Survey Results - College Board's Fall Registration Deadlines
In response to client requests, Total Registration surveyed schools regarding changes in the AP Exam process that the College Board piloted for the 2018 exam and is implementing for 800 schools in the 2019 exams. The College Board plans to make these changes mandatory for all schools in 2020.
1st Survey - CB Implementation Dates/Fees
Schools piloting the proposed changes expressed apprehension with the new dates/fees and requested a broader survey to see if other AP stakeholders verified their opinions. Thus, Total Registration surveyed 2600+ students, parents, teachers, administrators and AP coordinators about the proposed dates/fees. 90% of respondents disagreed with facets of the planned changes.
91.9% |
Thought students would not be able to assess their preparedness for a May AP Exam in November |
92.2% |
Thought the average student taking an AP Exam in May would not know which college they would attend nor the college’s credit policy in November | 78.7% |
Did not think families would be prepared to pay for May AP Exams in November |
92.8% |
Did not think their families would be comfortable with a $40.00/exam late fee starting in mid-November |
91.6% |
Did not think their families would be comfortable with a $40.00/exam cancellation fee for exams canceled after mid-November |
In the spirit of transparency, you can view the actual Fall Registration Poll results here. You may find it interesting to read through all the comments in the last question to really see what people think.
Do you still need to participate in the survey? You can take the quick poll here.
Based on these surprising responses, the question arose that if the College Board’s dates and fees are egregious to AP constituents, as clearly indicated by the results, then what AP dates/fees would the schools choose on behalf of their students, families, and staff?
2nd Survey - Ideal Dates/Fees
A second survey asked schools to indicate their ideal date/fee structure in an open-ended format, where schools could freely choose their options. Not surprisingly, the results contrasted sharply from those being currently implemented by the College Board.
- The majority of schools opted for February (36.5%), January (25.2%) and March (20.3%) as the ideal date to begin AP Exam Registration.
- The majority of schools indicated that March (51.9%), February (20.46%) and April (16.2%) as the ideal deadline for AP Exam Registration.
- The majority of schools thought the ideal deadline for students to cancel an AP Exam and receive a full refund was Apri (42.8%), March (36.1%) and January ( 7.7%)
- The majority of schools thought the ideal date to start assessing a late fee to be in April (38.7%), March (38.3%) and February (11.4%)
In the spirit of transparency, you can view the actual Ideal AP Registration Dates survey results here. We found the diversity of the free response comments very enlightening, we encourage to read through them when you get a chance.
You can respond to the Ideal AP Registration Dates survey here if you have not yet done so.
Why the discrepancy?
We asked schools to speculate as to why there was such a large discrepancy between what the school stated was their ideal with respect to dates/fees and the College Board’s dates/fees that are being implemented. What rationale could explain why the College Board would be planning to force schools to a date/time schedule that is not in their best interest? Two responses comprised the majority of comments:
- 41.4% - To make more money for The College Board
- 27.7% - The second most common response was literally "I don't know"
Next Up . . . Follow the Money
Perhaps the College Board has a legitimate need for additional funding in order to bear the costs of the changes for the 2019-2020 exams. As schools suggested, this might explain the justification for the College Board to enforce dates/fees that are very different from what schools would choose for themselves.
At the request of client schools, Total Registration will take the next couple of days to examine the College Board’s government filings to see if, in fact, they are facing a budgetary crisis or financial hardship that would support the need for changes to increase their monetary gain from AP exams. We will report on the findings in a subsequent email. Stay tuned… Learn about the College Board's Finances.
Worried About the Changes? Take Action!
Many AP Stake Holders are expressing their concerns regarding the changes by signing and circulating petition, https://www.change.org/p/demand-the-college-board-not-mandate-fall-ap-exam-requirements-and-deadlines
Testimonial
Our school used Total Registration for the first time this year, based upon several conversations I had as AP Coordinator with Mike Elings, General Manager. I was able to see how the registration process worked and thought that it would be worth our time trying this out. In the past, I have had students pay at our school site, and there were errors in what they were paying for. Due to the volume of tests that our students take, accuracy is important. I particularly liked that they could select what they wanted to pay for and that teachers could check the rosters of who had paid. In addition, I was able to state our school policies easily so that there were no errors. I also liked that they had to supply a working e-mail address for both student and parent (our school's e-mails that we have on file are sometimes wrong), so if I needed to contact them, I could easily.
We will definitely be using Total Registration in the future for AP exam registration!
I am impressed with your updates based on customer feedback. I am also impressed and grateful for your generous support. No matter how experienced I am with TR, I still run into snags sometimes, and you reply to requests for help quickly and effectively. THANK YOU.
As the AP Coordinator of a large suburban high school, I was saved this year by Total Registration. With budget cuts to our district (as many of yours), the sole responsibility for registering, administering, and paying for AP exams falls to me. In past years, I had to create and receive the registrations, write receipts by hand, create an Excel spreadsheet, and triple check that the exam order was correct. Completing all of the above and more, Total Registration gave me time to devote to other duties and made my life less stressful at the busiest time of year in school buildings. Thank you, TR!
I am in my third year with TR, and I am still discovering new ways to make my job easier through the system. The support staff is constantly helpful and patient. I cannot believe the ease with which I am able to organize this AP project. You never asked about registration before TR and the hours we spent having students register with paper registrations and collecting money and recording the registrations, counting and recounting before ordering. Cancellations involved writing up a refund from the business office, and alternate tests involved collecting more money. It is almost painful to remember those awful days 4 years ago.
Love you guys! You are amazing and have been a Godsend through the AP Registration process. I used to use Google Sheets and RevTrak. What a nightmare. I use every aspect of TR and am so happy that I do! It streamlines so much. Thank you for everything this year, and I look forward to working with you again next year.