<p>Gah. I am more of a bio person though and would rather succeed in that field ( I Think?). I’ve worked really hard in bio w/ research and other ECs which is why I want to go to a top tier school. Also, I’ve been getting Bs in Japanese since my freshman year and been pursuing/leading 2 Japanese based clubs, does continuing make me look stupid or does it make the B look better. Or I could drop Japanese Senior year and continue it in college…</p>
<p>urmomgoes2college, Differential Calc is a afterschool program hosted by a community college at my school…</p>
<p>I’m having a hard time getting my hands around AccessAcademics being a professional helping kids with elite schools. The above advice contradicts the top college counselors I’ve worked with, books and everything I’ve seen. Even B’s in AP’s at Andover are unlikely to get you a seat an an ivy.</p>
<p>To be honest, from what the OP describes, a bad freshman year and B’s in AP’s so far, chances at top colleges are already in question, and if he doesn’t take a challenging senior year that would only further scuttle any chance as I see it.</p>
<p>If you’re going to take Japanese in college, I’d consider taking it through your senior year. It sounds like you want to take it… but if you think it’s going to lead to a meltdown, then certainly don’t. If you’re into bio, then why aren’t you considering AP Bio instead of AP Chem?</p>
<p>Also, in response to urmom, you need to take however many courses you think you can take. I try not to judge people, but urmom sounds like she had a bad experience and is bitter about not having done more to get into the college of her choice. The first round of admissions application readings is really a numbers game. But what’s ultimately important is that your regional admissions officer falls in love with your application. If you can weave a compelling story or theme with your application, then whether you take seven or eight courses will hardly matter. If you can’t tell a compelling story with your application, then eight courses might help a bit… but your chances of admission will still be extremely low.</p>
<p>Furthermore, more specifically to urmom, I can point to dozens of students in the past few years who were accepted at top 30 colleges without accumulating as many credits as theoretically possible and without taking every possible AP course they could have.</p>
<p>First off, I’m male. </p>
<p>Second off, I havn’t even applied to college. </p>
<p>Third, you need to take the most rigorous possible or you wont get into a good college. Bottom line.</p>
<p>Hmom5, I’m just going by the data. The data suggest that plenty of students get into top 30 colleges with B’s in some of their toughest courses. And there are all kinds of quotes available from admissions officers that getting a B (or sometimes even a C) in a really tough course isn’t the end of the admissions world. Admissions officers lie (or at least embellish) all the time. The Ivy Leagues denied the existence of their academic index for 30+ years.</p>
<p>Also, what book suggests that you need to get an A in every AP course you take to get into a top school? I haven’t read that book, and I’ve read most of them.</p>
<p>And, yes, a tough freshman year and B’s in APs make admission into top universities an uphill battle, but it’s not at all impossible. 750s on tests and a 3.83 weighted average gives an AI of over 220. The average AI at Ivies the past couple of years has been 212-213. So I’d say the kid still has a shot if he tests well.</p>
<p>Furthermore, I don’t believe this conversation is geared toward admission only in the Ivies. I’d be willing to wager a lot of money that I could take 10 people with the OP’s profile and get at least five of them into University of Chicago if they had high test scores and I started working with them their junior year.</p>
<p>Urmom,</p>
<p>Where are you getting your information from? The most rigorous course load possible at some high schools would mean taking a full load of sophomore level college courses. I know of very, very, very few students who’ve ever done something like that.</p>
<p>I have already taken AP Bio this year. Hmom, I am not even in my dreams hoping to get into Ivy’s based solely off my GPA. I have some pretty good ECs and Awards (Eagle Scout, Sci Fair 1st place, blackbelt, etc, etc.).
I understand that not taking extremely hard courses is not neccessary, I am wondering if it’s better to take extremely hard courses
Normal Lit (A)
AP Japanese (Sure B)
AP Physics C (Maybe A)
AP Chem (Probably A)
AP Gov (A)
Calc Differential Equations (Maybe A)
AP Stats (A)</p>
<p>and get lower grades or </p>
<p>to take a bit of an easier year
AP Lit (Probably A)
AP Physics C (Probably A)
AP Chem (Probably A)
AP Government (A)
AP Stats (A)</p>
<p>and get higher grades. Also, I have a lot of ECs going well for me and I want to do research over summer + senior year. Is it better to take the easier class and go hardcore on my ECs and hope they get me into college or should I try to improve my GPA while working on my ECs?
Are you a professional councilor or something Access?</p>
<p>Koken,</p>
<p>As for your choices, if you’re looking at getting a single B in a weighted course and all the rest A’s versus a slightly easier schedule, then I’d go with your first slate of courses. A B in AP Japanese is highly unlikely to turn an acceptance into a rejection.</p>
<p>Well, the first list I will be taking 8 classes total so I might get 2, even 3 Bs depending on how much I overestimated my capability >.<.
