Background: I’m a junior currently taking AP Lang. How bad would it look to drop to honors english next year. Also, I will have taken 10 total APs by end of senior year and 11 if I take AP Lit. I don’t like the course that much and I’m taking AP physics and Calc Bc next year so time is also an issue. I’m applying to Ivy Leagues and other top colleges. What is your recommendation?
Thank You !!!
Depends on whether your counselor can check the box that says you are taking the hardest classes available to you on your report. Whether they consider honors to be the same as AP in your school or not is more important than what anyone can tell you on CC.
JMHO - if you will have taken 10 APs by the end of senior year, taking AP Lit as an 11th AP class isn’t going to get you into a top college and dropping it isn’t going to doom you to rejection. Taking Honors English is fine.
Agree that if you are aiming for top tier colleges you should talk to your guidance counselor about what it would take for him/her to check that you have taken the most rigorous schedule available on his/her recommendation.
Taking honors English (and doing well !) is fine since you have a very competitive schedule.
In any case, the law of diminishing value applies after 8-10Ap’s, meaning it’s pointless strictly from an admission purpose. For admissions, 10=11=12.
Check with your gc but if you’ve taken 5 honors and AP (total) each year, have English, math, science, social science, foreign language each year, and electives that reflect your interests, then you’re good to go and selection I’ll be based on other factors.
My son was an ED admit at NU and did not take AP Lit or even Honors Eng senior year. He did take AP Language Jr year and got a 5 on the test. He also had 5 other AP courses senior year, including AP Physics C, AP Chem & AP Spanish. So, to answer your question yes, it can be done - BUT - every school and every app is different, so YMMV. Good Luck!
What major?
If you loaded up those 10 AP with minor ones- and they aren’t directly relevant- I’d say reconsider putting AP Lit in. (Lots of kids don’t like it, but still take it on.) And you want to apply to tippy tops. Whether or not a GC calls a curriculum most demanding, this has to make sense to the colleges. This is different when the master reason you might drop AP lit is to fit in some higher order math or sci class for a stem major (or some similar conflict.) Not just because you don’t like the class.