Managing APs? OMG..

Applying to College
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<p>I think it's smarter actually, to take more APs junior year as opposed to senior year. It boosts your weighted GPA that COLLEGES see (of course, assuming you do well), although it is no means of an excuse to slack off on the couses senior year, they should be just as challenging. (choosing an easy courseload for senior year? think again - colleges look at ALL the classes you've taken, every year... they don't want slackers, believe me)</p>

<p>our school doesn't allow APs till junior year and it's considered insanely difficult to even take 2-3 per year (because we only have 4 blocks per day, 82 minute classes everyday. so basically you have 2-5 hours PER AP PER day all DUE the next day). </p>

<p>junior year - ap chemistry, ap european history
senior year - ap english, ap calc ab, ap francais, ap enviromental sci</p>

<p>I'm not sure how I'm going to do it next year, but I'll try :) The thing is, I'm an INCREDIBLE slacker. (like I'm doing now, instead of studying for my AP euro exam tom...) If I don't choose classes that literally FORCE me to work hard to get a good grade in, I slack off and don't do work and... die. -_- So yeah, I choose classes to challenge myself just to motivate myself to work hard :P (I think the skills will help me in college later, hehe)</p>

<p>But true, it's very difficult balancing AP classes with regular classes and ECs and whatnot... time management is HUGE. For example, I try and finish all my regular honor class homework during school (lunch, study halls, before/after school, waiting for my ride) and then study/do work for all my APs at home, where I can concentrate better =)</p>

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<p>theoneo: The reason is not to pick APs for grade boosts. Rather, one must show that one is continuing to challenge oneself DESPITE the fact that grades no longer "count" (except perhaps the first semester). </p>

<p>For the college-conscious, it's not even a matter of improving GPA (many would get worse grades in the AP courses). But most colleges say that the primary aspect evaluated is the difficulty of the course load.</p>

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<p>Four or five, not totally sure yet.</p>

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<p>i have 3 aps this year, prob. 7 next year. the top seniors in my school take 8+ aps and still have 4.0 GPAs. it's def. demanding, but possible.</p>

25

<p>I took:
Ap USH JR. Year and AP English and Bio Senior year. It wasn't really that bad, AP USH and English were both easy, Bio was the only difficult one.</p>

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<p>thanks for all the replies.</p>

<p>would you guys consider 3-4 APs for Junior year an AVERAGE # of APs? </p>

<p>Maybe i was over-exaggerating about the difficulty. Indeed, it's very challenging, but maybe manageable. I opened this thread due to the constant hearings at school that what Im about to do in Junior year is basically INSANE. So I wanted if they were correct, or not.</p>

<p>It seems it's pretty much manageable. It differs from school to school, but in the overall picture, it IS challenging. </p>

<p>Again my possible Junior schedule:</p>

<p>Honors Euro Lit - </p>

<p>prof said he would more than kindly sign me in for the class, but he gave me 1 day to carefully think about if I could handle the courseload, since it's one of the hardest Honors classes here, or maybe THE hardest.</p>

<p>Honors AlgII - </p>

<p>I constantly thought about just going to Regular Alg II, since I do not believe I could get an A in Honors. Im still thinking about it, though.</p>

<p>APUSH - </p>

<p>heard that it was lots of memorizing and taking notes and lots of reading. But im pretty sure I'll do this one.</p>

<p>APES -</p>

<p>Teacher already signed me in. Yay. More than likely to take AP BIO in senior year (yeah, not taking either AP Chem or AP Phys.. not good at math)</p>

<p>AP SPANISH - No problem with this one at all.</p>

<p>AP ART HISTORY - I'll probably do this, since I believe I will have no prob with AP Spanish. So, I would take AP Spanish, but it would be like a Reg spanish class for me, just more work, reading, and reviewing/studying. </p>

<p>.
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....</p>

<p>What really kinda ****es me off are the HONORS courses.</p>

<p>One guy told me "Well, first semester is OK. 2ND semester is pretty hard. Lots of reading and writing. avg hrs one would spend on one homework assignment =2.5hrs-3. Pretty hard stuff."</p>

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<p>2-4 is the average for top 10% of my class. Next yr (jr) i'll be taking two for sure ... I'm over-riding a teachers decision for apush though =P</p>

<p>from what i've heard junior year is definetly harder than soph and fresh especially with a lot of the standardized testing and colleges looming</p>

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<p>Junior year is when I actually started having homework. It was incredibly intense and really hard to manage my time with church and debate. Especially since I was taking a bunch of APs in subjects that were really hard for me (math and science). But I spaced things out kinda, which is good because some friends are taking 7 APs this year and that is just PAIN.</p>