The second list has still 7 classes but without Japanese it should be easier…</p>
<p>I think I’ll go with the first and see if I can handle the 8 classes, if not I’ll probably drop before it affects my transcript.</p>
<p>This is the courseload you must take next year to have any chance at all:
AP Lit
AP Physics C
AP Chem
AP Government
AP Stats
AP Japanese
Calc Differential Equations</p>
<p>Take anything else and you’ll never get into a good college. Also, you must ace all of these classes. Dont worry, high school isn’t hard. Those courses are easy along with any other AP or CC course. If you can’t ace this schedule you deserve to go to a tier 4</p>
<p>Yeah, because every student in the top three tiers has A’s in Physics C, differential equations, and AP Chem…</p>
<p>Yes 10char</p>
<p>hahaha you’re funny urmom :].</p>
<p>Edit: On second thought I AM doing that except for APLit…just not gonna get As like you because I’m sure you’ve beasted up these courses.</p>
<p>I’m not being funny. I’m 100% serious. Dont take the hardest courses, and you wont get into a good college. Its that simple.</p>
<p>Access, since your the expert on things, I have a question. </p>
<p>I am an HS junior and I have not taken the most rigorous courseload (biggest mistake of my life!!!). I have taken one AP course at school, and am currently finishing up three online courses. Juniors at my school could have only taken three ap courses. I plan to take AP Chem online over the summer along with ap physics B, ap stat, ap econ, and ap psych, plus some college courses at a UC. however, I am wondering if instead I should take online honors courses that i didn’t take frosh/soph year (BIGGEST MISTAKE IM SERIOUS!). so should I take hon english 9 and hon english 10 + hon history 9 and hon history 10, even though I am going to take three history aps and two english aps by graduation (i’m taking both eng APs next year (senior year)), or am I just wasting my time? will colleges put online aps into account or will it be looked down upon i didn’t take it at my school?</p>
<p>my school has a strict policy on adding courses to my transcript from there, so only WHAP and Physics B can go on my official high school transcript, and the rest will be sent as separate transcripts. overall, do colleges look down on online courses, specifically when I go to a pretty rigorous private school?</p>
<p>If you took English 9, History 9, etc., then taking Honors English 9, Honors History 9, etc. online is pretty much wasted effort.</p>
<p>If your high school doesn’t add online AP courses to your transcript, then it’s debatable how much those courses will help you. They certainly won’t <em>hurt</em>, but evidence is spotty on how seriously adcoms will consider supplemental transcripts. The grades on those courses won’t help you make the first admissions cut, but the presence of the courses could make up for a perceived lack of rigor in your normal school transcripts.</p>
<p>Taking college courses is definitely a good bet. Doing well on some tough college courses can certainly make up for a lack of honors courses in your first two years.</p>
<p>As this post regards the rest of the thread, I just want to point out that there’s a big difference between skipping out on underclassmen honors courses and taking one AP course instead of another. You did make a “strategic mistake,” but it sounds like you’re doing everything possible to make up for it.</p>
<p>urmom, I’ve been dealing with college transcript issues myself and from what I’ve seen, usually Community College/other University < High School. Depending on which online program you took it may be tougher, but in general taking APs at school take the most weight. Personally, I find courses not at my school extremely easy to Ace which is why I’m taking a couple of CC classes to boost my GPA. I’m not sure if you still have time but I’d aim to take the AP tests that are coming up this May so you have some standard score to substantiate your classes (that’s what I’m doing with my 3 self studied APs/CC classes). You’ll notice it’s impossible to get a 5 unless you put in tons of time, and you’ll probably end up with a 3 or 4 in the self studied APs (At least that’s what my practices tests have shown).</p>
<p>Edit: Access, can’t you put your average GPA combined from both College Transcript and High School Transcript on your resume? I was under the impression that I could >.<</p>
<p>When looking at average AI’s, it’s important to keep in mind that 40% of the class at ivies is hooked. So when we get to the unhooked they are expected to compensate for the hooked.</p>
<p>While admissions officers all say and mean the occasional B is not a problem, that several B’s are a problem has been document in every book from A Is For Admissions to The Gatekeepers. And all ivy adcom (yes, I’ve been one) will tell you that taking your school’s hardest courses is imperative. Can you miss a couple? Sure. Not taking AP language and being a strong math kid and not taking AP Chem and Physics? No way.</p>
<p>Hmom: So you feel it would be a better use of my time to focus on my Math courses (Diff equations, Stats, Chem AP, Phys AP) rather than taking Japanese AP? Or were you saying taking language AP and math APs is important? I couldn’t really tell</p>