How important are honors/AP classes vs. regular classes?

It seems like everybody here is in all honors AP courseload, but that’s almost impossible at my school (one of Michigan’s 3 best private day schools) because the courseload is tough enough as it is and they really limit the enrollment in advanced classes.

By the time I graduate, I will have one honors class (English XI) and 5 AP’s: Music Theory, Art History, Biology, US Gov, and English Lit.

I am taking 7 classes, which is the most you can take and most people take free periods. I am one of like 5% of students who don’t have a free period. Does this make up for not being good enough to take super advanced classes?

No SAT’s yet but PSAT scores were in the 91st percentile against the class ahead of me, with 96th percentile scores in reading and writing.

I’m just really concerned that my otherwise good stats aren’t going to be as good against kids with all honors AP classes.

I have the choice of going to a public school ( a really good one) and enrolling in all honors and AP courses and probably maintaining about the same GPA. But the college counseling isn’t as good and I would have to start all over with theater, which is what I’m planning to study in college. (A good rep doesn’t transfer)

Do I still have a chance of getting into good schools? Top of my list are Carnegie Mellon, Illinois, Michigan, Boston U, Penn State, Syracuse, Dartmouth and Stanford.

I’d like to stay at my current school, but are these schools real choices for me with just a few scattered honors courses?