How many AP courses is too many?

<p>My junior year, I am planned to be taking the following courses:
AP English (Lit/Comp or whatever its technical name is)
AP French
AP Physics I
APUSH (AP US History)
I will also be in Accel Alg 2/Trig junior year.</p>

<p>Is this too many APs for anyone who has experience? My top colleges are Stanford, Brown, Clemson, and Texas @ Austin, if that helps with course selection at all. I know it's my choice but I don't want to be getting a C in an AP class just to get AP credit! :p</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Four is doable. I know people that have done 6+ AP’s in a year.</p>

<p>lol, there’s a junior at my school who is completely out of his mind. I’m sure he gets no sleep. He takes 6 IB courses and 5 online AP’s. It’s ridiculous, and he has only 1 B.</p>

<p>Those are all fairly tough APs (with the exception of APUSH). Have you taken any AP courses yet? My son took 7 last year and a college class and had no problems. He is taking 7 this year and is having a very difficult time with the workload. I think it depends on your strengths in those subjects and what outside commitments you have.</p>

<p>Nope, no APs yet – I’m a freshman so there aren’t any offered. But I got a recommendation by my WH teacher to take AP Euro next year, so soph year I will be in the only AP offered. We have been planning out our high school course load up until junior year, kind of crazy that we are doing so this early but I guess if you want to be accepted to colleges like Stanford it’s essential!</p>

<p>You are a freshman…don’t worry about junior year quite yet.
I mean, I was the same way, trying to plan everything out like that. It won’t work. You’ll grow more knowledgeable, mature, and self-aware. </p>

<p>Four is usually doable. Freshman year I thought I would take seven for my junior year… lol. I’m taking 5 and some college classes. Still a lot to handle. Especially once you get really involved in your EC’s. Anyways, my point is that you will figure this out as you go along, and your course will change.</p>

<p>I’m a senior, and actually got accepted to the BHP at UT Austin. It definitely varies from school to school, but over the course of high school I have been enrolled in 11 AP classes, with six of them in my senior year (8 actually but we only do a semester each of AP econ and Gov). I’d say it’s doable, but use your best judgment. Most likely your school will escalate the number of classes you have each year, and you can gauge yourself accordingly!</p>

<p>Woops, I meant 7 this year, you can tell I’m tired…</p>

<p>6 a year is really rigorous, I can’t imagine going over that.</p>

<p>Four is definitely possible, particularly if you’re a motivated student. I’m a slacker extraordinaire and I’ve still pulled off three a year with relative ease.</p>

<p>I don’t know if you should take AP Physics I until after you’re done with Algebra 2. It’s algebra-based, after all.</p>

<p>Four is definitely fine. I’m in four this year (I’m a sophomore) along with a college class and I’m doing fine, no stress at all.</p>

<p>Any chance you could double up in math?</p>

<p>A year? Four to Five is probably the limit usually, everyone has their own of course. Total I think 10 is more than enough, any after that and it just looks like too much, maybe wasting your time if its at the expense of ECs</p>

<p>My own personal limit is 5 (I’m taking 3 this year as a junior due to course restrictions). Four is totally doable, but never have academics detract from potential EC time or your mental stability.</p>

<p>chi, you didn’t say what you are interested in studying in college. If you think there is any possibility might be interested in anything which requires any math–eg. STEM, economics, I would consider what Idominate suggested, trying to double up on math so that you can get past pre-calculus in high school. I am assuming you are now in algebra1 and plan to take geometry next year. You might consider also taking the algebra2/trig along with geometry, if that’s a possibility.</p>

<p>As far as the number of AP classes goes, that is going to depend on how hard and how time-consuming the APs as taught at your school are, how good a student you are and how efficient your work habits are, and how much time you spend on EC’s, job, etc. You also need to consider your other classes. Lots of kids take 4 or more APs as a junior. You need to think about those other factors, for what makes sense for you. I recommend talking to kids at your school who are now in the AP classes you are considering. It’s especially helpful if you can get opinions from kids who are the same type of student that you are.</p>