How do you let schools know that you have taken the hardest schedule that your school provides?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

My school doesn’t offer many ap or honors courses. There were only 2 AP classes (apush and Lang) that were provided in my junior year and I took both of them. This year I’m taking 3 (micro, stats, and lit). However, on my transcript that my counselor sends out to schools, it does not say that they are AP classes because AP is optional at my school. Some people in the course took the AP test and some didn’t. No matter if you are AP or not, you are all in the same class.

Also, most colleges don’t have an additional info section where I could express the circumstances. What do I do? How do I let them know that I took the hardest classes my school provides? I have already sent my applications for almost every college I wanted to but only recently came across this issue. I know colleges look at strength of schedule when evaluating applications and mine at the moment, looks weak.

2

You don’t really. It usually is a report generated by your guidance counselor, for ths common app anyway.

3

So my counselor just has to tell colleges?

4

  1. There is a box on the guidance counselor’s recommendation where he/she rates the schedule you have taken. So it is up to the guidance counselor to check the box saying you have taken the most rigorous schedule available at your HS.

  2. Along with each transcript the HS sends a school profile that gives information about the levels of courses offered, the schools grading system etc.

  3. Do not explain this in the additional information section. The above procedures are in place to assure that your transcript will be reviewed in the proper context.

5

You can probably get a copy of the fact sheet your school sends.

6

What do you do? Nothing. Any explanation from you will come across as either making excuses or whining - neither of which the AO needs to hear. Let the GC explain it. Additionally, as mentioned above, the GC will send along a copy of the school profile which generally lists honors/AP/Advanced classes offered; it may even be available on your school’s website to look at.