Actually, @goldenbear2020, there’s a limit, and it tops out at about 8 APs. After that, the law of diminishing returns applies. If the top student took 15 APs, you will NOT be at a disadvantage if you took 8 but selected them well and invested the extra time into an EC that you took to the highest level ( + sleep. Never underestimate sleep). In fact, unless there’s a special reason, colleges don’t like the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to APs. Stanford states it succinctly: “it’s not a game of who has the most APs, wins.”
@ak2018: APES won’t “count” for admission purpose, especially if self-studied. Study it if you’re passionate about Environmental Science and want to link it to an activity you’ve launched or a club you’re in, but don’t use it to have one more AP. AP Bio can’t be self studied, it needs to be taken in a class. You could take some dual-enrollment classes at a local community college in Environmental Science or Biology if you wished to demonstrate interest and ability.
Yes @MYOS1634 I meant taking the class/self studying it online and then proceeding to the AP exam. I had a plan to review and study once a month, so I don’t forget anything, then hopefully get a good score on the test. I know many people have actually done this before.
I’m sorry, I hadn’t mentioned I was going to be using edX.
You can’t do that with AP Bio (labs).
As for APES, what’s your end game? It won’t count for admissions, it won’t count for GPA. So the only reason you’d do that would be because you love Environmental Science. But if you love Environmental Science, could you take it at a nearby CC instead? During the summer, even - then, no need to take an exam in May, and since many colleges don’t give credit for APES you’d even have a shot at getting the credit for CC which you wouldn’t have from an AP?
Or, if you’re not interested in Environmental Science, why would you take the class?
@ak2018 I haven’t read through the whole thread, but for Tech’s Admissions purposes, AP scores do not factor into admissions.
For what it’s worth, I was in IB (very long ago), and most of my high school class who went to Tech or UVA took 4-5 Higher Level IB Classes and 8-10 AP classes/exams over 4 years (ie some people took IB Bio and sat for the AP exam).
I work at a much more prestigious university than Tech now and have reviewed student records. I’ve noticed that students seem to end up taking 8-12 as well spread out over junior and senior year, and those who have less than that came from a school that offered less APs.
Thank you @financiallylost I’m honestly wondering if it really is worth taking all of these AP’s. I really want to get into Tech. My school has a high number of AP’s. I don’t know if it’s even worth the stress of taking so many AP’s. I was planning on taking 4 in school, and I kind of hate how that’s not high enough.
@ak2018: follow your original plan.
Don’t add APs just for the sake of adding APs. Concentrate on doing well in the classes you’re taking and on pushing yourself in one or two EC’s.
Supplement with one dual-enrolled class if need be (over the summer perhaps? plus one planned for Spring 2017 that you’d indicate on your commonapp?)
You’ll be fine.
Thank you @MYOS1634 I just honestly really love the school itself. I really need to stop listening to people bashing all of the other schools like GMU for not being a good school or for being schools that VT Engineering rejects go to. It’s very annoying. In my heart, I know I Iove Engineering and I really just want to go to the best university possible for it. I’m dreamed about getting in since the eigth grade and the dream is starting to look less and less realistic everyday. I know all that really matters is getting a good job and doing something I love for the rest of my life. I’ve always told myself to find your interests early.
Over Spring break, go on a tour of VA universities.
Haters and bashers… guess what… most of them will NOT end up at the university they are speaking of now, and most WILL end up at the universities they’re bashing. Because getting into those schools isn’t a matter of “wanting” to go there… the college has to want you. There are also financial considerations that constrain students.
You can laugh at them internally. They’re just immature 16 year olds who don’t know the college process and act all-knowing due to their very lack of knowledge.
Also, getting into a special program can make up for many things. PLP at CNU is a great program, for instance, and very difficult to get into.
On your college tour, go visit Vtech. Visit JMU, CNU, ODU, VCU. If you have time, push to NCSU (after checking with your parents if that’d be an affordable alternative).
Do your parents earn more than 150K or less than 75K? Depending on your answer, your strategy will have to be different.
What are your stats? Because UAlabama has a GREAT engineering program and an automatic scholarship program that attracts students from all over. (Go to the UAlabama forum, look at the thread “schools my kids passed on in order to attend Alabama”, or “Capstone day: wow”)
Look at the websites for all these universities. Fill out the “request information” form.
Have you taken a standardized test yet? The PSAT perhaps?
Thank you so much @MYOS1634 ! I just honestly think the whole thing is very stressful. I wish I could go on a tour to VT, but my father would just think it’s a waste of time since I don’t know if I’ll get it or not and it’s a four-hour drive to VT from here. He would likely not see any point in visiting any college but GMU, his alma mater, until just before senior year. And also, due to financial reasons, we’re not even considering out of state colleges. We’re a family of 5 with three children.
