Hello! So my English teacher recently presented me with the opportunity to take both of the English APs (Language and Literature). I am currently only enrolled in the AP Language class, but he says that he thinks I am prepared enough to take the Literature exam as well.
If I did take the Literature exam, however, that means I would not take the AP Literature class during my senior year–instead taking regular-level English. If I were to get a 5 on the AP Literature exam as a junior, but consequently take regulars English instead of AP English during my senior year, would this hurt my college application? Colleges frequently speak of the importance of having a rigorous course load, but if I were to get a 5 on the exam, would taking a less difficult class be justified? Would taking the exam early indicate some level of motivation or should I avoid it altogether?
Thank you!
No
Yes, possibly
Not necessarily.
OK, here’s my POV. In general, one does not need both AP English classes to get into top colleges. In fact, many top colleges, if they give credit at all, give credit for one or the other, but not both. If you have an option of English electives in your senior year, either through your HS or through a local college, that’s a fine alternative. By electives, I mean something other than English 4, like Modern Drama, Creative Writing, etc. If such electives don’t exist, from a rigor perspective, depending on what other courses you are taking, I’d just take AP Lit as a senior.
Why don’t you take AP Language one year and AP Lit the next year. This way you aren’t overloaded, you will have time to prepare more fully for the AP Lit exam, and you will get to take both classes before graduation.
My son took AP Language junior year and scored a 5. He only took a regular English class senior year and got into NU - although he was taking @ 5 AP classes senior year, including AP Physics C and AP Chem. BTW - as skieurope pointed out - he would NOT have received any additional credit from NU for scoring a 5 on English Lit, and since AP Lit is very time intensive, there was no incentive to take it - so he didn’t. Good Luck!
It looks like English is a subject that you like and are strong in. If that is the case, then regular English next year will probably be unsatisfying to you. Are there other high level English electives either at the high school or a nearby college that you can choose instead if you score 5 on both AP exams?
Even if there are no other options besides regular English and AP English literature, choose based on your interest in the subject, regardless of what AP scores you get. English is not something that is as easily tested in a comprehensive manner with a few hour test like math, so you may still get some educational value out of taking an AP English literature course even if you do get a 5 on the AP English literature exam (unlike a student who takes calculus after getting a 5 on the AP calculus BC exam and remembering the material). Of course, taking regular English instead of AP English literature gives you less educational value, regardless of what AP scores you got.
As a senior, you may choose between taking AP Literature and taking English electives (such as Children’s Literature, Science Fiction, the Role of Women in Literature, etc.) I definitely would not mind taking an elective – as they sound quite interesting to me and the guy who teaches them is apparently fantastic – but I am concerned that it would negatively affect my admission to top universities if I am not taking AP English my senior year and I want to major in English.
Well, the posters who have already responded have indicated that not taking AP Lit your senior year will not hurt you, and among us, we have thousands of posts, so we’ve been around the block on this topic a few times.
FWIW, my English classes my senior year were Shakespeare and Modern Drama, and I did fine in the admissions lottery. If you want to take Children’s Lit, take Children’s Lit.
If you do score a 5 on both AP English exams, then it should be understandable if you take an English elective, assuming that it is academically solid at your school (i.e. it is there for strong-in-English students to explore the subject beyond the usual English sequence, as opposed to being there for the weakest students to fulfill high school graduation requirements because the usual English sequence is too difficult for them).
I don’t really see the purpose of taking both AP English exams in one year. Most colleges only took one score. However, I can see why one would want to take both AP English classes, especially if there’s just regular and AP in 12th grade. I would ask who or what type of students are taking the regular English electives (Children’s Lit, Science Fiction, etc). My daughter’s high school also lacked 12th grade honors English, forcing all 12th graders to take either AP Lit or regular Lit. There was no way she would take a regular-level English (the kids were a bit scary), so she went with AP Lit.