I’m in Canada, but planning on applying to Ivies.
The current courses that I have planned out for the rest of my junior year and my senior year make my schedule pretty packed, but I don’t know if it’s packed in a good way. I’m taking a lot of art courses as well as some computer programming courses for fun. My only worry is that colleges might think that I am only taking these courses to get a better GPA (even though it’s actually harder to get 100% in art, but whatever).
Btw, the 30-levels are grade 12 level courses here. The -1 means it’s the highest level “version” of that class. Not sure how it works in the US…
Junior year:
Current term: Biology 30-1, Math 30-1, Computer Programming I, Social Studies 20-1
Term 2: Chemistry 20-1, Stats AP, English 20-1, Art 20
Senior year (hopefully):
English 30-1, Social 30-1, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, Physics 30-1, Chem 30-1, Art 30, Computer programming II
Do you think I need to take more AP classes? If so, I’m gonna have to give up my fun courses like art and computer programming.
Take the art. You will be happier. That really does count!
The places you will be applying to know full and well how challenging good art classes are. And there is nothing stopping you from submitting a portfolio to the AP studio art folks if you really want to do that.
Does your school teach AP Calc A/B and AP Calc B/C as two semester courses? I have seen different ways that schools do the sequence on CC but never that way before.
My gut feeling is to take art and computer program. It is important to explore things you enjoy in HS.
What I would suggest is that you speak with your HS guidance counselor and be sure the schedule you planned would be sufficient for him/her to check the box saying you have taken the most rigorous schedule available at your HS in the recommendation for college applications – that is what the top tier colleges look for. Keep in mind that to get that box checked one does not need to take every AP available (and it could be that computer programming II is a more rigorous a course than some AP classes) and it looks to me like your schedule should be just fine.
@Eeyore123 When I wrote those, I just meant that the first term I would take AP Calc A/B one term and AP Calc B/C the second term if possible. Not sure exactly if I’ll be able to do that at my school, because it’s pretty small and the courses offered change from year to year, but that’d be the ideal.
And to everybody, thanks for the advice. I’ll double-check with my counsellor to make sure just like @happy1 said. I really like the schedule I have right now – I was just a little bit worried that maybe I wasn’t doing enough.