<p>Hello I go to school in Canada and am interested in some top-tier schools in America. For grade 11 (junior year) I have selected to take 8 courses at the university level, which is the highest offered at my school since we have no ap classes. I was considering dropping one course to take a spare block and within that spare block I would self study ap bio, ap calculus and maybe ap psychology. If I keep all 8 courses plus self study I don't feel I would do as well. So my question is... Will top universities look down on my taking only 7 courses if I am also self studying ap courses? Or should I keep the 8th course?</p>
<p>It depends on how it works at your school. When you apply, your guidance counselor has to describe your course load and it’s important that he/she checks that it’s “most challenging.” If most students only take 1-3 courses at the university level but you’re doing 7, then it should be fine as your course load is still very intense. If your guidance counselor is okay with it then you should be fine. </p>
<p>Also, would it be possible for you to take AP exams for some of your university courses? For example, if you’re taking physics at the university, you might take AP Physics B or one of the C’s. </p>
<p>I don’t understand the purpose of self studying APs when you have challenging courses available to you. Classes at top tier colleges here really exceed AP level work, so it is unlikely you would be granted much credit.</p>
<p>I’d have to agree with @BrownParent </p>
<p>Also for some background info, University level in canada doesn’t mean that the courses are the equivalent of first year University like ap classes are. We just have college and university, and all students who want to go to university have to take U level courses, they’re not that rigorous. Also the max we can take per year is 8 courses, 4 per semester, and most students in grade 11 take 8 courses. That’s why I’m wondering if dropping a course but replacing it with self studying 3 ap’s is more or less rigorous?</p>
<p>College bound and University bound I guess are like American vocational or college bound options</p>