Are 10 AP classes enough?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
1

Hi all,
I was just wondering if 10 AP classes are enough to get into UCLA/UCB/etc. I’m going to be a junior.

This is my course load:
Sophomore year: AP Statistics, AP Psychology, Chem H, Spanish 2, English 2 H, PE

Junior year: AP Language, AP Comp Sci, AP US History, Physics H, Math Analysis/Calc A, Spanish 3

  • also self studying AP Calc AB, AP Comp Sci A

Senior year: AP Literature, AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Physics, AP Spanish

btw, I’m planning on majoring in comp sci, so if you think i should take any different APs/self study any more, please let me know.

FYI, I’m also taking the SAT Subject tests for math 2, chem, physics, and maybe bio(M).

Thanks!

2

There is no magic number of AP’s that will get you into any of these competitive schools. As long as you show these schools some excellent grades in the most rigorous schedule at your HS, then you should be a competitive applicant.
For CS applicants in 2018, the average SAT score was 1550, average ACT of 35 and average Unweighted GPA was a 3.9+ at UCLA. Keep working hard and do your best.

3

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/files/freshman-profiles/freshman_profile_la.pdf
This shows the UCLA freshman profile, including the # of AP/Honors classes - as you can see, your odds do go up with 15+ but, as noted above a high GPA/SAT are the first and foremost (a rigorous schedule too) but high GPA beats too rigorous of a schedule. To be competitive for UCLA, you need near perfect grades (4…25 UC GPA) and a near perfect SAT/ACT. Not sure where you stand right now but, a super rigorous sr schedule won’t improve your chances if your stats are sub par.

If you were my kid, I’d seriously consider backing off your Sr sched. For most kids, Sr year is a real time compressed roller-coaster - These boards are full of kids who blew an AP Calc class and had admissions rescinded. IMHO, taking 3 APs instead of 5 Sr year won’t impact your UC admission either way.

Good luck

4

Beyond 8 AP classes, there is not much of a benefit to taking more AP classes. All that matters is if your guidance counselor checks how the “most rigorous course load” box on the common app. Taking both AP Chem and AP Physics will be a huge struggle, especially alongside BC Calc. I’d suggest dropping either AP Chem or AP physics. Also, for subject tests I don’t recommend taking more than 2 or 3 tests. Too many subject tests will make admissions officers think you have nothing to better to do on a Saturday. Take the test after you have glean the corresponding AP course (although the physics test usually does not match the ap curriculum).

5

My son was accepted to UCLA CS two years ago with less than 8 APs. His high school offers loads of APs, but he decided to protect his GPA by only taking 2 or 3 at a time. I agree with cram545 that you shouldn’t overload senior year.

6

10 is more than enough. And 5 APs senior year (with 2 of them lab sciences) are too many!!

7

Not relevant to UCs, which do not use The Common Application and do not use counselor recommendations.

8

Too many senior year –
Choose between AP physics and AP chemistry, don’t self study APs.

9

There’s no need to self-study for Calc AB since Calc BC covers that (assuming your school teaches the standard AP Calc BC class that covers a full year of university calculus). Also, as others have mentioned, assuming that you’re talking about taking AP Physics C as opposed to AP Physics 1, that in combination with AP Chem is a huge load. I would probably just drop the Physics and replace it with the AP CompSci A. Not a great idea to self-study CompSci A either, unless you are already a very competent programmer.

For subject tests you should only take 2: in your case, Math 2 and Physics. Take it in May or June of next year.

I think your schedule is fine otherwise, but keep in mind that along with rigor, grades is most important followed by test scores and then your essays and ECs.

UCLA and UCB EECS will be equally hard to get into, you’ve seen the typical stats in the first couple of replies. UCB also has L&S CS which is slightly easier to get into, but then you have to qualify (Minimum 3.3 GPA in your first 3 real CS classes) to get into CS. 3.3 is a B+ average, but from personal experience with my own kid, it’s not easy to pass that gauntlet, it takes a LOT of work.

10

Thank you all for your replies!
Taking your advice, I will make the 5 APs into 4 (I’ll decide which one to drop later).