Episode 331 | David Blobaum | Summit Prep | The EdisonOS Podcast

Key Topics Covered

What AP originally meant and what it means now. David explains that AP classes were originally designed to be college courses taken in high school so students could earn college credit, and that the AP exam existed to verify the rigor of that course since a classroom A from a lenient grader should not automatically translate into college credit, and that a three indicates medium college-level proficiency while scores of one and two mean the student did not meet any standard for college-level proficiency.

Grade inflation is far more harmful than most people realize. David cites a UCLA Higher Education Research Institute survey running since 1966 showing that in 1966 only 22 percent of students going to a four-year university had an A average, while by 2024 that number had risen to 84 percent, and a UC San Diego report finding that a quarter of students who were not proficient in elementary or middle school math had perfect 4.0 unweighted GPAs in high school math.

The disappearance of SAT subject tests created a gap AP is now filling. David explains that SAT subject tests gave colleges a precise scale out of 800 to compare applicants at the subject level, that College Board discontinued them in January 2021, that most top colleges wanted to see two SAT subject test results and Georgetown required three, and that without them colleges needed another way to verify subject proficiency, which is where AP exam scores stepped in even though they were never designed for that purpose.

The AP score recalibration David believes happened and why. David says he is speculating but believes College Board recalibrated and effectively inflated scores on most exams to better compete with dual enrollment courses, where students could easily get an A and automatic college credit without a standardized exam, noting that students were asking why they would take AP English Lang and risk a two or three when they could just take dual enrollment and get an A, and that even after recalibration the majority of exams changed in a way that made it significantly easier to get a four or five.

What score to submit, to whom, and when. David says students should not submit a three to a top 50 school in their application because a three will look bad, but they should report it before enrolling at a school that grants college credit for a three, that fours should be reported to top 50 schools even though a four will not really help because it is better than letting a school assume the student got a three, and that only fives genuinely help with admission to a top 50 school while both Caltech and Stanford are currently the only schools that require students to report AP scores.

How many AP classes to take and which score actually matters for admissions. David says students should take as many AP classes as they can get A's in without making themselves miserable, that below the top 50 schools are not really using AP scores for admissions and are looking more at SAT, ACT, and grades, and that for merit scholarships and honors college placement AP scores can be a factor since those programs also want authenticated proficiency rather than just grades.

Where AP is heading in the next five years. David says that five years ago AP exams were essentially not used in admissions and that top schools went from zero to 90 percent recommending or requiring them in just five years, that he expects that trend to continue and accelerate below the top 50, that Caltech and Stanford became the first schools in US history to require AP scores be reported last year, and that he expects more of the top 50 to move from recommending to requiring, and more schools below the top 50 to begin using them.
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Conclusion

This conversation is a data-heavy and candid look at what is actually happening inside the AP system and why it matters more to families today than it ever has before. Listen to the full episode for the complete methodology and actionable strategies that could transform how any student and family thinks about AP course selection, score reporting, college admissions, and the role of authenticated proficiency in a world where grades alone no longer tell the story.