<p>I know that course load is one of the most important things that Yale considers. Can anyone give me any insight on how rigorous this course load is compared to most Yale the course load of most Yale acceptees? </p>
<p>Also, does Yale really consider the courses you take in freshman/sophomore year? It's pretty much impossible to take any IB class before your junior year, unless you take IB Math SL, which I wasn't able to because I failed the Iowa Aptitude test in sixth grade. -.- Haha</p>
<p>Junior Year:
IB English 1
IB History of Americas
IB Biology 1
IB Chemistry 1
IB Math HL 1
IB Spanish 1
Orchestra </p>
<p>Sophomore Year:
English 10 Honors
Algebra 2 and Trig Honors
IB Chemistry
US Gov Honors
Spanish 3
AP Psychology (online)
Health and PE
Orchestra</p>
<p>Freshman Year:
English 9 Honors
Geometry Honors
Biology Honors
World History 2 Honors
Spanish 2
Health and PE
Orchestra</p>
<p>Would this be considered an "average" or "rigorous" course load? I just want to know where I stand. (: Any comments would be great. (I go to an IB-only school).</p>
<p>So I did APs, which are way easier than IBs, and I think your courseload seems fine. At the very least, as long as you get good marks they’re at the level at which admins will nod and move along to the parts of your app that actually matter…</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply! I think I’m just a little paranoid after seeing so many “chance me” threads on here with kids who have been taking APs since freshman year.</p>
<p>How rigorous the course load you take is relative to what is offered. At my son’s school they only had 6 AP classes and none could be taken before junior year. He ended taking 5 of them and is attending Yale this fall.</p>
<p>Don’t panic; focus on getting good marks instead. </p>
<p>My own info in case you wanted comparison:</p>
<p>Soph year: Micro/macro Econ self-study = 2 AP exams
Jr year: Calc AB, US Hist, Eng Lang, Phys B classes + Art His & Studio Art self-study = 6 AP exams
Sr year: Calc BC, Gov, Eng Lit, Chem, French classes + Chinese self-study = 6 AP exams</p>
<p>I can tell you definitively that this was an above-average courseload among Yalies (which unfortunately in no way indicates actual intelligence). It is also obviously less rigorous than yours, because I went to a crappy public school and because APs are a joke compared to IBs. So don’t worry about the intensity Good luck with jr. year and college apps!</p>
<p>As noted above, what matters is whether you took the most rigorous courseload offered in your school, and not so much how rigorous it actually is.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much (: I see what you’re saying about taking the most rigorous courseload offered. My school doesn’t offer IB classes before junior year (except for science and math), so I think I’m doing pretty well. The only thing I was worried about was math because a lot of kids took IB Math in sophomore year.</p>
Good luck with jr. year and college apps!</p>