I did bad freshman year and half of soph(had a lot of problems going on so I wasn’t focused at all). Making up for lost time now and wondering how many ap’s I should shoot for in 11th grade, if any at all to improve my chances for getting into a good college? I already signed up for AP phsychology and college accounting. Thanks for all answers
Honestly: it’s not a numbers thing. Take AP/college classes if you’re interested in the subjects and think you can do well (like, if you barely scraped by in precalc, AP calc might not be your thing). Also bear in mind the manageability of your courses and extracurricular involvements. Colleges would much rather see you do well in the two advanced courses than poorly in, let’s say, five.
I’m on the debate team…never went to a competition without leaving with a trophy( only around 8 get them and about 100 people compete for a spot) and I’ve been debating for a year now. Should I join more? I jump in and out of fbla also
I also go to national tournaments for debate^
I don’t know what your GPA is or what you mean by “good college.”
As for ECs, elite colleges like to see that you have regional/national success in and dedication to a particular extracurricular. That may or may not be you. But most colleges just like to see that you’ve done something other than study all the time; public service is a popular EC with admissions officers, so throw a couple hours a week at that.
What all colleges care about are standardized test scores, GPA, course rigor, student app essays, and letters of recommendation. Number of APs comes under “course rigor.” Depending on the schools you’re aiming for and the majors you’re thinking about, plan your AP or rigorous course selections. If you want to go to a directional uni, you probably don’t need any APs. If you want a state flagship or a regional LAC or uni, some (3 or 4) APs that address your possible major/interests can help. If you want something more like a Top 50 school, you need more APs that address your major/interests than 3 or 4. Anything over 6 to 8 is overkill. Since you started off slowly, 2 APs or rigorous courses for junior year seems right, but do well in them. Depending on where you’re aiming to go, 2-3 more senior year could give you more options than taking just one. Remember, however, that long after you’ve been admitted to the schools of your dreams, you’re still going to be taking those rigorous courses. Taking too many rigorous courses senior year can make for a great deal of misery once those acceptances come in and you’re still having to bust your butt.
Ask your current teacher in subjects you’re considering (probably English or history?) whether you could get a B or higher in the AP class next year. If they say yes, take ONE in addition to AP Psychology (perhaps AP English Language, since it’s useful beyond English).
You need to keep a balance between rigor and achievement. No college will be impressed by C’s in AP classes.