<p>Colleges always say they look for the course rigor as opposed to grades, but obviously E's in AP classes aren't very good. </p>
<p>I'm a rising senior, and by the end of my senior year, I will have taken 10 AP courses (my school offers 15), and 8-10 AP tests (I haven't decided which tests i will actually take senior year, depends on how bad my senioritis is), with mostly 4's and 5's. My grades in AP classes are all A's and B's, my stronger classes being English/Social Sciences, while my science and math AP's are mostly B's (an A in AP Calc though!). </p>
<p>My question is, is this rigorous enough to excuse the B's I have, or should I take fewer AP's as a senior to boost my GPA with A's? My GPA is 3.7 unweighted (I don't know what it is weighted, that comes out at the end of the year).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Colleges look at BOTH grades AND rigor of coursework.</p>
<p>Whether or not your schedule is demanding ‘enough’ depends on which schools you’re applying to and what other students in your HS take. Your HS GC will mark on the CA SSR whether your schedule is the most demanding, very demanding, demanding, etc., relative to what is offered and how many APs other students take.</p>
<p>If you think that students with mostly B’s in science and math AP courses are competitive candidates for the most selective colleges then you are fooling yourself. There is no “excusing.” They want smart kids that can take tough courses and do well. You ought to adjust your aim accordingly.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I should have made myself clear. I am not aiming for a highly selective school. like the Ivies, or Stanford. I obviously do not have the grades for that. Additionally, I am not looking to enter a math or science related field, as they are not my strongest subjects.</p>