HS Classes/Sophomore Help!

<p>So Far, In High School I have taken the following classes in 9th and 10th grade, well taking in 10th grade.</p>

<p>Grade 9-
English I Honors
Algebra I
Intro to Info Tech
Sports Marketing
Geometry Honors
Intro to Engineering Design.
Earth/Sci Hon.
HOPE</p>

<p>Grade 10-
AP World History
AP Enviromental Science
Int. Reading
Chemistry I Hon.
English II Honors
AP Psychology
Algebra II Honors</p>

<p>As far as college admissions go, do you think I have a good chance of getting into great Universities such as UCF, UF, FIU, etc. Also, as you can see I am taking Intensive Reading, due to my low scores on the FCAT in 9th grade, will this class affect college greatly?</p>

<p>I have no Extracurriculars except volunteering at a library and hospital.
Also, Please state any reccomendations to improve my classes, ec's , schedules and things to do in high school to kind of override that intensive reading class.</p>

<p>Thanks So Much guys, I really appreciate your help!!</p>

<p>Your courses are rigorous, some colleges place that at high importance some don’t. Real defining factors are: SAT scores and your GPA, and those are subjective to the college you want to go to. Try to do more extracurricular activities and sports, those will help.</p>

<p>If you can’t pass the FCAT, you shouldn’t be taking AP Classes. no offense.
Fcat reading is the most basic of all, your school is setting you up to fail.</p>

<p>How is my School setting me up to fail?</p>

<p>What Weeknd is trying to say, is that if you can’t pass the standard state reading assessment that is basically- in my opinion- the easiest thing on this earth then you really don’t appear to have the reading comprehension ability necessary to be in classes like AP World and AP Psychology… My school wouldn’t even think of putting you in an AP class, let alone 3?</p>

<p>You dont Understand, I am a very Smart kid, and I even managed to get into a program that requires you to have a 4 on the fcat, but I got in with a 2. I am doing great, and I understand the course material in AP, but FCAT, is just to general for me, but I love my AP classes. do you think the int. read will hurt my college transcript</p>

<p>FCAT is just to general? </p>

<p>That’s not an excuse for a really bad score. What every one is saying is that you have 3 APS that all require a fair amount of reading, and if you can’t do the “whats the main idea of this passage” questions, you won’t be able to do well in these courses. I would drop the AP social studies and trade them for maybe AP maths or something.
An intensive reading kid would never get into those classes at my school. </p>

<p>Also, get some extra curriculars in! Clubs, Sports, anything!</p>

<p>I literally went into the fcat with 2 hours of sleep because of homework and i managed a 5, 3 questions shy of a perfect score.</p>

<p>I’m just saying that you won’t benefit anything from failing AP classes just because you “fear” not looking good to colleges when MOST people never take APs in their whole high school career and still get into top colleges.
Focus less on what colleges and more on what YOU NEED which in this case is a less reading intensive schedule so you can get their and add on APs the next year if improvement has been made</p>

<p>What I am Saying, Is that currently I’m doing great in all 3 of my AP’s. But FCAT, is VERY General. Moreover, Now that I have these AP’s they will only help me to do better on FCAT, this year.</p>

<p>Understanding College level material before general material is like swimming before you can move your legs.
but if u thinks it right then this thread has no point.</p>

<p>I’ll bring another opinion on this FCAT failing thing: It doesn’t look bad, but it doesn’t look good. It makes me question what you were taught in elementary/middle school. What skill are you lacking that disallows you to understand a general, basic passage. </p>

<p>I’d work on that, bro. Even though you’re smart, you’re still in intensive reading.</p>

<p>^Pretty much agree with everything that’s already been said. Why are you taking APs if you are in intensive reading? (Not to be offensive.) As for top schools: they will see this, that you haven’t taken any standardized tests, and that your extracurriculars are virtually non-existent. If you have the mindset, and the means, start working on boosting your transcript with good grades and your EC list with meaningful activities you care about.</p>

<p>I understand both sides regarding the standardized testing. I am horrible standardized test taker (especially in reading related work) because I feel it is subjective/struggle to pick one answer, despite this I am great at English/have had high A’s in honors English and at one point was two grade levels above my grade. But as much as you want to avoid it standardized testing is a huge part of the American education system…</p>

<p>That being said the three AP’s is a horrible idea. You are a sophomore, it is a major transition into AP’s/extremely rigorous classes. It may be easy right now, but what about two months in when the work load has doubled, you barely remember what you learned in the first few chapters and have a test every week? Especially because AP classes teach to the test and rely on those same reading comprehension skills which you struggled with last year and will make you struggle when you reach the AP exam. I suggest dropping two of the three AP classes, taking a foreign language and an elective instead. Like others have said become involved in ECs and stop worrying about what will impress colleges and instead pick a schedule that will be a good fit for you.</p>