So I am a freshman and I am taking 6 AP exams. Do you think this is enough? Please do not say that I am making a big mistake or that I can’t handle it because I know I can. I am formally taking 4 of the AP classes at my high school (AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Human Geography, and AP English Lang) and I am self-studying for 2 exams ( AP Environmental, AP Comparative Gov). Do you think this is enough or should I self-study more exams? I really want to self-study more but I do not know which ones. Additionally, I am very good at time management so I am very productive and can handle a lot of work. Also, do you guys have any recommendations for test prep books? I own a Barron’s book and a Princeton Review book for each of the AP exams above. Please let me know if there are any other good prep/review books!
Why are you doing this? This is way too many for a freshman. Definitely don’t self study, that’s a total waste and if you are doing this for colleges, it won’t enhance your application.
Have you planned out your 4 year plan of study for HS? You run the risk of running out of courses to take which isn’t going to help you in the long run if your junior and senior year is filled with fluff classes.
Taking the 4 in your HS is already a lot. Don’t spend time self-studying for the two additional exams – instead use that time to focus on excelling in the classes you are taking in school and getting involved in extra curricular activities that are meaningful to you.
Calm down. Many schools do not allow freshman to take AP classes at all.
What are you going to do with all these AP credits?
Self studying for AP exams doesn’t impress admissions officers all that much. The reason you might consider self studying would be because you are planning to attend a state college that is likely to give you credit for all of them, and you are trying to shorten the time you must spend there in order to save money.
A better way to impress most highly selective colleges might be to excel at your extra curriculars.
DD’s HS only allows freshmen and sophomores into three AP classes total for the first two years. All three are basically electives. Therefore, no one takes more than one each year because of the risk of not having time for the necessary cores and all the other graduation requirements.
My son’s school doesn’t offer AP exams until junior year. Three 2019 grads are headed to Harvard. You don’t need to overextended yourself.
First, the reason that I am taking the 4 at my high school are because I, and my teachers feel like I am prepared for them. I took honors precalculus, honors chem, honors english 10, and got 100s in all of those classes. The reason I want to self study AP Environmental is because I am required to take earth and space science (I am doing so online) and the curriculum is basically the same as what is in the APES Barron’s book. Also, I took a practice test and got a 4 on it as it was ridiculously easy. The reason I want to take AP comparative gov is because I am actually very interested in it! I read over the 5 steps to 5 for that exam and I found it very interesting. If I don’t pass the exam, then I don’t have to submit the scores to colleges. Also, I did plan out my 4 years of high school and I am taking (in total) about 25 AP exams. I know most high schools don’t allow this many classes but I go to a special school and have one on one tutoring. I am also starting 2 non profit organizations and I have a tier one activity.
If you’re going to be taking even more in your sophomore, junior, and senior years, 6 exams is more than enough for your freshman year. Most people don’t take any freshman year.
25 AP can get you the WRONG sort of attention.
I don’t think you have an idea of what really matters. And that can sink you like a lead weight.
Kids think more AP = more rigor, but that’s the wrong plan. Spend some time learning what top colleges DO want. Loading up on AP does not signal intellectual curiosity. And to take 25, it’ll mean a whoe lot that don’t matter to colleges, never will. It represents the wrong sort of thinking.
Maybe your HS is insane and everyone there is taking more than 2 APs freshman year, but otherwise this post comes along more as a brag than a question. Do NOT self study APs, especially Environmental Science (pretty much useless) and Comparative Government. The other 4 are enough.
It is one thing to take AP exams “early” because you are taking the course in normal progression as an advanced student (probably most common in math and foreign language).
It is quite another to self-study AP exams (often the easier ones that are less well regarded by colleges for both admissions and subject credit in college) just to run up the count of AP scores that you have.
If I was a college admissions committee your high school career already would make me nervous. Take the AP’s offered. I agree not to go overboard with online classes- it’s much less impressive and harder to do well in an actual classroom setting, which involves interactions and collaboration, than it is to just study for a test.
Please don’t. Find existing non-profits and work there. Colleges are inundated with high schoolers who start non-profits and it really is unlikely to tip the admissions needle.
Oh boy. I’m just going to be blunt and say that if you think your plan of taking 25 AP classes and starting two nonprofits will get you into a tippy top college, you are badly mistaken. They will not be impressed. They will think you are an academic drone and they don’t like that. They would be far more impressed if you joined an already-existing local group and were able to make a real impact in your own community.
If your goal is college credit, also be aware that there are colleges that will not accept more than a certain number of APs for credit. Most of the very elite schools will only give you placement if they accept your APs. You’ve much to learn.
Tier One Activity…Are you a recruited athlete?
25 AP exams may get you the CC record for most AP’s taken in HS. :lol
Probably. The most I’ve seen here is 24. But the OP is a freshman, and has been a freshman for all of 2 and a half minutes. There is a looooong road ahead.
Long road with many speed bumps. Probably has potholes as well as wishes and fairy tales.
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Maybe your HS is insane and everyone there is taking more than 2 APs freshman year, but otherwise this post comes along more as a brag than a question.
First of all, I am not trying to brag at all. This was just my AP plan and I know MANY kids at my high school that have taken more than 20 AP exams.
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Please don’t. Find existing non-profits and work there. Colleges are inundated with high schoolers who start non-profits and it really is unlikely to tip the admissions needle.
If my non-profit makes a difference in my community, then it will. I have many connections so it will be easy to acquire a following.
[quote=“lookingforward, post:9, topic:2064279”]
25 AP can get you the WRONG sort of attention.
I don’t think you have an idea of what really matters. And that can sink you like a lead weight.
Kids think more AP = more rigor, but that’s the wrong plan.
On the contrary, I spoke with many ivy league admission offices and they told me that it shows more academic rigor. What do you mean by “WRONG sort of attention?”
quote=“sushiritto;c-22372419”]Tier One Activity…Are you a recruited athlete?
Actually, I was a competitve junior tennis player. I was ranked as one of the best in the country, had an Adidas sponsorship, and won numerous national tournaments. However, I have a new Tier one activity but I am not going to disclose that here. But trust me, it is Tier one.
I am self studying for AP exams for many reasons. One being that I want to be the AP state scholar in my state. Also, I have calculated how to quickly take the necessary classes I need to graduate.
I have planned out all of my classes for the next 4 years. I will not run out of classes and I will be still taking AP classes until the second semester of senior year ( I am planning to graduate a semester early because of my tier one activity) .
Actually, I was a competitve junior tennis player. I was ranked as one of the best in the country, had an Adidas sponsorship, and won numerous national tournaments. However, I have a new Tier one activity but I am not going to disclose that here. But trust me, it is Tier one.
On the contrary, I spoke with many ivy league admission officers and they told me that it shows more academic rigor. What do you mean by “WRONG sort of attention?”