<p>Well, my high school offers a small amount of AP classes, so I'll end up taking only three most likely. I know Harvard says they know about the level of different schools, but I am worried that will never be enough. Anyone have personal experience that can guide me? Do they care a lot about AP, or are essays more important? Not to mention the bad teachers=score of 4 being good.</p>
<p>My school offers a relatively small amount of AP classes (due to small size and low interest), so I’ve self-studied a couple. If you are concerned with the number, I guess you could try APs like Psychology or Human Geography. However, I think colleges value the core APs like APUSH, AP Calculus, AP English Lang/Lit more. I had a bad teacher in my AP Biology classes this year, but I have found that with a good prep book and/or textbook, as well as dedication, you can do well and still get a 5. </p>
<p>I hope that helped a leeeeetle :p</p>
<p>But is 3 enough to get accepted?</p>
<p>D had only complete two by the time of application with 4 being taken during senior year. Is your 3 in total or by end of junior year?</p>
<p>My understanding is that Harvard, as well as other schools, are looking for you to utilize your academic opportunities. If your 3 is using you academic opportunities to the fullest, then I would not worry about your number of APs. For comparison, son, who did not apply to Harvard though, had 0 AP at end of junior year and only 2 total. But at the time, that was pretty much the maximum students could do. He got accepted to both Ivys to which he applied (UPenn and Cornell - he wanted in depth engineering). His lack to AP did not seem to hurt him.</p>
<p>I would spend your time well in other ways and build your application that way.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I will have 2 during junior and probably 1 senior or maybe 2 senior. Junior-AP Chem and AP Stat. Senior-AP Calc and if 4 then AP Bio. Of course I’ll be taking Physics 1 Honors and Bio II as well.</p>
<p>What may help you to answer this is take a look at the “school report” form for common ap: <a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/SSR_School_Form.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/SSR_School_Form.pdf</a></p>
<p>This about how the counselor is going to answer the following questions:
- If you offer AP courses, do you limit the number a student can take?
- How many AP courses does your school offer in total?
- In comparison with other college preparatory students at your school, the applicant’s course selection is a) most demanding b) very demanding c) demanding d) average e) below average</p>
<p>You want it to be clear to the school that you have utililzed what has been available to you.</p>
<p>Last point, your name “Engineerjw” makes me think that you are considering engineering. If that is the case, be sure that Harvard’s academics reflect what you are looking for. My son would not apply to Harvard because he wanted wider engineering offerings. Also, again if you are thinking engineering, I would prefer to see more depth in Physics and such which is a core component of every engineering curriculum. S’s only APs were Physics and Calculus. If I am wrong about your considering engineering then ignore this last input.</p>
<p>Lastly, so people can better advise. What year are you entering this fall?</p>
<p>So if there were 12 APs offered and you take 9 that would rule out “most demanding”? And if so will that in turn be problematic for the most selective schools? D has 4.0 UW and 2360 SAT, lots of leadership and ECs. Are, for example, Dartmouth and Pomona less likely?</p>
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<p>No, no, no!
It means that if AP Physics is offered at the school but the student only took Honors Physics, the GC cannot check “most demanding.” That is all. It does not mean that the student has to take all the APs the school or CB offer (32 and counting, I believe). If the school offers only Honors Physics and the student takes the course, the GC can legitimately check “most demanding.” </p>
<p>Your D seems to have stellar academics. What will make a difference are recommendations, essay, ECs.</p>
<p>
The question from the form is:
The key words are “in comparison with other college preparatory students”. So if at your daughter’s high school if the top “college preparatory students” are taking 12 APs then the answer for your daughter’s 9 AP would be very demanding or demanding. In contrast if the top “college preparatory students” are taking 8 and your daughter is taking 9 then she os most demanding.</p>
<p>What you have stated about your daughter sounds terrific. I doubt our whole discussion here is not even necessary. 9 AP is far beyond my daughter’s 6.</p>
<p>In fact, most demanding does not necessarily mean more demanding than everyone else. So a student taking 8 APs could be described as taking the most demanding curriculum on a par with the student taking 9 APs (out of a possible 12 or 15). It depends on the rest of the profile. Among S’s chums were some who’d taken well over 10 and some who had taken very few.</p>
<p>Well, I guess that is a bit problematic: she didn’t take AP Chem or AP Physics, just regular (which she did ace). Not great with science. I recall (I think) that hmom5 once said that unless the most rigorous box is checked admission to the top schools (eg Dartmout) is pretty much out. Sure hope its not that quite cut and dry! Great kid, great stats, but not perfect. Thanks very much for your replies.</p>
<p>S1 did not have a single AP in math or science but still got into several top colleges and LACs. Your D sounds lopsided. As long as she demonstrates real strength and real passion for those areas where she is strong, she will fine.</p>
<p>GCs will also consider, in determining how demanding a student’s course selection is, any dual credit, community college or on line college courses the student may have taken. So, for example, even though my S decided to take AP Calc BC at the HS, but not AP Stats, he’ll get the “most demanding” nod because of the linear algebra and multivariable calculus classes he’ll have taken, in addition to his 8 other AP classes in the sciences, social sciences, English and foreign language.</p>
<p>C’BadDad - What is the rough profile of the other top students in D’s school? Do you know the volume of APs taken by these other students? For comparison, my daughter didn’t take either of the AP history classes that our school offered. There was no way that she wanted to. In contrast, out of her 16 junior and senior year classes she had 9 math/science/technology classes.</p>
<p>Well, I know that on a weighted basis she is top 5%, not top 4%. So that puts her rank at about 28 out of 600. The other top kids took AP Chem and Physics which when weighted at 5.0. Her SAT is second in her school: 1590/1600 2360/2400. One other top kid got a 2390.</p>
<p>The difference in SAT score between your D and the other kid is negligible. I’d concentrate on other aspects of her profile.</p>