Courseload questions

<p>I am currently a junior and plan to major in mechanical engineering.</p>

<p>2) Does my courseload look challenging enough ( fyi, my school offers approx 20 AP courses although they allow a student to take a max of 3-4 AP courses a year ). Any other courses you guys recommend I should take for my major / to make my courseload look challenging? </p>

<p>The courses I took this year ( junior ) were:</p>

<p>Ap Physics B
Ap Computer Science A
Calculus Honors
English III Honors
Spanish II
US History </p>

<p>Senior Courses:</p>

<p>AP English Lit
AP Calculus AB
Spanish III Honors
Chemistry Honors
Public Speaking ( 1 semester course - Spring )
International Relations ( 1 semester course - Fall )
Economics ( 1 semester course - Spring )
Guitar</p>

<p>3) Spanish II Honors and US History Honors were not offered this year and hence I could not take them. Also, I took Modern World History in my sophomore year since there wasnt an honors course at the time. My school is now introducing all these honors courses for the coming academic year. Will the colleges know this in some way or will they think I slacked off?</p>

<p>4) I moved to the US in the 10th grade and not knowing what to expect, I took all regular classes for my sophomore year ( no honors ) which were very very easy. Will this hurt my resume or is there some way to justify this on my application?</p>

<p>Thanks much..</p>

<p>Just ask your GC to discuss how the classes were just added and you didn't have a chance to take them. They can put that in their rec form.</p>

<p>Hmm I see.. I didnt know they could do that. alright thanks much.... </p>

<p>Also, you think I'm all set with my schedule or does it look like im slacking?</p>

<p>It would look better to get another AP in senior year. If your school has 20 AP's, you look a little short. Not all students take AP's in soph year. In junior year, you are okay with two AP's since you were taking 6 courses and they are all core courses. In senior year, it looks light, though. (Large public universities are more numbers driven.)</p>

<p>I don't really understand why you are taking Calculus honors junior year and then AP Calc AB senior year. Did you mean AP Calc BC? If so, then your courseload looks pretty good and your choice of major looks excellent! (I'm also hoping to major in mechanical engineering).</p>

<p>I'm not sure but some high schools handle the math sequence differently. For example, some consider AP Calc AB to be a pre-requisite for AP Calc BC.</p>

<p>like my school...
Calc AB is a prerequisite for Calc BC..</p>

<p>unless you take shortened version of AP test in front of the teacher and get at least 90% of them correct...</p>

<p>Can't think of any other AP course I could take/might want to take. I guess I could try and see if my school offers at a AP computer science AB class ( although I personally hate it ).. Then there's AP Government which I might want to take but its not related to my major. doh.. am confused..</p>

<p>Also, in my school, AP calculus AB is a prerequisite for BC. Hence, I have take AB unless I self-study and pass the AB exam with a 3 or better. </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>I'm also in a similar state:</p>

<p>AP Lit
AP Physics C
AP Comp Prog AB
Honors Calc
Web Site Design
Digital Art
Radio</p>

<p>I took APs that interest me (I like analyzing poetry, AP Physics is preparing me for something in the astronmy field, and I like programming).</p>

<p>Web Design I took to help me as I am the Webmaster of my schools Computer Club</p>

<p>Digital Art was a semi-filler class, but I am going to participate in the Art Show, and my work is almost good enough to be placed into contests</p>

<p>and Radio was something I had a passion for.</p>

<p>In all honesty, I could have taken AP Bio, b/c I am a natural at biology, but I had other interests and it's senior year, I can take classes I WANT to take....</p>

<p>B<em>s</em>Bowser, doesnt the senior courseload also have to be rigorous so as to not look like your slacking off? I thought that taking difficult courses, like in junior year, is a must.</p>

<p>I will admit i could have taken a more rigourous coruseload, but AP Lit and AP Physics are hard enough (I have an 88 (B+) in physics, and a 84% (B) in Lit). I have taken 5 APs total:</p>

<p>World
Comp Sci A and AB
Physics C
AP Lit</p>

<p>I took rest honors classes (from sophmore - up).</p>

<p>So yes it does have to be rigorous, but then again looking at mine, it's no walk in the park.but Ill be honest, I work two jobs, and last year I had rugby and other clubs, and I'm not the best time manager, but I didnt take on-grade levels, I took as many honors as I could to attempt to make up for the shortcoming...</p>