I posted this originally in Dec as a response to another AP thread, but I think is applies here as well:
Other side of the coin - AP courses can be very helpful. One of my kids found time in HS to be a student leader and 2 sport athlete, took 12 AP courses, scored 5’s on all of them, and entered a highly selective school as a Freshman with Sophomore standing. They will graduate in 4 years with a Masters degree in engineering. So sometimes a lot of AP courses can be a good thing.
But they did not take the AP courses to “look good for college admissions”. They took the AP courses because they would have been bored with lower level courses, and obviously they could handle the work load. YMMV.
Added in edit 1/4/16: None of my kids took AP courses to “look impressive”. Nobody should take AP courses, or do ECs to “look impressive”. They should take the courses, or ECs because it looks like fun, they have an interest in the area, or want to learn more.