Not sure what you are implying here.
But to answer your question. Why? Because there were financial implications that most of the folks here at CC simply don’t understand. We have sacrificed a lot due to family medical issues, including those that prevented me from regularly working. My pups understood this, and understood that getting the val/sal designation meant they’d qualify for an automatic full tuition scholarship at Flagship State. While they certainly hoped for better (and graduating from Columbia and Stanford without loans certainly was), this was their goal when they started high school. As everyone knows, admission at schools that provide full needs-based financial aid is very competitive, and there is no guarantee. There is nothing wrong with wanting an affordable situation. It wasn’t hard to figure out that weighted GPA used for the val ranking could be bumped by taking AP courses.
As parents, neither DH nor I pressured them to take that many AP’s, but this was their call. We were not able to save much for their college because of our family situation, and we were up front with them about it because we knew they’d be able to understand. Lots of families have to have discussions about not being able to afford different options, etc. We were more fortunate than many families, but certainly not as well off as most here at CC.
It worked out well for them. I am happy that they went to the schools that were the right choices for them.
I agree that HS, or life in general, is not a race or a game. Calling it a game is just an analogy that makes it easier to talk about it. In our situation, we were not dealt the best hand, but we were invited to the table.
I initially replied to let OP know that I think it is okay, if not admirable, to think about the future implications of course selection, because in all of the admissions information sessions I attended at the elite schools, they made it clear they were looking for a variety of kids, but they want kids who do their very best, with what options they have available. These elite schools do know a lot about the high schools, they won’t penalize a kid who has no APs if the school doesn’t offer them, nor will taking 16+ give someone an automatic acceptance. When they say everything matters, they mean it.
I am more proud of my pups for the great caring, compassionate people they have always been, than anything they’ve achieved academically. I still worry about them, and know they will be like their parents in the sense that they will make their own share of mistakes along the way. And they have a sense of humor that will help them find their way in the world. They know their farts still stink and their room is (probably) still messy.