UAlabama has an automatic full tuition scholarship if you have 1400 M+CR - you can apply in July and bam, you’ve got an affordable safety before application season even starts.
All the VA colleges are good.
OOS colleges will fall into two groups:
1° public universities with automatic or competitive scholarships. For instance, if you have super high test scores, Pitt or UCincinnati have competitive scholarships up to full ride; Temple has two options, one based on essays and one based on test scores, UMinnesota has one option based on GPA/test score and they’re automatic.
2° private universities that are interested in your profile (if they have few students from VA, if they want more boys/girls, if they are trying to boost their engineering department, if they promised they’d increase the number of lower-income students, if you have test scores in the top 10% of their applicants…)
Some universities are 100% need, meaning that if your family makes less than 85-100K for a family of 5, they give you all the money you need to attend their school. Of course, THEY decide what “all the money you need” is, but with the Net Price Calculators you have a pretty good idea which ones will be generous.
Try running the NPC on VTech, UScranton, Bucknell, Temple, Lafayette, Trinity Texas, NCSU, U Cincinnati, Yale* for instance.
(If the NPC doesn’t ask for grades/scores, then they don’t tell you how much you’d get in merit and you have to hunt for that info on the “scholarships” or “merit aid” page).
Do you have a shot at Yale? Probably not. But pretty much no one does. We don't know what you do outside of school. If you work a lot of hours, for instance, that's considered a strong EC. Or if you could be a recruited athlete in a sport.
I don’t know how much we’re making that much, income-wise, either so scholarships and financial aid are going to be my go-tos are definitely. @MYOS1634 I’m mainly planning on staying in the state of Virginia. And even if we got a full-ride scholarship, my dad wouldn’t want me to be so far from home, as in another state.
I took the PSAT and scored a 990/1520. This was, however, my first time taking the PSAT before. I had no practice, and I thought they’re was a guessing penalty, which they’re isn’t anymore. I know I could get a better score! Plus, I plan to study this year for the National Merit Scholarship.I was going to use Khan Academy.
yes, absolutely, study for the PSAT. Khan Academy does a good job and 990 for a sophomore is not bad at all.
You’re lucky, VA has lots of excellent universities, but you might want to hedge your bets, especially since financial aid is a huge consideration.
(Your dad might evolve on this point if there’s a university you like and that is cheaper. But no need to stress about it for now.)
The #1 source of financial aid/scholarship is the college. #2 is federal aid ($5,500 in loans and, if you qualify for reduced lunch or if your family makes less than 52K, a Pell grant). #3 is State aid, and it’s typically less than that.
So, you want to find colleges that are affordable and give you scholarships right off the bat.
So, running NPCs now is a good idea so that you get an idea of what you’re eligible for at different VA public universities.
If you dad can’t drive you, what about your mom? Or if friends go on college tours, would they let you come along?
The idea is that you try to figure out what setting is best for you. You may not have a choice due to financial issues, but targeting universities you’re interested in - + adding “bonus points” for visiting and expressing interest, ie., filling out the “request info” form& signing your name before the tour - is not a waste of time since it increasing your odds of fidning the right university and getting in.
Thanks for the helpful information @MYOS1634 I actually have set a goal to get at least 1250 next year. I do know that we don’t qualify for free reduced lunch. My mom can only drive short distances, 30 miles or less, and drives better in the morning. She has eye problems and is a somewhat okay driver. I don’t have that many friends currently thinking about colleges, but I highly doubt my parents would let me go with anyone they haven’t known for a while. We don’t have any family friends that live in the area.
At least fill out the “request info” forms for all these universities. You’ll get some literature that you’ll learn to sort through (it never rains in collegeland, and all the students are handsome and happy).
@MYOS1634 Also, I kind of had a question. I’m picking my courses soon and I had two plans to go.
Option #1: Take AP Chemistry and AP Economics and one Engineering class junior year. Then take AP Calculus AB and AP Psychology, or AP Human Geography, and two Engineering classes senior year.
Option #2: Take AP Chemistry and two Engineering classes year. Then take AP Calculus AB, AP Economics, and AP Psychology, or AP Human Geography and one Engineering class senior year.
Right now I’m leaning towards option #2 because I really want to take the two Engineering classes, however I feel the amount of AP’s combined with Physics senior year, which I’m going to take, would be killer. I’ve talked the AP Economics teacher and he said the class rarely has homework, but the class is very fast-paced, which I can handle. AP Calculus AB is a breeze, with homework being optional. I think it just would just be the AP Human Geography, or AP Psychology, that would be tough. I’ll have to ask the teachers about that. I might even consider switching Economics and Human Geography around.
