<p>Hello!
I'm new to this board but I would apprieciate it if you could offer me you help.
At my school, we have modular scheduling. For next year (my junior year), I am registered for 44 out of 50 (with 5 needed for lunch).
The thing is, I don't want to kill myself with my workload. I have a part-time job and I am heavily involved in my EC's and volunteer work. </p>
<p>I am also shooting for a 4.0. I know that junior year is the really important year that colleges look at so I want my schedule to look amazing while still maintaining good grades.</p>
<p>So far, for next year, I am registered for:</p>
<p>American Lit H
Pre-Calc H
AP US History
Physics H
Spanish 4H
French 3
Band
Jazz Band </p>
<p>I want to take AP Euro or AP Psych but I don't want to kill myself with my courseload. If I don't take either of those AP's, I will have more mods to get help in my classes and maintain a less stressed lifestyle. All of those classes have difficult teachers and intense workloads. I've talked to my parents and teachers and they all tell me to follow my gut, but right now, I'm quite unsure.</p>
<p>So, should I impress colleges with an extra AP and overwork myself or should I take it a bit easier and risk not getting into my dream school (Yale, if you couldn't tell from my sn).</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for your time!!!
-yalegirl681</p>
<p>Generally, I think admissions committees are more impressed by excellence and committment to a smaller number of things about which you are passionate than by a smorgasboard of superficial involvements. I am not sure that is the case with you.</p>
<p>Why don't you try AP Euro along with the rest and see how it goes? You should be prepared to drop something quickly so it doesn't leave a blemish on your record.</p>
<p>Talk to your counselor and a trusted teacher.</p>
<p>Call or email the admissions offices and get advice from the people at Yale, etc.</p>
<p>how many AP classes does your school offer and how many kids take multiple APs in junior year? Ask you counselor if your current schedule would be considered the "most rigorous" at your particular school.</p>
<p>if you schedule is considered most rigorous and most kids take one or two AP classes junior year -- leave well enough alone. In the end, a good GPA is more important than another AP class -- plus you can use the time to follow your passion (another thing top schools look for).</p>
<p>AP Psych (the test, not the class) is supposed to be one of the easier AP tests -- you could self-study it in just few weeks if you are good test taker.</p>
<p>Collegehelp- I am very dedicated to my EC's.....I've done jazz band, marching band, pep band, show band, leadership positions in the band, giving people lessons for volunteering and competing in many contests and clincs. I hope it doesn't apper superficial because I really love it.
At my school, band and jazz band are classes that I must take in order to participate. </p>
<p>Hsmomstef- My school offers almost all the AP's that are available, but there is no way you could take them all since we can't take them till junior year. Most kids take APUSH and many honors classes (non AP) only a few take others...and they usually end up dropping them. But then again, not many are signed up for 2 languages and 2 music classes (like me) so it is easier for them...</p>
<p>You're not getting into Yale without top grades in the hardest classes unless you go to a very exceptional HS, one that has an average SAT of at least 1350 old, unless you're hooked.</p>
<p>Chances of getting in with both are still very small.</p>
<p>Well I am a geographical minority (Nebraska)...lol
Does that count as a "hook"?
Plus, I'm extremely dedicated to my EC's and volunteering.
My high school is okay...not the best but still sound. All the other classes I'm taking are honors (and I skipped a level in French)...
I don't know...I don't want to take a class to impress adcoms...because I probably won't do so hot because I'll be doing it for all the wrong reasons...but I do want to impress adcoms...Argh...this is a sticky situation!!!</p>
<p>anecdotally schools care a million times more about GPA than course rigor, i know so many people who got into good schools with 4.0s in joke classes and so many people who got rejected to good schools with like 3.7s in really hard classes</p>
<p>No, it's really pretty simple, Yale doesn't accept kids who can't take the school's top classes, and that includes at Exeter and Andover, and still handle a varsity sport and an amazing EC. </p>
<p>I mean this in the nicest possible way, but the difference between the 90% of applicants who don't get in and the 10% that do is having it all.</p>
<p>And els, you could not be talking about highly selective schools.</p>
<p>You are already signed up for six major subjects, one AP and the rest Honors. I think that a seventh will be either impossible, or serious overload. If you want the additional AP, can you take a break from French, and delay French 3 a year? Or is French really easy for you? The schedule crunch seems to be caused by the double language study- not that it is a bad thing. You seem to be very interested in languages. Sometimes, it is better to stick to your own game plan than to change to please a potential admissions officer or someone else. There is always senior year for Euro and/or Psych.</p>
<p>Well I really love languages...French and Spanish are my favorite classes. Plus, I want to be an interpreter so dropping either is not in my best interest. Thank you all so, so much for all your help!</p>
<p>Then, I think that you should stick to your plan and take both French and Spanish. Sticking to your own goals will pay off in the long run. By the way, being from Nebraska will help a little with elite admissions, but Yale is still a long shot for nearly everyone. You should look at a lot of good schools, and not invest in any of them emotionally until you are accepted and know that you can afford it.</p>
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No, it's really pretty simple, Yale doesn't accept kids who can't take the school's top classes, and that includes at Exeter and Andover, and still handle a varsity sport and an amazing EC.
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<p>i'm telling you, from my own anecdotal experience, that's bad advice. I don't know the details of anyone who got into "yale" but i'm referring to top 30 schools.</p>
<p>obviously getting As in all APs is better than not, i'm saying it's better to have a 4.0 sans APs than a 3.7 in all APs, according to what i've witnessed happen.</p>
<p>You are just incorrect and your anecdotal info is worthless. Just pick up the phone, call Yale or any top school and ask. Those that they accept, other than the hooked, have top grades in the school's hardest classes. If your school has APs and you don't take them or just take the easy ones, Yale won't even consider you.</p>
<p>This question is asked over and over at college info sessions and the answer is always the same: Get all As in all APs. And they don't mean psych, stats and micro econ. They mean calc and physics and lit and your foreign language among others.</p>
<p>reading comprehension is a valuable skill, suze</p>
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I don't know the details of anyone who got into "yale" but i'm referring to top 30 schools.
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<p>
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obviously getting As in all APs is better than not
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<p>i'm aware of the fact that YALE is competitive to the extent that almost all applicants will have taken all APs, so not having APs on your transcript is an immediate strike against you. Saying yale will not "even consider" someone like this is both arrogant and innacurate, however.</p>
<p>i said, at top 30 schools, which are not as competitive as yale, i would consider GPA a more pertinent concern than taking AP classes. ie: colleges will initially care more about base GPA, then will look to course rigor.</p>
<p>beyond that, i misread the initial post, if you think it's possible to get a 4.0 after adding additional AP classes, obviously that's the best route to go, whether or not you think you should sacrifice quality of life during high school for it is more of your personal decision. I personally prefer a balance, but some don't.</p>