I go to a very rigorous high school. With that being said AP classes aren’t taken by many students. People tend to stick to the honored level courses. Is it important to have taken AP classes when applying to Emory, or are high grades in Normal/ Honored classes acceptable?
It depends on what is offered at the school, if the school offers lots of APs, then you should at least take some or do dual enrollment.
I would recommend AP classes as they will help you skip classes in college that you would otherwise have to take. For instance, AP chemistry can get you up to 16 credits at different schools. CHoose AP courses based on what field you are going to in college. For instance, take science classes if you are going down the science route, and math classes if you are going down the math route.