Let me begin by saying, I am a slight overachiever. I have taken most of the AP classes at my school and plan on taking AP Calc BC over the summer. I have only one state mandated class (for the Virginia Advanced Diploma); however, I have been told that is not advisable. It is around the time to pick my classes so I want to see how this schedule would sound for colleges: AP or Honors Eng, AP or Honors Gov (Although Gov isn’t a mandatory class), Honors Aerospace Engineering, Honors German 1, and Honors French 2 (I have already gotten to AP Spanish 6). I have a plethora of AP credits already so I don’t know if I should weigh down my senior year taking a bunch of APs. Please give me suggestions for what would look good for colleges. I am going to dual major in either Pre-Med and a foreign language or Poly-Sci / International Relations and a foreign language in college. Thanks in advance guys!
If you are looking at top tier schools, take those AP classes.
Alrighty then! Thanks.
I would do a mix of honors and AP of classes that you enjoy without loading up too much – AP Gov is good if you’re interested in international relations (make sure you’ve taken UPUSH already). You definitely want to have an English class (AP Lit or honors – I’d go with whichever has the better teacher and/or whichever has more interesting readings, and/or whichever has more of your friends in it); having a second year of a second foreign language probably makes more sense that taking another first year of a third language. You are probably okay not taking another math class beyond Calc BC (unless you happen to like math). Aerospace Engineering sounds cool – as long as you have had the three main lab sciences (chemistry, physics, and biology).
Take what you love – not what you think will look good to colleges. Don’t over schedule yourself, but don’t slack off.
Don’t take Calc BC over the summer. Take it during the year and use the summer for something productive. Read how to be a high school superstzr by Cal Newport. If you’re aiming for top colleges will you need to focus on one or two of your ECs and make that summer count.
’ I have been told that is not advisable’ = what do you mean/what are you referring to?
Definitely take AP English and AP gov. Add calculus and Engineering, then French 2. You could try and see if a local CC offers a compact summer class for French 1, as taking college French 1 cover high school 1+2 and would allow you to jump into high school French 3 (it’d likely be 3 weeks if review and 3weeks new material that you’d then review Fall senior year.) Only do that if it leaves you plenty of time to focus on your ECs.