Hi everyone, I’m currently a sophomore but I’ve been stressing a little about my courses next year. I’m going to be taking 3 courses at my local community college, 2 honors, and 1 AP. I know a ton of juniors typically take more APs but it’s something my school won’t allow – so I’m going to have to rely on community college courses since I’m not able to take any more advanced classes through my school. It’d be my first time taking any kind of challenging course at this school (my previous school didn’t let freshmen/sophomores take honors or APs).
My junior schedule:
English Composition I (college-level)
Honors Algebra 2
Honors Chemistry
AP Psychology
Introduction to American Government (college-level)
Introduction to Sociology (college-level)
Anatomy and Physiology
French II
The universities I plan on applying to are the University of Washington, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), University of Rochester, Bowdoin College, and Smith College. Anyway, do you think I’m at a disadvantage since I’ll be taking a ton of community college courses over very few APs? Do APs matter more to them? I do plan on taking a few APs in my senior year, but I’m worried that won’t impress colleges enough…I’ll probably have a total of 5 APs, when I know other students take 8 APs or more. /:
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and have a nice day!
No
Applicants (and their parents) need to eliminate the word “impressive” from their vocabulary until after decisions are made. It is the rare application/course schedule/EC that will “impress” admissions. Perhaps the AO that read Malala’s application was “impressed” but she set the bar high.
Plus some CC courses. Once you get to 6-8 AP courses, or their equivalent (which includes college courses), additional advanced courses will not add appreciably to the college application.
You’re okay.
Dual enrollment classes taken at a community college are equivalent to AP in rigor - they may go less in depth but go at twice the page and require a lot of personal autonomy and strong time time management skills.
Do you intend to major in STEM? If not, don’t take anatomy and physiology. Take a class that reinforced your profile (arts/humanities/social sciences perhaps statistics regular to strengthen your math profile).
Also, make sure you take physics (regular or honors) either this year or senior year regardless of major. Ideally take chem honors and physics regular this year + APES next year if you’re not stem, + AP chem & anatomy&P next year if you are STEM.
Now what matters is what you choose - make sure your core classes (English, math, foreign language, science social science) are covered.
Senior year, you could take college French level 2+3 (covering high school level 3+4 in a year).
Philosophy and a history class. Economics and cultural anthropology. Art or music appreciation. Those are strong humanities and social science classes.
Add the science classes listed above + precalculus honors at the HS and you’ve got an excellent, coherent schedule for a selective school.
Thank you! c:
I intend to major in Psychology, but the reason why I’m taking Anatomy & Physiology is because I want to become a pediatrician so thought it would be a good choice to take something somewhat related to my future career. I’m pretty much at a dead end, meaning there’s no way I can change my schedule for junior year so I have to rely on just doing well in all these courses. Do you have an idea of what my senior year schedule would be if I plan to major in Psychology? Something challenging, a few APs, stuff like that. I definitely want to take AP Physics & AP Calculus later on, possibly AP English Lit too, but what specific math course do you recommend for senior year? There’s no way I can change anything for my junior year though, it’s too late for that so I’m stuck taking Honors Algebra 2.
Precalculus ad calculus as dual enrollment will be very fast paced. You’ll need to preview during the summer and preferably ask your algebra2H teacher for help. However it may be better to take precalculus honors at re high school.
If you’re stuck with that schedule, planning for senior year you could take
AP biology
Physics honors
Precalculus honors
At the high school, plus
Fall at the CC
Philosophy
French 2
Art or Music appreciation
Spring at the CC
Second level psychology
French 3
Biological Anthropology or Cultural Anthropology
At our school it is widely known that the local CC classes are easier than the equivalent AP classes and the counselor will not mark you as most rigorous and teachers will not nominate you for the top awards, if for example you choose to take classes at the CC over APUSH or AP Chem, for example. (Neither of which move twice as fast. Both the high school and college classes are two semesters.)
Colleges get info from high schools about what courses are available. They won’t penalize you for not taking APs if they aren’t possible. The overall AP count is much less important than overall rigor.
Competitive schools do like to see four years of foreign language (and definitely a minimum of four years of the other four main subject areas). So trying to get to the level of French 4, as suggested, is a good idea.
How many of your eight junior-year classes are one-semester classes? You probably want a minimum of six classes a semester, and a maximum of seven. (Five would look too easy to colleges, and eight would be too hard for you.)
@MYOS1634 Thanks for those suggestions 
@Wilson98 I was an idiot last year and didn’t take a foreign language. I’m taking French I now, will take French II next year and lastly French III in my senior year. My counselor’s been saying that colleges typically recommend/require three years of foreign language, so do you think it’s better if I should just stick with that? I have no idea how I’m going to squeeze in French 4 into my schedule. To answer your second question, I’m going to take seven classes in the first semester (broken up into A/B for semester): those three CC courses, Anatomy & Physiology, French II A, Honors Algebra 2 A, and Honors Chemistry A… which leaves me with AP Psych, French II B, Honors Algebra 2 B, and Honors Chemistry B.
Um, so is that bad? Whether it is or not, my school really sucks when it comes with scheduling. They’re strict because “students need to take a certain amount of credits.” I’ve got 6 extra credits, which means I can squeeze in at least two extra classes in my 2nd semester via CC. Like I said, I gotta rely on CC for 11th grade because my school sucks lol
To reach high school level 4 in a foreign language, take French 2H next year, then college French 2&3 at the CC.(College level 3= high school level 4). Or you could take college French 1 this Fall, college French 2 this Spring, college French 3 Fall 2019 and then see if you want to take College Frenchh 4 or not. See if your GC would be okay with that switch.
Selective colleges want to see level 3 in a foreign language, very selective colleges want to see level 4.
Basically use what I provided as guidelines ;).
Cc+ HS = total, 6 classes. So you’re fine.
Start preparing for the sat or the act. Your scholarship often depends on the score and it requires serious practice.
@MYOS1634 I don’t think I have a chance at very selective colleges /: Honestly, I don’t even have an “official” college list to begin with, though the schools I’m super certain about applying are UMN and University of Rochester – and admission counselors at both schools were pretty chill about foreign language and want to see level 3 Bowdoin, my dream, recommends up to a level 4 so I’ll use what you provided. Thank you for that! XD
Also, yes! I’m going to be taking the ACT for the first time this year, as well as an SAT Subject Test in U.S. History. I know that test scores play a huge role in all of this, so I’m going to be studying & prepping a lot beforehand.
Bowdoin and URochester are highly selective colleges so you definitely need to have as much rigor as possible.
Ask your GC whether you can switch from French 2 at the HS to a french1-2 combination the community college. Keeping everything as is.
I think four years of foreign language is definitely recommended at many schools, though not an absolute essential like four years of English and Math. Would be really good to do, but not necessarily a deal breaker.
If you have four courses the second semester (with AP Psych as a full-year course in one semester?) you definitely should take one or more courses, if necessary at the CC.