I am a sophomore in high school and taking 3 ap classes this year and 4 ap tests(because I am fluent in Chinese so i can just self study). Last year I took all honors classes and double up on math(we go by a block schedule). Due to this, I didn’t do so great in my math classes(B+ all year long) and my GPA ended up being around 3.8. This year, I took AP biology, AP macroeconomics, and AP comparative government. I took two AP classes the same time as honors chemistry but I was able to get a solid A in math all througout(took precalc this year). However, I ended up getting a B in macro and a B+ and an A- in ap biology(macro is one quarter, AP bio is 3 and I currently have an A- third quarter but the quarter hasn’t ended). Second quarter, my honors chem grade fell to an A- and so did my AP comparative government grade. So far, I have around a 3.75 UW and 3.95 weighted GPA. Not the best, but I was challenging myself a lot. I want to go to a UC school or USC but I don’t know if I have a shot because of my bad GPA. I guess the overall question is: is it better to challenge myself and get worse grades or take all regular classes and get a 4.0?
In general, for the vast majority of schools, it’s better to be taking easy classes and getting the 4.0. High grades with easy classes in conjunction with high test scores = guaranteed merit $$$ at a lot of state schools.
For the top schools, you basically need (almost) straight A’s with a very hard schedule, so it’s kind of a moot point as you only have 1 option.
@NWIStudent it’s kind of too late to get a 4.0 but next year I am taking AP calc AB and BC plus AP chem and I’m hoping to do better in those classes. The rest of my schedule is relatively easy but will UC schools take my touch schedule into consideration?
@NWIStudent *tough schedule
UC’s will not take freshman grades into account.
Also, UC’s are more formulaic in admission, so the best bet is to get a top weighted GPA by whatever means.
People have been talking about the UCs rejecting anything not a 4.0 (more so Berkeley and LA I would guess)…
UC’s consider course rigor very important in admissions. Ideally you want to take the most rigorous courses and get good grades. An applicant with a high course rigor but not perfect grades will have an advantage over an applicant with low course rigor and perfect grades, at least for the UC’S.
As long as you can get a B or higher in a high-level class (AP, IB, AICE, DE), then it’s better than an A in a standard class. If you get a C in an AP class, switch to Honors; if you get a C in Honors, switch to regular. It’s thus essential you know the policy on “dropping down” at your school.
UCs will only take 8 Aps into account for your UC GPA. Calculate your UC GPA: If you’re at 4 or higher, you can apply everywhere; if you’re at 3.75-4, you have a shot everywhere except UCB/UCLA which are probably out of reach (but why not try if you want to…)
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/q-and-a/calculating-gpa/
There’s no “one size fits all” advice here. The conventional wisdom is to take the most rigorous courses while you can still do well. The “paper” valedictorian with a 4.0 but no APs and 1 honors course won’t be competitive at selective college admissions. But like some posters have alluded to – many public schools are very formulaic and bluntly plod forward with GPA and test scores without weighting them for rigor. If that’s the sort of college you’re shooting for – then go for it. But if you want something more like UMich or UCB or better, then you’ve got to take both the hard classes and master them as well.
@MYOS1634 I have never gotten lower than a B in any class
Then you made the right choice 