<p>OK, so as I am going through the posts on this website, I realized that many of you guys took loads of APs during freshman and sophomore years. In our school, the only AP we can take as freshmen is World History, which I couldn't even take because I was already taking two/three (can't remember) honors courses, and we weren't allowed to take AP World if we were already accepted into multiple honors courses (this was before freshman year started). In sophomore year, the only AP we could take was European history, which I didn't get into, and my guidance counselor was surprised because I had A+s in my history grades, and an overall A average and a good teacher recommendation.
SO, what I am trying to get to is that in my school, kids can only really start taking AP classes in their junior year - and even then, we are severely restricted. Out of 20-something APs at my school, the ones the majority of us are allowed to take are: bio, chem, physics, US history, psychology, environmental science and a language, if we completed the Regents for that language. Taking an AP science class without taking the Regents class is kind of "unheard of" in our school, but a few of us do it (like me for AP Chem). Plus, we are only allowed to take AP math classes after passing all the Regents. The rest of the APs are restricted for seniors.
We have this problem because there are too many kids in our school, so we have to go through an extremely stressful application process to get into AP classes.
Is this considered fair, especially when a candidate from a school like mine is up against candidates from schools where kids can take classes such as AP Bio or AP Literature in their freshman year???</p>
<p>Where did you get the idea that kids are taking AP bio and lit in their freshman year? Taking any AP classes at all until sophomore year is very rare, and most people wait until their junior year.</p>
<p>Colleges won’t penalize you for that because your school is structured a certain way. The only thing that matters I that you take the most rigorous schedule possible.</p>
<p>For example, my school doesn’t offer AP classes at all. As long as the majority of my classes are honors, I’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Those were just some random examples, but I have heard of freshman taking AP Biology without taking Regents biology.</p>
<p>Of course there are some freshmen who take AP classes. But there are a lot fewer of them than you think; there’s no need to worry that you’re at a disadvantage compared to all the people who could take like 15 AP classes.</p>
<p>Thanks guys - that cleared up a lot! :)</p>