<p>I am going into my junior year in high school, and I have room for 3 AP classes. I am deciding between taking AP Chem, AP Literature and AP US, or AP Statistics instead of AP US. My guidance counselor said it looks better on a college application to take AP US instead of Statistics, because she could check off that I took the highest level course in social studies. </p>
<p>However, if I took AP Statistics I am sure I would do much better than I would in AP US, so my GPA would be higher. I can take Statistics in my senior year, but only the 1st semester affects my GPA.</p>
<p>Which would be the better choice to help me get into a good school?</p>
<p>The better choice would be to listen to your guidance counselor. She just told you what you have to do so that she checks off that VERY important box: “Did the student take the most challenging program available?”</p>
<p>alamemom: well I didn’t discuss with my guidance counselor that I would do a lot better in stat, and I think she assumed I would do well in AP US. I am good in math classes, so with the weight of 1.15 I could probably get over 100 average. I would probably only get in the 80s before weight in AP US.</p>
<p>^^If you intend to go into engineering or the sciences probably you should go with ap stat, unless of course you would want to not take history in college in which case go with apush. Don’t listen to your counselor do wat you like and want to do.</p>
<p>Take the hardest courseload as possible. If you want to pursue the math/hard sciences field, then take statistics and take even more math.</p>
<p>Colleges nowadays are looking for students with specialized interests than all around students. </p>
<p>Plus, colleges look at the courseload you take. If hey see that you are taking all AP’s, I doubt it would make a big difference. If I am not mistaken, guidance counselers only check the box to see if the student takes the hardest course load in general, not in a specific humanities field.</p>
<p>The guidance counselor has told Scull what classes she needs to take to have that box checked. I don’t think telling his/her counselor that according to posters on CC, she HAS to check the “Most Challenging” box will have much of an impact. The counselor will check the box she feels is appropriate.</p>
<p>Scull has said that the reason he/she prefers AP Stats is that the grade would be higher - suggesting that even Scull is aware that AP Stats is not as challenging as AP US Hist. Do you think that college admissions reps are not aware of that?</p>
<p>If a high gpa is your biggest concern, take AP Stats. If presenting your record as the most challenging courses available, take AP USH. If you really want to impress, take AP USH and a community college Statistics class.</p>