<p>I have no idea about Stanford, although from what I have seen of their admissions practices locally, they seem to value athletic prowess over the number of AP's.... but maybe that's just my perspective from having known some recruited athletes. </p>
<p>However, my own daughter didn't buy into the "hardest possible curriclum" madness -- she did not take all APs offered at her high school, and her courseload had some decided weaknesses, and it obviously didn't hurt her with college admissions. Of course, by skimping on math & science and foregoing AP's her junior year, she did have time to pursue her foreign language study intensely... which seems to me to be exactly the kind of point Dean Shaw is trying to make. </p>
<p>I think they would rather see students who pursue their interests than those who take every AP offered at their school. That is, if someone leans toward the arts, they might prefer to see that person take additional art studio or art history classes at their high school, rather than sign up for AP Calculus when it is clear that person has no interest in pursuing a career in math or sciences. And the kid who is more math and science focus doesn't need to take AP European History just because its offered - that kid might be better served by adding a non-AP science elective that his high school offers (for example, geology or astronomy) during an extra time slot than filling it up with an AP in a subject he has little interest in.</p>