How many AP classes in high school should one have for harvard?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>I took 3 junior year and 5 this year. But like perazziman is saying, some are easier than others. My Calc BC, Physics, and English Lit are far more time consuming than Gov and Psych.</p>

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<p>@mvp1993, your precalc situation would be hurtful to your chances if you were interested in a math/sciences major. Otherwise, I feel like you would be fine as long as you showed exceptional interest in another major.</p>

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<p>@thriuvin Unfortunately, I am interested in Molecular Biology major. I was thinking that I have taken AP Biology and AP chemistry, and have extensive knowledge with molecular bio as I did a research project on stem cells that earned me a siemens medal. Does this not make up for the math? It’s not like I am uncapable of doing well in Harvard’s math courses; I have 800 in math on the SAT I and SAT II Level 1</p>

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<p>[Advanced</a> Standing Advising Programs Office](<a href=“http://apo.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k73580&pageid=icb.page388448&pageContentId=icb.pagecontent1194786&view=view.do&viewParam_name=asgeninfo.html#a_icb_pagecontent1194786_a_icb_pagecontent825552_apexams]Advanced”>http://apo.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k73580&pageid=icb.page388448&pageContentId=icb.pagecontent1194786&view=view.do&viewParam_name=asgeninfo.html#a_icb_pagecontent1194786_a_icb_pagecontent825552_apexams).
First off, with the exception of AP foreign language, Harvard does not grant credit for AP tests, unless you opt for Advanced Standing (graduating in 3 years instead of 4). So, the only AP test that matters for Harvard is German, French (language or literature), Italian, Spanish (language or literature), or Latin (either Latin Literature or Latin: Vergil). If you score a 5 on those tests, you are exempt from Harvard’s foreign language requirements. Other colleges treat AP’s differently, so you need to individually check with each college’s website to confirm how they treat AP’s.</p>

<p>Secondly, Harvard, and all selective colleges, judge you in the context of your school. If your school doesn’t offer many AP’s, you are not penalized for just taking a few of them. However, if your school offers many AP’s and you don’t take many, that does not bode well for your application. Your guidance counselor must rate the rigor of your course load in relation to all other college bound students at your school. So, it doesn’t matter how many AP’s another student from a different high school has taken. What matters is how many AP’s YOUR SCHOOL offers and whether YOU have taken maximum advantage of those opportunities. See Page 2, upper right hand corner: <a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/DownloadForms/2012/2012SchoolReport_download.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/DownloadForms/2012/2012SchoolReport_download.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

25

<p>@mvp, you seem to be pretty strong in your intended major (with the research and the two APs), and I don’t think the math issue will hinder your chances because your SAT IIs are pretty good. I’m pretty sure Harvard requires 3 SAT IIs… just make sure that one of the ones you submit is the Math Level 2.</p>

26

<p>“I’m pretty sure Harvard requires 3 SAT IIs…”</p>

<p>^^ Incorrect. Several years ago, Harvard reduced the required number of SAT II’s to two (2). Georgetown is now the only college that requires 3 SAT II’s.</p>

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<p>@gibby, hmm… i guess its always struck me that you needed 3. It seemed like 3 was the benchmark number of SAT IIs required for most competitive colleges. I guess i’m wrong… sophomores really don’t know anything.</p>

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<p>See: [Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Requirements](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/application_process/requirements.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/application_process/requirements.html)</p>

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<p>How much weight do ap classes truly pull at harvard? For me, my school offers 10 AP classes and by the end of the year I’ll have taken 18 AP tests (I go hard on independent studies). On the 10 I’ve taken so far, I’ve gotten 7 fives, 1 four, and 2 threes (both in independent studies, one of which was french). This is a pretty good track record, but I don’t really feel like it’s going to pull that much weight, to be honest. Is this kind of academic record (in tandem with being first in a class of 326) big enough to counterbalance a lack of awards and national competitions (I didn’t hear of aime, siemens, or waterloo until this year)?</p>

30

<p>Harvard, and other selective colleges, are not meritocracies. Student’s who have taken the most AP’s, and who have the highest SAT scores, do not get accepted over students with lesser stats. Much of the applications process is subjective and depends on your teacher recommendations, guidance counselor report and essays. In addition to your academics, you must be a good all-arounder. And even then, it’s getting tougher every year. This article from last April pretty much sums it up: [Who</a> Got Into the Country?s Top Colleges? - The Daily Beast](<a href=“Who Got Into the Country’s Top Colleges?”>Who Got Into the Country’s Top Colleges?)</p>

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<p>It may not counterbalance it and turn you into an academic star, but my feeling is, it will suggest you are academically qualified. I think, whether you get in or not will depend on the type of things gibby has mentioned in the above post.</p>

32

<p>Take the subjects you want to take. When an AP class is offered in any of those subjects, take it. When not offered, take the non-AP class.</p>

<p>Don’t, for example, take AP Chem if you wouldn’t take Chem if it was not offered AP.</p>