Is taking 12 AP way too much?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi! I'm an 8th grader and I'm going to be a freshman in high school next year. I was creating a course plan to follow. </p>

<p>In 9th grade, I plan to take Algebra 2 Honors, Biology 1 Honors, English 9 Honors, World History and Geography Honors, PE, French 2, and Computer Graphics.</p>

<p>In 10th grade, I plan to take Precalculus with Trigonometry Honors, AP Statistics, Chemistry 1 Honors, English 10 Honors, AP World History, PE, French 3, and AP Computer Science A.</p>

<p>In 11th grade, I plan to take AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, Physics 1 Honors, AP Psychology, French 4, Economics & Personal Finance (a required course in my school district), and AP English Language & Composition.</p>

<p>In 12th grade, I plan to take Multivariable Calculus and Matrix Algebra, AP Chemistry, Geosystems Honors, AP Micro + Macroeconomics, AP French, AP English Lit. & Composition, and a course about the human anatomy.</p>

<p>I want to study pre-med/ biomedical sciences in college and become a neurosurgeon when I grow up. I showed this plan to my mom and she thinks that I'm being overly ambitious. Am I?</p>

<p>(I have always been a straight A student. I hope to participate in my school's JV tennis team in the spring, volunteer 3 hours a week at my local hospital and join their Medical Explorers Club, continue playing the violin, be a member of the National Honor Society and French Honor Society, and participate in my school's Varsity Math Team as extracurricular activities.) I understand that high school courses are much harder than middle school courses, but I really want to take all of them. I'm willing to put in the time and effort. </p>

<p>Also, I'm currently in my school's GT program and I've already taken Algebra 1 HN in 7th grade and I'm taking Geometry HN right now. That's 12 AP classes and 11 honors classes (including Alg 1 and Geom) if I counted correctly.</p>

<p>Everything said, is my plan too ambitious?</p>

2

<p>I think you have a good plan, and it’s certaintly possible, and IMHO, not too ambitious. </p>

<p>Just be prepared to adapt if you find out it’s too much. My son did it, with similar course load and ECs - he led both his baseball and math teams in scoring! :slight_smile: - but he took some non-AP courses in the summer, which took a little bit of pressure off the regular year.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

3

<p>Don’t focus on that yet. Just enjoy the 8th grade while it lasts. Only take 12 APs iif you could handle it.</p>

4

<p>In total, I took/am taking 16-17 ap classes. Its not too bad.</p>

5

<p>At my high school you had to take Calculus AB before you could take Calculus BC, so find out if that’s a requirement. Also, sophomores weren’t allowed to take AP classes. Only juniors and seniors. Also consider that the classes might not be offered in a schedule that works for you (i.e., AP Biology and AP Psychology may be held at the same time, or AP Biology may be at the same time as a required course you have to take).</p>

<p>It sounds like a reasonable schedule to me. I took two AP classes in my junior year (U.S. History and English language) and 5 more in my senior year (Calculus AB, Physics, French, American Government and Comparative Government). It’s completely possible to take that many, especially if you are a driven student. I will say, though, that you won’t have time to do much else besides study and maybe a few extracurriculars. I rarely saw friends on the weekends and I definitely didn’t do any hanging out after school (other than marching band and a few clubs). But I did get a semester’s worth of credit in college.</p>

6

<p>Do you have your retirement community already picked out too? :)</p>

<p>Maybe live your life one year at a time and see where it leads you.</p>

7

<p>^ for real. This is why our life expectancy is going down. Fast food isn’t causing our high blood pressure, stress is.</p>

8

<p>Wow your pretty mature for your age. I say you are capable of doing this and your schedule is not ambiguous. Also, for that multi-variable calculus class, its a college class that you have to attend at a college. So, if you want to be on a team, it will interfere with each other. Like the guy above me, take it year by year because your motives change when you get older. </p>

<p>Sent from my Ally using CC</p>