Does one more AP class really matter for college apps?

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<p>Hi! Thanks for checking this out. I'm new here, so I hope I'm doing this right...</p>

<p>I'm currently a sophomore in high school, and I'm trying to decide what classes to take junior and senior year. My family constantly keeps telling me that I should take at least 2 AP classes next year and that if I don't, I won't be in the "selective college group". Is this really true/does it really even matter? I haven't given college that much thought yet, but I know that I want to go somewhere that will have an education and environment that I'll really enjoy and benefit from--not necessarily from a college that's practically famous, like Stanford or something, but just a school that's good and suits me well.</p>

<p>My schedule for next year (junior year) currently has 7 classes if I take two APs, but I'm thinking about dropping one and taking it senior year because I want to concentrate on my other classes that I'm taking and really get a chance to enjoy them. I feel like I won't be able to do this without a prep, because I do flute as an extra-curricular outside of school and am taking a couple of honors classes. </p>

<p>(Plus, I feel like high school is a good place to practice socializing and just have that full "high school experience"...But I don't think I could do that with seven classes, because I tend to go sort of slow on homework/projects and reading.)</p>

<p>The problem is, if i drop the AP in my schedule for next year,</p>

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<li><p>Depending on if what my family is said is true, I might not get into a college I like</p></li>
<li><p>I'd still want to eventually take the class, which means I'd take it senior year, which would mean that my senior year schedule would be busier and I might not have a prep; I'm guessing this would be pretty bad because of college apps first semester and senioritis second semester (sorry maybe that sounds pretty lazy but I don't want to be taking 7 classes during second semester senior year...)</p></li>
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<p>Actually, that brings me to another question. I'm planning on taking two sciences next year (AP Bio and Physics), so technically I'd be done with required science credits at the start of senior year. However, for college apps, should I still take another science class even though I don't need the credits? Because my mom said that if I don't, colleges won't think I'm serious or something...Is this true? Because if it doesn't really matter, then I wouldn't have to take a science senior year and could probably have a prep if I moved an AP to senior year.</p>

<p>...Sorry, I hope that wasn't confusing. I guess, overall, I'm asking two questions:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Does taking one more AP class in junior year really make a difference to colleges?</p></li>
<li><p>Do colleges care if you don't take a science class every year in high school, even if you have done all the science classes that most students take? (If you have all the credits)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thank you for reading this.</p>

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<p>Really depends on the college, some of these big selective schools “Harvard, Standford, etc”, yes it does…they expect you to take the hardest courses you can. If you have some other honors courses and such along with the one AP class I’d say it is fine…other wise unless you don’t want to go to one of those really selective schools…I’d take another AP class and/or honors.</p>

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<p>Nope they don’t care. Usually, as long as you have done two lab sciences and one regular science of either Earth Science, Biology, Physics, and/or Chemistry sometime in high school.</p>

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<p>It depends on what the AP courses are and what the alternative courses are.</p>

<p>Taking two “AP lites” in place of core college-prep courses like English, math, science, history, etc. would not look so good, but taking AP versions in place of less rigorous versions of the same courses would look better.</p>

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<p>In my opinion it might matter a great deal more what the top students in your school are taking than what you may or may not take. If you are not keeping up with them and if your counselor does not consider your courseload the hardest, then you fall behind for top schools.</p>

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<p>Often, they want to see all three of biology, chemistry, and physics. If your interest is in a science or engineering major, choosing the most rigorous options for science and math is preferred.</p>

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<p>Sorry I know this is really late but thank you for the input!</p>