I go to a smaller school and I get really good grades and I’m well rounded. The colleges I want to attend are either UPENN or Cornell. I saw recently that you should aim to take seven AP classes when applying to schools like these, however my school has a total of 4-5 and because of scheduling, between my junior and senior year I can only take three AP classes. Does this affect my chances of getting accepted into top tier schools?
You can self study, and take tests, or you can get tutors for AP exams not offered, then test. It is more difficult, but possible. I got 4 other students at my small school to start a study group for both AP Chem and AP Latin. We all chipped in on a tutor.
Side note: on the AP exams offered by my high school, I received 4’s, but 5’s in AP Chem and AP Latin, so go figure.
The admissions office loves this kind of initiative, so look at your small school as an opportunity, not a liability.
I think AP classes are overrated as classes and many of the top independent schools have dropped them for that reason. However, for college admissions officers, they can be shorthand for rigor. At every information session we attended when we toured colleges with our daughter, we heard that admissions committees are looking to see whether you challenged yourself with the most rigorous classes offered by your high school. If you can show that, you should be in good shape.