<p>Hey guys, so far I have five 5's (Chem, APUSH, World History, Eng Lang, Calc AB) and one 3 (Biology T.T), and I'm taking four AP's next year (English Lit, Calc BC, Art History, Microeconomics) and self-studying two (Psych and U.S. Gov). My personal goal is to get into the double digits for 5's so that means I have to get at least five more 5's out of six AP's. Do you think this is a reasonable goal?</p>
<p>Is it reasonable in that it is achievable? Definitely. But for how reasonable it is for you personally, I would ask what level of commitment would this goal require (based on your ability to retain information, aptitude for a subject, etc.)? There’s no way to guarantee a 5, but how much study time would it take for you to be confident in your ability to get a 5? It may be in your best college-admission interests to drop an AP or two in favor of more time for extracirriculars and coursework; I doubt colleges will really care whether you received 8 5’s rather than 10 or 11. But if this is a really strong personal goal that you must achieve in high school, then perhaps it’s worth any amount of commitment. </p>
<p>My personal thoughts on the AP exams you’re considering:
- Calc BC: Since you’ve already taken and received a 5 on Calc AB - indicating a fairly solid understanding of AB material - Calc BC shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.
- English Lit: Based on your 5 on Lang, you probably have sufficient writing skill to do well on this exam. As long as your reading comprehension skills are decent and you have strong examples for your essays, a 5 seems very possible. (Lit was easier than Lang, imo, but to each their own.)
- Microeconomics: Does your course only offer micro and not macro? As long as you’re able to memorize terms and apply basic principles and formulas, it isn’t very difficult. I might recommend self-studying macro rather than Gov. since macro and micro have some overlap. But perhaps you enjoy Gov. more?
- Art History: I haven’t taken this one, but a couple of my friends have through self-study (our school doesn’t offer an Art History course). They complained a lot about memorization and their review books were very thick. Having that material spread out over a year may be a significant help though.
- Psych and U.S. Gov. - Other than the English AP’s, these were some of the easiest AP’s I’ve taken. I self-studied Psych as well, and managed to get a 5 by just remembering key terms and a few names. I took AP Gov. in 9th grade, and recieved a 5 without any review book study. </p>
<p>Overall, I’d say getting 5’s on the AP exams you chose is plausible given your past experience and exam difficulty. But, again, it’s my personal experience, and I can’t speak for your test-taking habits/ability, etc.</p>
<p>Also, are you set on taking 6 AP’s? Perhaps if you put off a self-study AP for next year (since it doesn’t seem like you’re a senior yet; if you are, then just dropping an AP), there would be a higher chance of receiving 5 5’s. Regardless, good luck with your AP’s this year!</p>
<p>WHY do you need/want 10 AP 5’s? Ask yourself that before putting yourself through the stress.</p>