<p>College really do like to see language on your transcript - at least 2 years, four for top schools.</p>
<p>The vast majority of high school students don’t take any APs at all. Many top preps don’t allow anyone to take any APs in Freshman or Sophomore year and may limit a student to four total - and prep kids get into top schools. </p>
<p>Taking lots of lower tier APs, without a strong core curriculum, looks like a spindly Christmas tree loaded with cheap ornaments. Go for substance and rigor, not a bunch of frilly non-core classes. Save the frills for summer and EC.</p>
<p>Some of these people are a bit crazy (coughEquilibrium and banjomancough)- 7-8 APs is beyond competitive, and 6 is way more than most people take anyways- I think that the average AP student takes 1.7 exams or something. Very, very few take more than 5, and I think every single one of them is on CC You seem very interested in academics, so keep taking honors classes and a couple APs and you’ll be set!</p>
<p>I only took 1 AP (World History) sophomore year, because that’s all my school allowed, but I was one of the really weird ones who ended up with 9 APs by the time I graduated. So you can still catch up in Junior and Senior years if you want. I dunno if I recommend it, I went pretty insane this May ;)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! I appreciate your help. I may want to do online French, this way I can have another AP Class. I want to do this my junior year though.</p>
<p>It all depends on the context of your school, which colleges will know about because they are familiar with high schools and your high school will send an academic profile of the school when they send your transcript.</p>
<p>At my school, there are 59684569456 APs offered, so if you don’t take advantage of them, you look lazy. For the record–I got into Dartmouth and Cornell, and took only one AP my sophomore year (Human Geo haha). I know of one student who took two, and this is out of 200 kids in the grade (yes, it’s a really small public school).</p>
<p>Colleges do want to see continuity so continue with foreign language to the best of your ability. It is ALWAYS preferable to take the class in school, because speaking/interacting with others is a huge aspect of mastering a language, and AP exams test your speaking skills. If you’re not a confident speaker, it’s difficult to get a really high score, because you’ll tend to get flustered.
If your school doesn’t offer your language in class, or if it absolutely cannot work scheduling-wise, then do it online, but be careful. Try to speak with native speakers often to build your confidence.</p>
<p>Yeah I think that it’s fine. I’ve only taken one AP and that was Euro last year as a sophomore. I’m taken 4 next year, 3 self-study and then 7 senior year, 2 self-study. Look into Self-studying, some subjects are relatively easy!</p>
<p>I was just talking to some friends and they didn’t know you can take two AP’s your sophomore year. My school really doesn’t tell the kids about what they really offer. I went to AP Fair Night, so that’s how I learned about AP Art History. Will it look bad if I have Theater all four years? I’m not sure if I want to major in it, but I enjoy it and it’s an easy A and can help my GPA. I can see myself doing it at some schools like at NYU. I really want to major in print journalism, but I didn’t get into the journalism class for next year. I could take it senior year (no room junior year) but the teacher was very rude to me. Do I want to take a class which I know the teacher is really rude. She is just a mean person and I didn’t get into the class, because I wasn’t gifted.</p>
<p>hm that’s a tough situation.
What I would do is try to find some sort of journalism internship or project you can do outside of school that requires significant time dedication and that you can continue until you graduate. This way, you can avoid the teacher, you can avoid looking like you didn’t care about the class junior year, and you can have room in your schedule to do theater all 4 years (continuity is good).</p>
<p>I agree, I don’t want to be in a class where I wouldn’t feel comfortable. I remember when she said I didn’t make it, my teacher told me to go there and have her sign my thing to be in it. She goes oh sorry I sent the list out this morning and she looks down and says oh you didn’t make it, please try next year. But she sounded so fake and not real at all, like she didn’t mean it. I had to submit work to her and I feel it was good and my teacher even edited it for me. It was very honest and very good and I know I have done work before that was bad and this wasn’t it. I know a girl who is gifted and got in and she doesn’t even want to be a journalist or really care to be in this program. I put that this is my dream and I would love to be a journalist. Also, this is the same teacher I did not get into a program where I can take AP my junior year for LA and no honors kids got into it, only gifted again. I’ve also seen her in the halls always yelling at students including my class. She always has a smirk too and she just teaches seniors and the newspaper. I know I could take Year Book senior year, but it doesn’t interest me. Will it look bad that they do offer journalism, but I didn’t take it? You have to get in it though.</p>
<p>To College- I’m in a suburb, so I don’t know much of anything that I could intern for. I also have an interest in travel journalism, also it is hard to intern during the school year for me. I’m on the swim team and it takes most of my time, when I’m finish with practice I’m usually going home and eating and then homework and bed.</p>
<p>Anyways.
I’m taking 6 APs next year btw, if you didn’t already know.
Not only that, we are a non-competitive/non-top public high school in a suburb.</p>
<p>Your counselor sucks btw.
Also, you should probably focus on applying to the top journalism summer programs, that’s what makes a legit journalism college app.</p>
<p>Technically, theater is a joke class. However, if you keep it for 4 years, you may find it to help boost your app, IF you do something like write your own play that gets performed/etc.</p>
<p>Otherwise, I suggest taking college journalism courses/related courses.</p>
<p>Yep I’m suppose to graduate in 2012, however I’m going to apply to Bard College at Simon’s Rock this fall. I’m just going to apply and see what happens. I only can take 6 classes next year and 4 of them are required. That makes 2 electives and that’s Drama and French. I was going to go to IU- Bloomington this summer, but my mother didn’t feel it was safe to fly there and then to go on a shuttle by myself. I have flown by myself, but there was always someone picking me up at the airport. She thinks something can happen, so that won’t happen. I could have done UGA’s program, but didn’t want to. Also, a lot of the other programs are a lot of money and not near me. I’m in the Southeast and lots of the programs are in NY or LA.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you have time for another class online outside of school, but CTD Gifted Learning Links has an online class in Journalistic Writing Honors</p>
<p>“Take a journey into the world of news reporting! As students learn and use strategies for effectively gathering news and the specialized formats and styles that define straight news and feature stories, they develop an understanding of techniques for ensuring objectivity in reporting. Participants gain exposure to legal and ethical issues faced by journalists. They refine their critical thinking, writing and editing skills as they author articles that can be submitted for publication.
High school credit: 2 semesters”</p>
<p>It looks good, but I’m not sure if my high school would give me credit for it. Also, it is $820 plus an application fee of $60. and I can take online classes from my school at only $250. My mom thinks that is a lot of money too!</p>
<p>Wow you must be rich, because $880 is A LOT of money and my mother would never pay that much. I wanted to take Chemistry this summer, so I got an extra elective. She said why would I pay money, when you get it for free? We are not poor, but we don’t our money to go down the tube. Also if you didn’t realize this isn’t an AP class, but this is a Journalistic Writing Honors Class!!! Also, I could take AP online from my school at just $500 for the whole year.</p>
<p>see it mainly depends like my school only allows students to take on ap course softmore year which is ap european history and is the first ap course, but by the time i graduate ill have 11 aps</p>
You seem very interested in academics, so keep taking honors classes and a couple APs and you’ll be set!</p>