<p>I go to a private school. At my school if you want to take an ap history course, you have to go through a process where the history department will look at how you did in your english and history classes and then determine if they will let you take the ap history class. I had As in history and english during my freshment year, but the history department at my school didn't let me take Ap euro for my sophmore year because they thought that my ability to write was not as good as it should be. During my sophmore year, I got As in my regular history and english classes. The department still didn't think that i can write well enough, so I couldn't take Ap U.S history during my junior year. I tried really hard to convince the history deparment to let me take the Ap classes, but it didn't work. Now i'm applying to several very competitive schools, and i am afraid that the schools will think that i did not challenge myself by taking the AP classes. Should I write a letter to the colleges in the optional information section explaining my situation? thanks in advance for any advice.</p>
<p>I'm really sorry that you were not given a chance to take the AP classes. Don't, however, seek to explain. It will lead the adcoms to question the value of your grades and it won't make up for the fact that you do not have APs. Hopefully, the adcoms will be impressed by your excellent grades.</p>
<p>I agree with Marite, the explanation that your school didn't feel you were up to AP courses won't help you. </p>
<p>(if you have any younger sibs or friends, the appropriate response to this situation is to study on your own and take the AP exam anyway. Or get your parents to insist that you be put in the AP course and threaten to withdraw you from the school if it cannot provide a sufficiently challenging program for you.)</p>