I am currently a junior in high school. For my senior year, I will be taking only 3 courses: AP Environmental Science, AP Microeconomics, and Story and Style.
However, I have a reason for taking so few classes. I have my own tech blogging company that I run, and I would like to dedicate as much time as possible next year in order to scale it to 6 figures. I also have a variety of other extracurricular activities such as Robotics and FBLA, both in which I have officer positions. On top of that, I will be organizing a hackathon, doing consulting for businesses, learning to invest in the stock market, and taking a few classes at my local community college. Also, I have already finished taking all AP math and foreign language courses at my school.
I am trying to go to Stanford and some of the Ivy Leagues in order to immerse myself in the advanced and innovative business and computer science classes that are offered there as well as gain a larger network of like minded individuals. Will the fact that I am taking only 3 classes next year affect me in any way or will my explanation of why I am taking such few classes suffice?
I️ will also only be taking 3 AP courses next year: AP Government, English Language and Psychology, as well as Pre-Calc Honors. Granted, the max I️ could take are 4 (AP Math and another AP Science). However, science does not interest me as much and I️ will be applying for political science. If those are the only classes you are taking next year, maybe, but it depends on the total number of APs offered (mine offers 12 total APs over all four years) and what you plan on majoring in. I️ wouldn’t worry about it.
It’s a very high risk strategy: lots of students would much rather build their blog / start-up business / do their favorite activities than do a regular HS curriculum. You are making a conscious choice to ignore the recommendations of all of those schools in terms of course work and academic rigor, and frankly more than a few of the people who will be applying for spaces at those schools will be taking a full academic curriculum and doing many/most of the things that you are talking about doing.
B/c those schools are a world unto themselves, and b/c I don’t know much at all about you, I can’t say that it won’t work- if you are that good, you may have a compelling application. But, the places that you want to attend accept fewer than 10% of their applicants- and they are independent variables, so applying to all of them does not improve your chances overall. You will need to also apply to some match and safety schools that you would actually be willing to attend.
“taking a few classes at my local community college”
what classes in what subjects?
" Also, I have already finished taking all AP math and foreign language courses at my school."
How many AP classes have you taken and what are they?
"But you should be taking an english and math somewhere. "
i agree with this. NOT taking 4 years of English and Math will likely sabotague your chances of acceptance not only at highly competitive colleges , but at many others as well.
In response to the questions by @menloparkmom , since the start of freshman year, I have taken 7 community college courses in Business, Computer Science, and Stock Market Investing, and for my senior year, I will take Multivariable Calculus and a couple Business and CS classes at the same community college.
So far, the AP’s I have taken are: AP Calc BC, AP Computer Science, AP Language and Composition, AP Physics C, AP Spanish, and AP Statistics.
Also, to clarify, @a20171 , Story and Style is the name for the regular English class that is offered at our school (there is only regular English and AP).
@rockstar21 , what is your GPA?
SAT scores? AP scores.
your schedule looks good too me.
Be sure your Guidance Counselor checks the box that says you have taken the “most rigorous” classes offered.
Make SURE you follow this advise fromcollegemom3717 -“You will need to also apply to some match and safety schools that you would actually be willing to attend.”
College admissions these days are brutal, even for the most talented, exceptional students. I kid you not.
Are you going to apply early to any colleges?
Good luck.
Have you had the $$ talk with your parents yet?
Do you know how much they would be willing AND able to spend for your college education? Regardless of where you go to college?
if not, NOW is the time to ask them, NOT after you have sent in applications or when when admissions decision come in April and they find out it could cost them hundreds of thousands of $$.
Have them run the NPC at various colleges- NOT just those with generous FA programs, like S and H.