarship. College Board states that students do not receive any monetary award, and that they may cite the award among their credentials on applications and résumés.
What Are the Three Levels and What Does Each Require?
Each level sets a minimum number of exams with a score of 3 or higher. The two upper levels also set a minimum average.
| Level | Average score on all AP Exams taken | Exams with a score of 3 or higher |
|---|---|---|
| AP Scholar | No minimum average | Three or more |
| AP Scholar with Honor | At least 3.25 | Four or more |
| AP Scholar with Distinction | At least 3.5 | Five or more |
A student must meet every criterion for a level. College Board gives the example of a student with a 3.25 average who has scored 3 or higher on only three exams. That student receives the first level and not the Honor level, because the Honor level requires four exams.
How Is the Average Score Calculated?
The average covers every AP Exam a student has taken, in the current year and in previous years. It is not limited to the best scores, so one low score lowers the average that the Honor and Distinction levels depend on.
Two rules affect the count. An exam taken more than once counts only once, and the highest score is used. Subscores are not used, which means the Calculus AB subscore on the Calculus BC exam and the Music Theory subscores do not count as additional exams.
An example shows how the two tests work together. A student with scores of 5, 4, 4, 3, and 2 has an average of 3.6 and four exams at 3 or higher, by Oriel Admissions calculation from College Board’s criteria. The average is high enough for Distinction, but the student has four qualifying exams and Distinction requires five, so the award is the Honor level.
When Are the Awards Announced?
College Board says the awards are listed on the score report starting in July, and recipients are notified by email during the summer. A certificate can be viewed and printed online. Our guide to AP score release dates gives the calendar for the scores themselves.
The calculation uses all exams to date, so a student can earn the first level after 10th or 11th grade and a higher level a year later. Exams taken in May of senior year are scored in July, after admission decisions. The level a student holds at the end of junior year is therefore the one colleges see on an application.
Do Colleges Care About the AP Scholar Award?
Selective colleges care about what the award summarizes. An admissions reader already sees the AP courses on the transcript and the scores the student reports. Oriel Admissions tells families that an AP Scholar award repeats the courses and scores in one line and adds nothing new.
The levels are also set well below the standard of the most selective colleges. For Ivy League admission, a student needs nearly all As in the hardest classes the school offers. A student on that path usually passes the requirements for Distinction by the end of junior year, so the title does not separate one strong applicant from another.
The award is more useful in other settings. It gives a sophomore or junior with few honors something accurate to list, and some scholarship applications ask for academic honors. Our guide to the Common App honors section explains where the award belongs and how to describe it.
How Do Colleges Find Out About the Award?
There are two routes. College Board’s advice is to send colleges the official AP score report, and it states that awards are listed on any score report sent to colleges after the award has been granted. A student can also list the award in the honors section of the application.
A student who holds stronger honors should give them the space first. The honors section is short, and a national or state award that involved selection tells a reader more than a summary of scores the reader already has.
What Happened to the National AP Scholar Award?
College Board no longer offers it. The discontinued awards are State AP Scholar, DoDEA AP Scholar, International AP Scholar, National AP Scholar, and the national awards for Canada and Bermuda. The national award required an average of at least 4 on all exams and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more.
Awards that students earned in 2020 or earlier still appear on their score reports. Families who read older advice about the national award should know that it can no longer be earned, and that three levels remain.
Should a Student Take More AP Exams to Reach a Higher Level?
No. Oriel Admissions advises choosing AP courses for the transcript and the intended field of study, and treating the award as a result of those choices. An exam added only to reach five can lower the average, and it takes time from courses that matter more.
Colleges read course choices against what the school offers. Our guides to course rigor, the best AP courses for junior year, and how many AP classes Harvard expects cover those decisions. A student who follows a demanding plan will reach one of the three levels without aiming for it.
Frequently Asked Questions About AP Scholar Awards
It is a student who has earned scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. College Board grants the award each summer with no application.
It requires an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of those exams.
It requires an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of those exams.
No. College Board states that students do not receive any monetary award. It is an academic distinction that students may cite on applications.
Awards are listed on the AP score report starting in July, and recipients are notified by email during the summer.
Selective colleges give more weight to the AP courses and scores than to the award. Oriel Admissions advises listing it when space allows and not choosing courses in order to earn it.
No. College Board has discontinued it along with the State and International awards. Awards earned in 2020 or earlier still appear on the score report.
Yes. The average is calculated on all AP Exams taken, so a low score lowers it. An exam taken more than once counts once, with the highest score used.
Sources: College Board: Awards and Recognitions for AP Students, College Board: AP Students home
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