Hi guys,
We are doing course selections at the moment for high school, and I know many of you have finished the college application process and I am looking for some advice. There are 3 AP’s available for next year (junior year) and at the moment I am thinking about taking 2 of them (AP US, and AP PHYSICS). AP Lit is also an option and my teacher thinks I can do it, but I don’t really enjoy the subject and reading all that much. I am aiming for the top colleges and I had a 4.0/4.0 for Freshman year, and am hoping to end this year with a 4.0/4.0 as well. I do not want to take an AP just to take an AP but I want to know if not taking all of the AP’s available will hurt my chances of getting into the top schools of the country. I have pretty significant extra-circulars (class president, legislative council, mentor programs, etc.) and I do have a part time job and play 2 sports as well, so time might be an issue also. I feel that if I take lit I may be able to pull off an A but I am not 100% sure. Any thoughts? Again, since many people on here have gotten into some of the best schools in the nation, I would really like some insight on the application process and whether or not not taking AP lit will hurt my chances. Thanks for your time and any responses will be greatly appreciated.
Your test scores are very important. You ideally want to be 32 and over on the ACT. I think the new SAT is back to 1600, so I am thinking above 1400? Not sure about that. At any rate, many CC experts will say that beyond 6 or 7 AP classes, you will see diminishing returns. But if your school only offers 6 total, and you take 5, and honors classes, etc…then that might suffice. Colleges want to see rigor. Are you taking a rigorous course load? TBH, grades and test scores are the most important factors, and ideally those grades should be from rigorous clases. But even taking 12 APs and getting 4.0 and the highest test scores and all 5s on the APs is no guarantee of anything at the top schools, who reject thousands with the very best stats. It sounds like you have great ECs, and work hard. Remember though, if you are determined to get into a top school, despite the super low acceptance rates at all of them, you not only need good ECS, but also rigor and good grades. This is not a challenge for you; rather, it is a way of suggesting that you should think about the kind of life you want to lead for the next couple of years. Is the goal to get into Harvard, no matter what it takes? Or is the goal to go to a good school and enjoy your time in high school? Maybe both? This is a long-winded way of saying that your should take courses because you want to, not because they will impress college admissions officers. And bear in mind that you really want to get 4 or 5 on AP tests for the most part, because it confirms that you were taught well and worked hard for a good grade in the class. AP tests are a lot of work in terms of studying. Good luck to you.