So my school offers about 12 or 13 AP courses, but then on the UC application apparently my school lists about 18 AP courses. I am only taking 9 AP total in my high school career, and I feel that colleges will think I did not take advantage of the AP courses offered at my school. However, the courses I did not take were because there were no classes of that course during my year or are courses I would not take anyway. For example, I took regular US history because not enough people signed up for APUSH, and similarly for AP Art History and AP Gov. Will colleges penalize for not taking these courses even though there were no classes for them? (The other AP courses i did not take were AP language courses and an AP art course which I would not be able to take anyway)
6-8 AP courses are generally considered to be good when applying for top schools. While there may be valid reasons for taking more, for the admissions process, the law of diminishing returns starts to kick in, so the 9th class will do nothing to boost course rigor.
Colleges are well aware that one cannot take what is not offered and that schedule conflicts sometimes occur and that classes are sometimes cancelled due to low enrollment. No college expects a student to take every AP offered. The GC can discuss it in the Secondary School Report (although personally, I think that’s a waste of his time if you have 9 AP’s).
Make sure your guidance counselor mentions in the school profile that not all AP’s are offered every year due to low enrollment or other problems.
@MYOS1634 @skieurope Ok thank you! Another quick question though. Will colleges look negatively on me because I did not take a take a 3rd year of language? This was also because of another scheduling conflict. I know that this question is essentially the same but Spanish 3 is always offered, so I worry that It’ll be bad that I never took that course.
Yes, it’s a core class, if it’s offered and you elected to take a non core class, it’ll be held against you. You could see if it’s offered over the summer, or take it next year. In addition, having only up to level 2 at a school that routinely offers level 3 is a problem since most selective colleges require reaching level 3 and you won’t be given a pass for missing part of the requirements. The most selective colleges often expect level 4 or AP.
@MYOS1634 is there anyway I can explain that it was impossible to fit into my schedule and my local community college does not offer it?
Not you, but your guidance counselor in the school profile or your recommendation.
I agree with @MYOS1634 , but want to reiterate what MYOS said. If there are no opportunities to take it because the community college does not offer it and/or there was a schedule conflict with a required core class, then that’s one thing. If you could not take it because you wanted to take an elective or double up on a core subject, then that is a decision you made, and you should not expect a GC to try to spin it in your favor.
Of course, the above only applies if your target colleges ask for 3 or more years of a foreign language (like UCLA). For colleges that only ask for 2 years, then it’s a non-issue.
@rednotebook3 Did you opt out of Spanish freshman year to take math? You have 7 math classes?
After all, it is your GC that determine if you are taking the most rigor curriculum. The situation at your schools would apply to all other students too. It is not the ratio of AP you’ve taken that matter.
@gearmom In my junior year, I wanted to take Spanish 3 but I also took AP Chem and Calc BC. AP Chem was two classes that were blocked right next to each other and there was only 1 AP Chem class. There was also only 1 Calc BC class. All three Spanish 3 classes were the in the periods where I had AP Chem and Calc, but I am not allowed to drop AP classes so I could not take Spanish 3. When I got my schduel, I had 2 US history classes because the counselors messed up and did not give me Spanish. When fixing my schedule, the only elective that I could take was computer science, which is listed as a math course. I also took precal at summer school once. I am also taking both AP comp sci and stats this as a senior. With alegbra 2 freshman year, calc ab sophomore year, and calc bc junior year I have a totla of 7 math classes. i do regret taking stats and wish I took Spanish 3 instead.
Note that UCs do not use counselor recommendations or reports. The UC application process is apparently designed to minimize the need for counselors to support the applications, probably because many high school counselors are overloaded already and would not write meaningful recommendations or reports that could reasonably be compared to those from elite high schools where the counselors know each student individually.
Regarding foreign language, UCs specify a minimum of high school level 2 or equivalent proficiency proven through testing or in college foreign language courses, but high school level 3 is recommended for admission. Having level 3 or higher in high school will help you fulfill foreign language graduation requirements that many colleges (including UCs) have with fewer courses, due to higher initial placement.
In every app, UC, common etc, there’s a totally open section where you can add this kind of info, why you took the classes you did if you think it will be held against you. As others have said 9 is more than enough, you really only need 6 or 7 APs, they just have to be right ones. 
@theloniusmonk I know 9 may be overkill but I am an Asian American male going into a STEM major, so I feel like I need to compensate in some other way. Also I know UC’s are not allowed to judge based on ethnicity but I am still a male going into computer science.
Then you need to take a non-stem AP, APUSH, APLAC, AP Comp are three, in addition to AP Calc, AP Chem, AP Physics. Those are the gold standards APs.
@theloniusmonk is it acceptable that I am taking physics at a community college instead of AP physics at my high school?
If you want the community college physics course to transfer as credit useful for an engineering-based CS major, be sure to take a calculus-based physics course that is listed on http://www.assist.org as transferable to UC and CSU CS majors that require physics. (Note: some CS majors are not engineering-based and do not require physics, although a transferable physics course could still satisfy some general education requirements.)
Acceptable meaning that you’d get credit from the college for taking science every year, probably. But they’ll wonder why you didn’t take it at your school, if you have a good reason, like scheduling conflict, then you’re ok.