<p>Im a current high school student with a GPA lower than 3.0.
Currently going into 11th grade.</p>
<p>Should I take 3 years of language even though I currently understand nothing for the 2 years ive taken. So I will most likely struggle the 3rd year.</p>
<p>The only reason I want to do the 3rd year, is I read somewhere, if you dont have 3 years you have to take Foreign language in Community? Is that true?</p>
<p>Also, Im planning to take community college classes while in high school.
Except, How do AP classes get into play?</p>
<p>What about SAT? Should i take it? Or is it not needed?
SAT II? </p>
<p>Also, will AP classes ruin my chances to a good college? Cause I will have more units, and the college wont make more money.</p>
<p>So please help me on my path to a top 20 college, starting from a community college, while in high school.</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>AP classes help you get in to more prestigious colleges in that they show you can handle more challenging material. The colleges are rich enough already anyway lol (dem student loans exist for a reason), and several prestigious colleges don’t even accept certain AP credits in the first place. </p>
<p>Assuming you have a GPA < 3.0 without taking AP classes (since you asked about whether they’d be harmful) and also assuming you aren’t going to a more prestigious or otherwise challenging school based on some of your questions, I’d also like to ask you what the reason you want to go to a prestigious university is in the first place. IMHO it would suck to be accepted only to flunk out of all your classes due to their, uh, rigor & competitiveness.</p>
<p>Taking the SAT helps, although it is not required as long as you take the ACT. SAT II’s are required by certain universities (around 2~3 tests depending on the univ I think?), but not by others. </p>
<p>@shinchang, I dont think you understand, Im trying to transfer.</p>
<p>How are you going to transfer into college if you haven’t even graduated high school yet? … /
</p>
<p>@peytonmg the goal is too complete 1 year of community college, while in high school. Then after high take 1 year at community college.</p>
<p>@StudentSoon I agree with @shinchang that you having a GPA lower than 3.0 in HS does not bode well for you being able to handle the rigor of a top 20. I really hope that it is because you are extremely busy with E.C’s and not because you genuinely can’t handle the courseload. I found that AP classes are a pretty good measure as to whether someone can handle a “slightly challenging” level college course. If you can’t handle that then GL handling top 20 courses. If I were you I would concentrate more on raising your HS GPA SIGNIFICANTLY.</p>
<p>@SoCalLife310, Oh no, I can handle high school, its stupid easy, except my cousin went to community and transferred, so ever since 9th grade he has been saying just do that, so i stopped trying early.</p>
<p>Id prefer if someone can help answer my questions instead of telling me to raise my gpa, no offense. </p>
<p>Q: Should I take 3 years of language even though I currently understand nothing for the 2 years ive taken. So I will most likely struggle the 3rd year.
A: You need to do some research on the top 20s and find out their policy on foreign languages. Some have a foreign language requirement, some only have it as part of certain majors, some don’t have any at all. If you find out that the majority don’t have one (which I doubt) then why take a class that will probably lower your GPA further since you admittedly believe you will struggle? </p>
<p>Q:The only reason I want to do the 3rd year, is I read somewhere, if you dont have 3 years you have to take Foreign language in Community? Is that true?
A: Again, refer to the first question. Also this really depends on your major…and the school you want to transfer to eventually.</p>
<p>Q:Also, Im planning to take community college classes while in high school.
Except, How do AP classes get into play?
A:Check and double check that the schools you want to transfer to eventually STILL take AP credit. Recently there has been news that some schools are no longer as willing to accept AP test scores for credit. In my situation, I was able to take 9 AP classes while in HS and pass about 6 of them. This went on to save me a ton of time and angst in community college. (i.e. I got to skip English 1, did not have to take a science course, got to skip foreign language req., skipped a bunch of history classes…)</p>
<p>Q:What about SAT? Should i take it? Or is it not needed?
SAT II?
A: Same as with the APs…some schools are starting to not require these anymore but honestly, I feel like SATs (more so than SAT IIs) are part of a complete candidate. Although in your case BECAUSE you are going to try and qualify as a community college transfer, schools will NOT require your SAT scores. Again, this is only if you qualify as a CC transfer.</p>
<p>Q:Also, will AP classes ruin my chances to a good college? Cause I will have more units, and the college wont make more money.
A: Nope. It will save you a ton of time in CC that’s for sure. As long as you can PASS them with at least a 3, 4, or 5 (really a 3 is unacceptable at a lot of schools/for a lot of subjects)</p>
<p>I certainly can’t answer all your questions, but here’s a start: yes, you’ll probably have to take the SAT, or the ACT. Even if it isn’t <em>required</em>, it’s a good idea to take it if you can do well on it (you’ll want to study really hard). Most schools want to see the SAT/ACT for transfer admission (requested if not required).</p>
<p>AP courses will not ruin your chance of going to a good college. At most top 20 schools, your credit hours won’t count to tuition, the number of years you’re at the school will. Therefore the idea that you"will have more units, and the college wont make more money" doesn’t really factor into it. Also, many schools don’t give pure credit for APs anymore, and instead use good scores on the APs to determine placement. So if you can take APs and do well on them, I’d suggest it.</p>
<p>But seriously, boosting your high school GPA will help you more than anything else. Colleges will ask for you high school transcript, and schools like people who have a track record of working hard <em>and</em> being smart. Your high school GPA is a good way of proving that you care.</p>
<p>@modelUN so the AP classes would look better, BUT, if it affects the years, it affects if im a freshman/sophmore/junior/senior transfer.</p>
<p>So lets say i take 3 Ap’s, i get 5s on all of them, how many Units will that get me?</p>
<p>Do AP exam scores look better than actually taking the class itself?</p>
<p>@socallife310
Ok, you said you got to skip English 1, science etc.
But did those play into your units?
Also were you a transfer?
What school do you go to?</p>
<p>@StudentSoon </p>
<p>You need to look up the schools you want to go to, and check out their AP policy. Some schools will not accept 3’s, for example, on the AP Biology exam, while others might grant, say, 6 elective units, or 9 science units. Also, taking AP courses, and then achieving A-grades and passing exams with 5’s will definitely help you, not hurt. Like others have said, they indicate whether you will do well at their university where course loads are challenging to say the least.</p>
<p>Also, you need to do way better at your high school. I find it stupid, no offense, that you’re trying to work at community college rather than finish your high school with perfect grades. Many top 20’s require HS transcripts.</p>