<p>I was wondering if you really need to take AP classes to get into big name schools. I don't mean Ivy League schools, but like CMU or USC.</p>
<pre><code> I'm pretty smart, but don't want the added pressure of AP classes. If I get a 4.0 from 9-12th and do really well on my SAT, is it still possible to get in without the AP classes?
</code></pre>
<p>Well, you don't need, anything persay, and a "poor" student can get into any school s/he wants if they have amazing ECs or contacts at the school or whatever.</p>
<p>It would be highly beneficial to your chances if you demonstrate that you took the most rigorous courseload possible -- if you do well in lower classes and you had the chance to participate in higher ones, colleges will likely think you lazy, or uninterested in the academia, etc.</p>
<p>Unless you have other distinguishing characteristics, I would say that you should take a rigorous courseload if you want to ensure acceptance to one of your listed schools.</p>
<p>I suppose it's possible, but if your school offers them, I'd go ahead and take at least some of them, if only in subjects you're really interested in.
I'll have 11 by the time I graduate [9 months!!! yes! lol], but I didn't take them to "look impressive" to colleges. Honestly, I get bored with honors classes and could hardly stand to sit through them. So, now I'm in all APs and it's very nice :]</p>
<p>Ok, I was in all advanced classes up until 7th grade when the school more or less forced me to drop them all.</p>
<p>I could get back in if I work really hard this year.</p>
<p>^^ lol I thought Moodrets was calling the OP poor like... poor. bahha</p>
<p>edit
[quote]
Ok, I was in all advanced classes up until 7th grade when the school more or less forced me to drop them all.
[/quote]
How did this happen? Were your grades slipping or what?
Anyway, if you're going to be getting high high A's in just regular classes/honors or whatever, you will look "lazy" to colleges if you had the opportunity to take APs and didn't do it.</p>
<p>Well, sadly I am a kid that most colleges would consider "poor" so that throws bribes out the window. :)</p>
<p>^ ;] lol. Just take however many APs you feel comfortable with, join some ECs that you're really interested, and you'll be pretty well off.</p>
<p>OHHH make sure you're a "leader" or whatever in your ECs. Unfortunately it's too late for me, but I never heard that advice, and was pretty content to just sit there and act like I was in the "club" or whatever. Nottt a good idea.</p>
<p>Haha, you don't need bribes -- in fact, my current, err, lack of financial means is what is going to put me through college, haha (full rides at all the ivies bwahahahaha).</p>
<p>Anyone can gain acceptance anywhere so long as they apply themselves well. Find a comfy spot on the rigor spectrum where you can retain both a decent GPA and your sanity... and sit there. Just make sure you're being the, erm (corny phrase alert), BEST YOU CAN BE!</p>
<p><a href="full%20rides%20at%20all%20the%20ivies%20bwahahahaha">quote</a>.
[/quote]
I hate you.</p>
<p>/not sarcasm </p>
<p>:]</p>
<p>Thanks, I will definitively get back in the AP classes. As for ECs:</p>
<p>I play football, and will be signing up for other stuff soon.</p>
<p>Since you want to be an attorney [I'm assuming by your sn? lol], does your school/area have a mock trial team? You'd probably love that. Or a debate team would work, or a political club.</p>
<p>We have a debate team, but it's for 10th grade and up so I'll be in it next year. But yes, I'm stuck between becoming an artist and an attorney.</p>
<p>Yes, as was already mentioned, TRY AND HOLD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN WHATEVER ECs YOU INTEND TO TAKE if you want to better your chances of getting into selective colleges (although make sure the ECs are consistent with your intended college major/interests and that you pursue them strongly -- 2 or 3 interrelated clubs that you show great passion for are far better looked upon than 10 vice-presidencies in random clubs).</p>
<p>I also neglected to, err, do this, and am now stuck with a rather weak resume in that department... :[</p>
<p>I just thought of this: Are electives considered ECs?</p>
<p>^ I don't think so. But whatever electives you choose, make sure they at least KIND of correlate with what you're interested in. Colleges can understand if you end up with some electives that are like "whhaaat? why did they take that class?" because of scheduling crap that happens. BUT whenever you can, pick something like speech classes/art classes or whatever you really WANT to do.</p>
<p>Ok, that makes sense. I read that I should start preparing for the SATs now, is that true?</p>
<p>Uhhh... I wouldn't. I mean, I know some people who did, but I thought they were silly lol.
The SAT [in my opinion anyway] should be a pretty simple test for a native English speaker. </p>
<p>The math part only covers up to maybe 10th grade level math, at the most. It's pretty easy, and isn't really out to "trick" you, so if you know what you're doing, it shouldn't be that difficult. </p>
<p>The critical reading bit is always my worst subject [I mean.. worst throughout my life, lol I only took the SAT once], because I overanalyze what they say and then get it wrong. Don't overanalyze it, but do analyze the stuff to an extent. If you can read a passage and understand what the author's trying to say, what the point of view is, la la laa stuff like that, I can't understand why it'd be that hard. </p>
<p>The writing part includes the little essay thing and then some kind of.. fill in the blank in the sentence questions that test your vocabulary. If you're a good writer, you're a good writer, so you'll do well. If you know that you suck at writing, then work on that, maybe with a teacher or somebody. As for vocab, it was easy for me because I was already in AP Latin when I took the SAT, so the roots were pretty basic. I don't know what foreign language you're taking, so dunno if you'll have a good root knowledge. If you're taking like.. German, I guess that you could help with like 2% of the words in the English language lol. Latin helps a LOT though, if you actually bother learning the vocabulary, and I figure Spanish prolly would help too. If you feel like your vocab is really weak, maybe do the SAT words of the day? Idk I've never used any of those "study" tools or whatever.</p>
<p>BASICALLLYYYY [if you didn't bother reading all that, I'm summing it up here, lol] I wouldn't start studying yet. Or at all. IMO everybody should take the SAT their first time with no specific preparation, if only to see how they'll do. That's what I did, and I fully planned to walk out with a mediocre score and go study my ass off and take it again, BUT came out with a 2300. So, obviously I'm not re-taking it.</p>
<p>edit - I think this is the LONGEST post I've ever done! :]</p>
<p>Ok, that makes sense. I actually not able to take a second language, but my vocabulary skills are pretty good any ways.</p>
<p>You can't take a second language? You mean.. a language other than English?
That's realllly weird. You might want to make your school pay for an online foreign language course, because if they don't offer it, they have to pay if you want to take it somewhere else. Most colleges require at LEAST 2 years of foreign language for admission.</p>