<p>If I take too many APs, even ones that don't really interest me, will colleges see it as rigorous schedule or GPA-hungry drone? I've taken 11 so far and I'll take 6 more next year for a total of 17 APs at the end of senior year. Is this overkill? This includes classes like AP Art History and AP Environmental Science which quite frankly don't interest me but am taking because rigorous schedule is emphasized so much.</p>
<p>AP Environmental is such an AMAZING class! Give it the chance and see if you like it. I LOVED that class so much. Then again my teacher made it super fun. We went on 14 field trips so maybe that’s why I found it so interesting. anyways as to you question, it really depends on your grades. With so many AP’s I think getting the A in the class is far more important that having 17 AP’s under you record</p>
<p>I’ve already taken AP Environmental and I have a 3.98 GPA so far (got one B in Calc BC). I’m just wondering if colleges will frown upon taking too many regardless of GPA</p>
<p>I don’t think they frown in it but I don’t think it is necessary to take so many either. What matters most is your core classes and how advanced they are and taking AP’s available in those. Having some AP electives is nice too, but you should take them around your interests. Otherwise, going after advanced coursework in one area of particular interest is something to consider if that’s available. The only think that may affect this is what your HS considers the most rigorous schedule. Have you talked to your GC about this?</p>
<p>You’re way past overkill status, but also trapped by your earlier work - to slow down too much senior year will make it look like you’re slacking. Post your schedule from the last few years along with next year’s schedule, and let’s see what the experts here can do.</p>
<p>I have and partly the reason I made this thread was because the counselor actually suggested “dumbing down” the schedule and told me the schedule could be too difficult to handle. </p>
<p>Note that my school has the 4x4 schedule, which mean I take 4 classes per semester with 2 semester per year, for a total of 8 per year. This allows me to take 2 classes of a subject in 1 year, called doubling up</p>
<p>Anyway, my full schedule is</p>
<p>9th:
Algebra II/Trig Honors
Spanish II
English 9 Honors
Band
Biology
PE
Pre Calc Honors
Spanish III </p>
<p>10th:
AP World History
Chemistry
AP Calc BC
Spanish IV
AP Environmental
AP Chemistry
AP Spanish
English 10 Honors</p>
<p>11th:
AP Biology
AP US History
AP Statistics
Computer Science
AP English Language
AP Psychology
Calculus III</p>
<p>My projected but not yet decided 12th grade:
AP Computer Science
Imaging
AP European History
AP English Literature
AP Art History
Second Year PE
AP Physics C
AP Gov/Econ</p>
<p>Should I make any changes to the 12th grade schedule?</p>
<p>If your guidance counselor thinks your schedule is “too difficult to handle” they are saying that knowing that you must devote time to completing you college applications the first semester of your senior year. And depending upon the schools you are applying to, you could be writing, rewriting and editing many essays. Listen to your GC!</p>
<p>Don’t underestimate the time you need to devote to college applications. My son had a very similar course load through HS. I don’t think it helped/hurt him, but I wish he would have taken slightly less rigor to enjoy senior year a little more.</p>
<p>Assuming your senior schedule is first four courses, 1st semester, 2nd four courses 2nd semester, though you may not have that much control, here’s my take. 1st Semester is definitely too much. You’ll have college apps, plus AP Euro and AP Lit in double time, which is a lot of reading. At our school, that would amount to two novels a week in Lit, plus over 100 pages a week in Euro. Maybe your school doesn’t run the classes that way, but then you add in all the projects you’ll have to do for CompSci (again, school dependent), and it’s just too much. I would suggest either Euro or Lit has to go, and I would lean toward tossing Lit.</p>
<p>It looks like 2nd semester is actually a little more do-able, but does it really matter? I know you said AP Art History isn’t an interest to you, but it’s actually one of the easier APs, so I’m inclined to keep it. If you keep Euro first semester, then AP Gov is not necessary, unless there is some graduation reason to keep it. Then AP Art History could go. You’ve never had a physics class, so I’[d say you should keep that, unless you wanted to take an easier version.</p>
<p>I think you’ll want to keep 4 APs senior year to avoid the slacker label, especially after what you’ve already taken, but I don’t think more than that is really necessary. Just choose the ones you keep wisely, make sure you have 5 cores through the year, and keep in mind the first semester is going to be tough with college apps and possibly visits. Good luck.</p>
<p>I would advise against taking classes you have absolutely no interest in. You’ll hate going everyday, doing the work, etc. </p>
<p>Yeah, your schedule is certainly impressive, but what about ECs? Gotta leave some time for those. </p>
<p>Have you taken physics before? if not, I’d figure out how to take a physics class of some kind before next spring - physics C supposes you were among the best either in Physics B or in Honors Physics. </p>
<p>I’d drop AP Lit in the Fall and replace it with another class - see if you can take an English class where you’re be writing college application essays?</p>
<p>I forgot to mention I’m taking AP Physcis B right now, second semester of junior year, and am doing fairly well.</p>
<p>My school does offer a college application class where we work on essays and such but I had a couple concerns. 1) would it look bad if I took it instead of an academic class and 2) would colleges maybe see it as “cheating” since I’d pretty much be broadcasting that I completed my application with professional (or at least teacher) help.</p>
<p>If you’re doing well in Physics B, then Physics C is perfectly fine. :)</p>
<p>How’s the class called? Isn’t it called “Senior English composition” or something like that? If your school offers it and it’s good, take it. It’s a writing class so it is an academic class - unless it’s called “application workshop” or something…?</p>
<p>The class is called College Application Seminar and it’s the first year my school’s offering it so I’m not sure about it’s effectiveness.</p>
<p>Is it a zero period class?</p>
<p>No it’s a regular period class</p>
<p>I’m actually stumped.
The class should be called “Senior Composition” or something like that, and it can be very valuable. Also, since you’ll be writing those essays anyway, even if the class is not effective, you’ll have one period on work on them in the Fall which will be 45 fewer minutes taken off sleep.
If you take it, will your GC check the “most rigorous” box on the common app?
Check with him/her and ask whether the name of the class might be changed into something that sounds a bit more academic. I’d be tempted to advise you to take it anyway since you already have 5 AP’s senior year, which is a lot. Hopefully more regular posters will chime in.</p>
<p>Is this writing class offered by the English department or the guidance/study skills department?</p>
<p>It’s “taught” by an English teacher but I think from what I’ve heard it’s basically a free period where everyone just works on their own apps.</p>
<p>No one will criticize you for taking the class, and 5 APs more than makes up for it. It’s not like they’re writing the essays for you. And changing the name of the class would change nothing. Colleges don’t care, and they’re not stupid. They know this goes on all the time under other names. Don’t think too much.</p>