I looked a little for this thread, but I could not really find one that was as specific or had many answers.
Just a general question, would the student taking this most challenging courses (relative to school) have a better chance than a student taking slightly lower courses but with a slightly high GPA?
Well, let me make it specific.
I’m taking higher courses than some kids, but they have a slightly higher GPA than me. I was in Precalc for freshman year while they were in Geometry/Trig. I was in Spanish 2 while they were in Spanish 1. Next year I hope to take AP Calc 2 while many of them will be in Calc 1; I will be in Spanish 4 while they are in Spanish 2 or 3.
Does that really matter?
By slightly higher I mean by like 1%. Like a 96 vs a 98 or 100.
I want to know if I should bother challenging myself with slightly harder courses if I will risk getting lower grades than people not taking the hardest classes. Do colleges care if you take a really hard math course during high school, one that very few people in the entire school are taking (meaning only five at most out of 80)?
I’m not really trying to be in challenging courses just for college; there is internal competition and pressure in my school to advance and I don’t want to fall behind. I also need stuff to do over the summer to challenge myself intellectually; I also want to be in higher courses so I can fit in better classes in high school.
What do you guys think?
Usually a smart alec will advise that you get good grades in the most challenging courses. That’s just like a financial advisor telling you to buy low and sell high. What you need to do is take challenging classes in the subjects that interest you, and that you are good at. Otherwise not.
What kind of schools are you applying to? Your state U? Highly selective and competitive schools? Different schools handle this differently.
FYI, when your guidance counselor completes their section of the common application, they are asked to rank the rigor of your academic program compared to 1) your peers and 2) what is available at the school. You want to be in the ‘most rigorous available’ category. So, you need to ask your guidance counselor about how your transcript would be evaluated if you took the slightly less demanding schedule vs. the most demanding schedule. Higher grades but less rigor may or may not trigger a drop from the ‘most rigorous available’ category. Does that matter? Back to the original question: What kind of schools are you applying for?
Best case scenario: Take the most challenging classes and get A’s. But I agree with @snarlatron that you should take classes that interest you, which in turn should give you good grades. You do need to meet certain school requirements for your HS or intended colleges, but make the most of what is offerred.
I was always in favor of taking challenging courses because you learn, and that’s the reason for school.
Thank you for all over your responses!
@N’sMom (not sure if this is how you tag), I’m most likely applying to highly selective schools; I don’t have any ACT or SAT scores since I’m going to be a sophomore next year, so I can’t really judge my competitiveness. But I do want to attend a school with small classes (small student:faculty) but with labs and great science internships and innovation opportunities. I’m thinking Tufts, Haverford, Swarthmore, Cornell, Hopkins…my school sends at least 15% to Top 20 schools each year; students went to schools like CalTech, MIT, Duke, UPenn, UChicago…the graduating class this year gave me hope that if I am a top student in my school, paired with a balance of everything else, I can attend a school of my choice.
There are lots of levels of rigor at my school, but is there a big difference between AP Calc 2 (in sophomore year) and AP Calc 1 (sophomore)? Considering that the “lowest level” for sophomore year is Geometry.
Compared to the majority of students, both Calc 2 and Calc 1 are very advanced, but will being in a higher level course differentiate me from the other top students in the course below if the grade of comparable?
Again, by lower grades, I mean by a margin of 1-3%. A 90 vs a 93. A 96 vs a 99.
Multivariable Calc is course taken by very few students in my school, especially for junior year. Will taking the course slightly differenciate a student, or will it have no effect/no weight? I am interested in that course; but I’m just wondering if the difficulty is counteracted by anything.
Colleges are definitely looking for students who will challenge themselves. Since your grade gaps are so low it will be more impressive to take the upper level courses. Also, it could help your GPA if your school weights it.
From what I’ve observed, competitive schools are most interested in students who “go for it” in terms of taking the courses that most advanced courses possible in the areas that are most important for the direction they view themselves going in-not just for the sake of being competitive for college apps but because they are of benefit to the student. The most competitive school is interested in the student who does not cautiously guard A’s but who strives to be challenged. There is no genuine difference between a 96 or a 98. There is a genuine difference between Precalc and calc though. take the courses that keep you moving along. Don’t worry about what others are taking. And, if you have a choice, load up on courses that move you closer to what you hope to study. So, instead of just loading up on all APs, it would probably be better to opt for, say CAlc 3 at a local college then doing what everyone else is doing-say taking every AP.