<p>i'm taking 3 APs this year, which is a lot compared to 95% of my class. i just want to make sure my counselor is going to check off that i did take the hardest courseload because i am, taking anymore than 3 would have been impossible unless i gave up band. </p>
<p>there are some kids in my school that skipped levels in order to get into higher levels, and are now taking 5-6 APs. would that hurt me?</p>
<p>why do you need to know?</p>
<p>i'm just wondering. i don't think it's fair if other kids who skipped levels set the new bar. i would have skipped too, but i decided to do different things with my summer >.< and from what i've seen, it seems like it has an impact on top college decisions.</p>
<p>If some people are taking 6 and you're taking 3, then it's definitely not the hardest. 3 is still a lot and I wouldn't be worried. I only have AP course(BIO) offered at my school but the rest are college credit classes.</p>
<p>i coudln't do that though. normally, juniors can only take 3. however, those kids that are taking 5-6 skipped levels by going to summer school. i could've done that too, but i did other EC things, and didn't have the same opportunity. i'm taking the hardest possible courseload i possibly can though.</p>
<p>What do you mean, "check off"?
If you want your counselor to acknowledge that you took a hard courseload, ask her/him. Though, if you are indeed taking harder courses than 95% of your class, shouldn't he/she already be aware you have a difficult schedule? </p>
<p>Also, if are people are taking 5 APs, RahoulVA is right--you can't really say you're taking the hardest courseload--I'm sure you do have challenging classes. Reiterate that point to your counselor rather than asking him/her to make such a bold (and potentially false) declaration.</p>
<p>uhh, if they went above and beyond, their is nothing unfair about it. You had the possibility to take harder classes, but you couldn't fit it in. No, you do not have the hardest schedule.</p>
<p>the point is it's over. just try not to worry about it. there's nothing you can do and by sitting here and worrying, you're just wasting your time.</p>
<p>flat out asked my GC...guys, if it wasn't possible for them to take it, it's still the hardest YOU possibly could have taken. I'm not accelerated in math/science (different issue) but I'm still hardest course load taken...</p>
<p>people shouldn't be punished for doing the standard HS curriculum-some people can not afford to take summer school classes (have to work, etc) so it's unreasonable to think that's necessary</p>
<p>however, in your specific case, you don't have the hardest because of band..</p>
<p>Just ask...</p>
<p>Son's GC explained that "available" is the most important word in the question about "Did the student take the most rigorous courseload available?"</p>
<p>For example, Son wanted to take AP Physics and AP Psych, but they're held during the same period. He had to down grade one of them to "honors" in order to fit it in his schedule during another period. </p>
<p>So, even tho the AP version exists, it wasn't "available" to him. The GC said she will indicate he took the most rigorous available.</p>
<p>I've also wondered about this, given that there are a few kids in my grade who are taking AP BC Calculus because they took summer programs in Pre-Cal. If theirs is the new standard, what's to prevent people from loading up on summer courses just to be taking a harder/the hardest course-load during the year? That doesn't quite seem fair, if one cannot take part in those summer programs.</p>
<p>yeah, i guess i forgot to explain that i was going to take 4 AP classes and drop band, but it didn't fit in my schedule.</p>
<p>yes, those other kids do have the highest schedule available, but i agree with anon ... i could've taken them, but giving up my summer activities wasn't an option.</p>
<p>i'm taking the hardest courseload available for sure. and actually, it's probably more than 99% of my class. only 3 people in my class are taking more than 3 now that i've researched it more.</p>
<p>You're obsessing too much... this only builds up anxiety over something you can't change. Anxiety leads to reduced performance... and that leads to further problems. </p>
<p>Best way to get rid of anxiety is to confront the problem. I'd just go to my counselor and ask which she is going to check. Even knowing the answer, even though it may not be the you might be hoping to hear, would take a lot off your mind.</p>
<p>My HS only offered 2 AP classes - AP English and AP US History. I refused to take AP US History for several reasons:<br>
A. I had better and more important things to do with my time than to meet at the teacher's house over the weekends for study and review sessions. That wasn't even an option to consider. </p>
<p>B. I knew I wouldn't be transferring the credit to my college choice. Some students hope to get a 4 or 5 for placement or to skip college intro classes. I knew my college choices' curriculum, and I had no intention to use an AP course to skip or place out of classes. </p>
<p>C. I was not that interested in US History. Sorry. </p>
<p>D. It was a waste of extra money. Unlike some schools, which gives its students the option to take the AP test or not, my school made it a requirement that if you took the class, you must take the test; in the school's eyes, if we took the class, but we didn't take the AP test, then we were "cheating the system." As students, we argued that if they are requiring us to take the class, then they should foot the bill for the test. When you factor in college applications, college visits, travel involved in other activities, clothes for visits and interviews, it adds up VERY quickly; there was no need to spending money for stuff that I didn't need.</p>
<p>As a result, for the question "Did the student take the most rigorous courseload availale?", I always got checked for the 2nd most rigorous - just because I didn't take that one class....</p>
<p>We went through this with my son. He worked during the summers, so he couldn't take summer school classes (necessary if you want to take all the APs offered at his school).</p>
<p>My son asked the GC to mention this in the letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>By the end of senior year, son took 8 out of the 12 AP classes offered at his school plus two college classes. He got into every college he applied at.</p>
<p>I would speak to you GC and ask...</p>