<p>I know there have been numerous posts about course-load rigor, but I am still somewhat confused about this issue. Does a "most demanding" course selection mean I have taken every possible AP course available to me? Or does it mean I have taken harder courses in comparison with my peers? </p>
<p>In 11th grade, I took four AP classes, yet I did not take an AP science class (I took honors instead), and I took an accounting elective. Does this hurt my rigor level because I didn't take another AP when it was available? </p>
<p>I am a senior now and I am taking 5 AP's and an advanced multivariable/linear algebra class that only 3 other students from my school are taking. Once again, are colleges going to look at my schedule unfavorably because I took an easy 7th class (an nature of knowledge elective)? </p>
<p>I'm applying to U Chicago, so I would appreciate advice concerning the expectations admissions officers have at the top schools.</p>
<p>Colleges look at you comparatively to others and what you did with the resources given to you. Some top High schools probably have 20+ Ap courses. Assuming yo uare from an everyday high school, you schedule sounds great! </p>
<p>A good method to see if you are picking a hard enough load is to compare how difficult your classes are compared to others in your school.</p>
<p>Thanks for you help. That’s what I suspected. I come from a public school with 25 APs or so. Given that, do you think my rigor is still sufficient?</p>
<p>When I visited U of C, I was informed that the two most important things in an application are essays and the transcript. I think your schedule is a very respectable one.</p>
<p>I’m a second-year at the University of Chicago. First, it is not “easy” to get into the U of C. It is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the country and I know plenty of my peers who I felt were at least as qualified as me and sometimes more qualified than me that were not offered admission. However, They certainly have a different way of looking at applications than other leading universities, as even their acceptance letter points out. While schools like Harvard, Yale, and MIT, to name a few, place a strong emphasis on GPA and test scores, U of C tends places far more emphasis on the essay, transcripts, etc of a student - the “story” of the student’s life. Thus, you may be rejected from Northwestern but accepted to the U of C or accepted by Yale but rejected by the U of C. I’ve heard of both specifically happening. I didn’t have the strongest SAT scores - 2050 to be exact - and my GPA was 3.8, I believe, but I had a killer essay that really demonstrated my character and a transcript that proved I challenged myself throughout high school. The U of C loves students who love to learn - a good way to show you love to learn is to take classes at a college nearby over the summer or ensure that you’re taking the most challenging courses at your high school. </p>
<p>That said, be sure you want to attend the U of C. It’s certainly a different environment from the typical college atmosphere. Also, if you’re a pre-med, this isn’t the best place to go. The U of C will kill your GPA. Several of my roommates were pre-med but changed their minds as their GPA went steadily downhill. However, it’s certainly not impossible to maintain a good GPA here, but due to the challenging nature of the courses here and the lack of grade inflation, it’s more difficult than at other top ranked schools, such as Harvard. </p>
<p>Ha… just remembered we actually have shirts here that say “If I wanted an A, I would’ve went to Harvard”</p>