I’m an upcoming junior at one of the top high schools in Florida. I am currently in 4 AP classes (Physics 1, Human Geography, Computer Science Principles, and Environmental Science). I am interested in a STEM or business career.
I play varsity basketball and have a few other time consuming activities (mainly preparing for SAT and ACT).
Next year I plan on taking 6 AP classes. They are Physics 2, Calc AB, European History, Micro Gov and Econ, Capstone, and Lang. I’m a pretty smart and hardworking student.
Do you guys think this is a good idea? I want to be a competitive college candidate. By the time I graduate, I plan on taking 18 AP’s exams total. Thanks for any advice.
Taking 18 AP exams total is absolutely ridiculous and sounds like a waste of time and energy that could be devoted to other parts of your profile, such as extracurricular activities and test prep (which you have already mentioned yourself).
Self-studying has next to no effect on admissions due to the fact that AP exam scores are self reported. Even taking more than eight total actual AP classes (or dual enrollment/IB) throughout high school is considered excessive by even the most competitive of universities. If you want to take six different APs junior year for your own learning purposes and out of a desire to learn certain subjects at an advanced level, feel free (even though I still wouldn’t recommend it), but know that it will only go so far when it comes to making you more competitive at universities.
Also, for what it’s worth, in terms of course rigor, many of the classes that admissions officers specifically look for aren’t necessarily even APs. For example, competitive universities look for completion of Pre-Calculus, one of each of the three main HS sciences (bio, chem, and physics) at any level, and completion of three or four years of foreign language. Taking APs at the expense of any of these things would be unfavorable, even if the “replaced” classes are not AP or AP weighted, although I know you’ve probably fulfilled at least some of these recommendations already.
I have taken all of those classes (bio, chem, physics, precalc, and three years of Spanish), so I don’t really have anything else to take. Which AP classes of mine do you like and which do you dislike? If you’ve taken them how were they? What classes would you replace with another class? Thanks
You said your interested in business - what about intro to business, international business, marketing, management, social media, accounting, entrepeneurship, hospitality. finance etc - something to show your interested in business vs just wanting to take AP classes.
I agree with both @r2v2018 and @momtogirls2. You don’t need that many APs, especially when you have already done so many, will do more, and have a lot of other things to do. While you should keep courses like AP Gov, Econ, and Lang, you definitely don’t need to take AP Capstone courses nor do you need AP Physics 2 if you have already taken a physics course. (There’s nothing wrong with more science, but you already have four sciences: Bio, Chem, Physics, and Environmental Science, which is more than enough.) I really don’t recommend European History, especially if you have taken either AP World or AP US in the past. AP Gov and AP Econ would be more helpful for a business major. I recommend taking AP Euro senior year.
For junior year, here’s a schedule idea I hope you consider:
AP Calculus AB
AP Micro Econ and Gov
AP English Lang
AP Physics 2 (If you’re very interested in doing more physics.)
Two fun electives that relate to business. @momtogirls2 suggested some very good ones!
One fun elective that you’re interested in.
I don’t know how many periods your school offers, but I went with seven, because that is how many there are at my school. Sorry if it’s different where you are.
Hope this helped and have a good day!
That’s a perfect schedule! Don’t listen to anyone above because it’s your choice (never get influenced by an online forum, especially considering the people who give you this advice are complete strangers to you). You will definitely not get “brownie points” for that many APs, but I disagree with @r2v2018; they will certainly make you a competitive applicant. You also mentioned you are a “smart and hardworking student”, and based off of that and your history of APs, I would say you are more than ready.
Also, @r2v2018, who told you s/he was self-studying anything? It’s possible that s/he took 2 AP classes freshman year
@momtogirls2 Thanks for the suggestions. None of those classes are offered at my school. However there are two colleges in my area. Do you recommend that I take those classes there during summer?
@chanoo2003
I assumed that since OP specified that they were taking 18 AP exams (not AP classes), that they would be self-studying to some extent. Anyhow, in either case, whether it be taking eighteen different AP classes or eighteen different AP exams, it doesn’t make sense unless it stems from an intrinsic desire to learn new subjects at an advanced level rather than to “impress” admissions officers, and even then, it seems reckless.
Bear with me, as I am not an admissions officer, but there are diminishing returns almost anywhere after exceeding eight total APs or the equivalent, meaning once you’ve exceeded that amount, any additional ones do very little to improve your course rigor. Per Stanford, it’s not “an AP arms race”. I never said APs aren’t important to making one a competitive applicant; nobody is denying that they certainly are. But taking a dozen and a half AP exams is definitely excessive and unnecessary in terms of helping someone’s chances at competitive universities, especially when applicants take random APs that aren’t pertinent to their interests at the expense of important core classes (which, @ColeWorld321, I trust you aren’t doing). For what it’s worth, the APs you suggested are actually somewhat appropriate for STEM/business careers, but I still wouldn’t recommend taking them all at once. If I were you, I would definitely keep Calc AB, Lang, and Physics 2, possibly Econ, and save the rest for your senior year.
I am also a senior at a very competitive Florida HS who got accepted to University of Florida (my first choice) for the Fall, so I understand that aiming for competitive schools can be pretty horrifying and you can feel as if you have to do absolutely everything in your power to ensure your chances of admission, including taking highly rigorous schedules, and in an attempt to get to the university of my choice, I took literally dozens (~20) of APs and dual enrollment courses. Currently, I am in 5 APs (Chemistry, English Literature, Art History, Government, and Macroeconomics) + dual enrollment math/humanities/two DE electives + Spanish IV. This sounds hypocritical, but looking back on everything, I honestly feel as if I went overboard and that I wasted / am still wasting a lot precious time in high school that I could have spent with friends and extracurricular activities studying and doing schoolwork. Academically, my GPA actually rose dramatically due to the classes I’ve taken being so heavily weighted and me doing well in them, so it’s really not a question of what someone is able to handle.
Does your high school have any business classes? AP Stats is a useful class for business since chances are a business major will require a stats class.
Personally I am not a big fan of spending summers in high school doing a lot of academics. However if you do want to take a class introduction to business or accounting are pretty common business requirements no matter which area of business you go into. See what is offered and what fits your schedule.
The goal of 18 APs total and 6 APs in a year will be seen as ridiculous.
Keep in mind that at elites you make the difference on ECs so you need time to be the best you can be on that.
What APs have you taken already
Let’s imagine you’re aiming for Stern or Wharton. First, they’ll check that you have taken calculus to the highest level offered by our school. Second, how strong in writing and social science you are - AP history and AP Lang will be important (and 4 units of each).
After that, the rest of core classes: foreign language through level 4 or AP, all three from biology+chem+physics+one science AP, and if you are thinking of California don’t forget an art or music class (or performance).
If you’re advanced, you can always take classes at the community college asbzetnof dual enrollment, which Florida makes available and free. Explore your CC’s offerings.
So, my advice would be to take foreign language, plus AP calc, euro, and lang at the hs; then, dual enrollment, one semester a science for non majors + econ+ intro to management and the next semester with political science + statistics for business (one less class due to basketball season and test prep kicking in to gear.) That would be quite challenging but would include less busy work and provide you with more flexibility to get organized due to most of classes taking place 2-3 days a week.