This is my first post on College Confidential (Sophomore), and I am beginning to think more and more about college (Really would like to attend UT Austin).
Anyways, I plan on trying to improve my rank (I’m exactly top 11%).
The courses I have chosen for junior year are:
AP English III
AP U.S History
AP Chem II
AP Physics
AP Art History
AP Psych/Human Geo
Pre-AP Pre-Cal
Do any of you guys have similar schedules?
How manageable is this? I will also be heavily involved in three clubs with officer positions, varsity cross country, and SAT prep.
Thanks
My schedule this year was similar except i had 7. Point is, yes it’s manageable, but no it is not fun. Tests almost everyday and studying/hw up the wazoo. I tried making time for a social life first semester and i got 4 B’s so my best advice is to just watch your grades but don’t let your classes consume you and make your life horrible. Good luck
I’m just finishing up sophomore year too! I’ll be taking:
AP English 3
AP Psychology
AP Statistics
AP Bio or AP Chem (can’t decide yet)
Spanish 3
Health Careers Core (academy class)
US History
Pre-calculus
This year I took AP World and AP Art History.
For Art History, you’ll be writing almost two papers a week. It is A LOT of work, but it’ll help you in every AP class you take just because it’ll teach you how to write an amazing essay in 30 minutes and how to persuade/reason properly.
Not that I’m an expert or anything but I really think you should take AP Stats this year unless you’re going to take it senior year.
Anyways, with 6 AP classes, don’t expect straight A’s. You will at least have one or two B’s unless you’re some amazing god. Passing all classes is doable but you will never have time for sports and outside events. With two AP classes plus track, volunteering, leadership, and clubs, I still actually had time to do what I like. Not sure with 6.
Also, you should realize that you’ll be paying almost $600 for AP testing.
I took a few honors courses junior year (this year) alone with AP Lang and comp and AP Psych. I personally would not recommend taking six APs with all of your extracurriculars. It’s a good idea to aim for 5-8 APs throughout your high school years so if you dropped it down to 3 junior year and 3 senior year you might be better off because you would most likely perform better with less APs. I would take AP Physics or AP chem off the list (2 AP sciences will be overwhelming all by themselves) and save whichever one you don’t take for senior year. AP Art History could also be taken off, unless you are serious about pursuing something similar in college. If you did that you will be stressed still but it will definitely be better and four APs still looks good to colleges. Good luck!
If you are willing to work hard and challenge yourself, then go ahead! The only problem I see is that you’re only going into pre-calculus, but you’re taking AP Physics. There’s a bit of calculus involved in physics. If I were you, I’d talk to the physics teacher to make sure that you aren’t lacking the necessary math skills for the class.
I would pick Ap Chem OR AP Physics, replacing it with a foreign language, and take AP Human Geog because it’s even eaiser than AP Psych and you’ll definitely one easy class with that schedule.
Elite colleges want to see a TOTAL of 4 to 8 APs (after that, the law of diminishing returns applies) and 5 core classes per year (English, Math, Science, Social Science, Foreign Language - for Foreign Language, level reached counts as “years”, so if you reach Level4 or AP junior year, you’re good.)
@MYOS1634 I just finished Spanish III Honors this past year, and it was quite challenging for me (not really the course, just the teacher). I decided not to take Spanish 4 AP. And in my school, AP human geo and psych are semester courses. Lastly, excuse my ignorance, but what is law of diminishing returns?
Okay for Spanish III Honors, but be aware you’re likely to have to take more Spanish in college (unless you decide to study a similar language, like Portuguese, or an easier one, like French or Italian, and start from scratch. It can be easier to start from scratch in a language similar to one you’ve already studied, because the basic concepts in your first semester will be similar too, like, conjugation, or noun genders.)
If you’re Top 11%, you’re lucky this year because the threshold has been raised to top 8% after several years at 7%, but it’s still going to be hard. You need to look at efficiency: what will raise your rank faster, a few easy A’s or a few weighted classes?
If you can make it within the top 10% you have better odds as an academic/holistic admit.
It really depends on the way your hs calculate s rank. Look at the criteria an load up on classes that will increase it. Of they use weighted, add weighted classes. If they don’t, pile up easy As on top of your already strong schedule.