<p>Freshman: AP World History
Soph: AP Euro + AP Stat
Junior: AP Chem + AP Physics C: Mechanics + AP Calculus BC (chickened out of the exam though) + APUSH
Senior: AP Poli Sci (not taking exam) + AP Spanish Lang + AP Eng Lit + AP Bio (not taking exam)</p>

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<p>Taking five AP tests, work 15-20 hrs/wk, heavily involved in five clubs, so.... (Plus the tests are one day after another)</p>

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<p>I'm currently wrapping up three as a junior (psychology, statisitics, and macroeconomics) and it didn't get too bad for me until the end. It's definitely manageable, depending on which AP classes you decide to take. I can assure you that no matter what they are, you won't die.</p>

31

<p>My son took 6 APs in junior year (AP Latin Lit, AP English, APUSH, APCalcBC, APBio and AP Geography), and is signed up for 5 for senior year (AP Eng, APWorld History, AP US Govt&Pol, AP Comparative Govt & Pol, AP Physics) plus Advanced Seminar in Mathematics Honors and an independent study in Latin. But, he's able to handle all the reading and studying because he's not in any sport or in any performing arts group that takes up a lot of time. His best friend, who does play sports, is taking 5 APs this year -- but he doesn't need a lot of sleep. So, 3-4, even more, can be done if you can manage your time.</p>

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<p>very true. If you're gonna do a lot of AP's have it be junior year. </p>

<p>Junior year is the most important yr. and maybe you do wanna show those colleges that you're tryin to take the toughest courses. </p>

<p>Senior year should be a year that you slowly lax and slow down on all the hard-core classes. I mean ok, you can take 3 or 4 AP's BUT PEOPLE WHO HONESTLY TAKE 5+ AP'S DURING THEIR SENIOR YEAR ARE A LITTLE ECCENTRIC, MORONIC PERHAPS, MAYBE EVEN CRAZY. </p>

<p>Especially if you're not gonna use half those credits you get towards your college degree.</p>

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<p>"LITTLE ECCENTRIC, MORONIC PERHAPS, MAYBE EVEN CRAZY."BEARSOFLIFE</p>

<p>im not...im sorry but ap classes are easy, not trying to say that im smart of anything cuz im not but regular/ or honors classes are so easy that i end up doing worse because i get to a point where start skipping the class because its so easy.</p>

34

<p>Hey, that's fine. It's your opinion and everyone has a right to their own views on things. </p>

<p>I just think it's pointless when you're already in colleges. But I understand your point somewhat. </p>

<p>Although I was in 2 AP classes this year, and I'm also in regular classes(SOME REALLY EASY) AND I DON'T HAVE A NEED OR WANT TO SKIP THOSE CLASSES. </p>

<p>Just cause it's easy doesn't mean you should skip a class.</p>

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<p>i took three last year four this year. last year was easy once i got used to it. This year lol i barely studied. Yet i think i did well on the euro test. Whatever. It takes a quarter or two to adjust after that it's just life.</p>

36

<p>you don't really need to worry that much about 3 or 4 APs. Sure, you will be reviewing like crazy before the AP exams. But usually AP teachers prepare you really well, maybe even over. This year, I too, am taking 3 APs. I would suggest you to start studying after Spring Break or during. What I did was just broke up the pages evenly, so you won't overwhelm yourself. Like for Bio and CS and English, I did 21, 50, and 2 practice sections (for reading), respectively.</p>

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<p>im trying to to "APES, APUSH, AP Spanish, and AP Art History" and teachers go, including friends "man are YOU CRAZZY? And teachers tell me, " i could sign you for APUSH and AP Art History, but im worried it's too much. Just choose 1 of the two. that will be better.</p>

<p>a girl and a teacher both convinced me to just go to Regular Europ. History, instead of Honors Euro History.</p>

38

<p>I seriously think colleges should not look at students who don't take atleast 3 ap's in high school, unless your high school doesn't allow or have ap's.</p>

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<p>yea what my high school is doin is makin Government be only an AP class next year so that all the kids will at least take 1 AP in their high school career. </p>

<p>I think kids should take at least a couple AP's in high school. But not a billion like some do.</p>

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<p>Freshman:
AP Bio</p>

<p>Sophomore:
AP Euro Hist</p>

<p>Junior:
AP US Hist
AP Chem
AP English III
AP Psychology
AP Latin III</p>

<p>Senior:
AP Gov/Econ (Macro, Micro,and Gov)
AP English IV
AP Calc BC
AP Latin IV
AP Physics</p>

<p>Play varsity lacrosse and captain of policy debate.
Time Allocation.</p>