<p>I'll be graduating my senior year with 10 AP classes. I will have taken the most AP classes out of anyone in my school. I have worked my butt off to get into upper level classes and worked even harder to do well in them. Our school valedictorian will graduate with 6 AP classes next year but on her application, the counselor is checking off "Most Rigorous" anyway. About a quarter of my grade is getting that box checked off on their application and I just think that is completely unfair. I went above and beyond in course rigor compared to other people at my school and I don't get any distinction at all. </p>
<p>A girl who has never taken an AP class as an elective shouldn't be telling admissions officers that she had to work as hard as I did.</p>
<p>Ugh. How can I let admissions officers know that my courses are ACTUALLY the most rigorous?</p>
<p>Additionally, I am the only rising senior in my school to recieve the AP Scholar with Distinction award.</p>
<p>Just because the GC checked off most rigorous doesn’t mean you’ll both get equal consideration. If your school offers 15 APs, and you took 10 and she took 6, colleges will obviously see that. They don’t need your GC to tell them what’s rigorous and what’s not.</p>
<p>How do you even know what the counselor will check on others’ applications. You are worrying way too much about things that don’t concern you. Worry more about doing well in your remaining time at school and let the colleges figure it all out.</p>
<p>well if u took the most ap courses, u probably did take the most rigorous schedule in your high school. since you took the most rigorous, shes gonna have check most rigorous for someone who took a less rigorous schedule then you. you cant expect her to only check it for your since it was “the most rigorous” and not just “most rigorous”.</p>
<p>‘Most rigourous’ most likely means in the top 5-10% or so of rigour. You and the class valedictorian are both within that range, but of course colleges are going to notice how you’ve taken more in the way of APs.</p>
<p>OldCollegeTry, in college apps getting in to a college IS in fact about comparisons. So as nice as it would be to just worry about you, admissions is COMPETITIVE. </p>
<p>Wow I wasn’t being prideful. The fact of the matter is is that the other girl has a higher GPA by a few tenths of a point. There is a reason for my lower GPA and I want it indicated somewhere on my app that my schedule was the hardest because I think that is something worthwhile for a college to see. </p>
<p>I know the counselor is checking off most rigorous for these other girls because she told me she was…</p>
<p>It’s not like I’m in a rat race, I’m just disappointed that my hard schedule isn’t worth nearly what I thought it was.</p>
<p>@raiderade (I don’t know how to do the “reply” thing)</p>
<p>I understand where you’re coming from. She may have not taken a schedule as rigorous as yours, but she excelled a bit more in hers, making her somehow worthy of the same distinction. That’s kind of messed up, though I agree with some of the other posters on the fact that other things will eventually help you get to college, too. </p>
<p>I come from a school where none of the AP kids get that distinction, no matter how many classes they take. Only the people who pass International Baccalaureate get it.</p>
<p>Ask your GC to be more specific about your class rigor in her rec. If you want her to mention that you took the most APs (and perhaps, if this is true, that your weighted rank, were your school to rank, would put you around val status), just ask.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s fair to suggest that the valedictorian is undeserving of the distinction of “most rigorous.” I may not have taken as many APs as some of the students in my class, but I’ve still taken a good number and I’ve taken plenty of honors courses. </p>
<p>Also, think about it this way: she’s taken 6 APs and x number of honors courses. It’s not like she took all regular classes and slid through.</p>
<p>I’ve taken “harder aps” at my school and since I didn’t get A’s in every single one my rank is lower than perhaps what it should be if I had taken the easier classes my peers had. I didn’t do it because I wanted colleges to see that I took the hardest classes I possibly could, I did it because I genuinely wanted to learn about the subjects. You’re getting your panties in a bundle over something completely benign. A college will see what you did and how you did and judge based on that, not on a little box your counselor checks…</p>
<p>Okay whatever. I guess colleges will see that Intro to Drawing is not as hard as AP Art History or something. </p>
<p>AP Electives I’ve taken I really liked. It’s classes like AP US History that I really dislike but take them anyway. I’m not going to say that every AP class I took is out of a love of learning because AP US and AP Euro I just took because they were available.</p>
<p>Schools will also be looking at your high school’s profile. This generally lists the names of honors and AP courses, along with the number of AP tests administered and the number of students who received a “3” or higher. Some profiles list the number of 5’s, 4’s, 3’s, and how many scored a 1 or 2. A profile may indicate if taking the AP test is mandatory, if there are any restrictions on who can take AP courses (e.g. only upperclassmen), and any other nuances of your school’s AP policy.</p>
<p>Between the “most rigorous schedule” and the school profile, the college adcoms will understand the rigor of your schedule.</p>
<p>Do you realize that the vast majority of high schoolers don’t take any APs at all? And most of the applicants to most schools (in fact, most acceptees) take 3 APs junior year and perhaps 3 or 4 senior year. While your achievements are admirable, on a national scale, the valedictorian of your class does in fact have a schedule worthy of being called ‘most rigorous’.</p>
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<p>Is there an overlap of schools? If the two of you aren’t applying to the same schools, none of this even matters.</p>
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<p>No offense, but you’re really coming off as snobbish. I’m sure the valedictorian of your class worked just as hard as you to earn her grades. While you’re obviously deserving of a top school, don’t you think she is as well? Try to be a nicer person.</p>
<p>I agree you are coming off as snobbish. And, just because a class is an AP does NOT mean it is even a more rigorous class than an honors, or even standard class. Allow me to explain…</p>
<p>At my school (and I am sure mine is not the only one where this has happened), some of the AP classes are complete jokes (AP Human Geography is one). The teachers are extremely nice and laid back, and allow students to do that bare minimum. However, then there are other honors and standard classes (one I have taken, Medical Science) that force you to work like an AP. The teachers assign hours of homework, projects, and constant tests. Haven taken both, I can confidently say the standard level Med Sci was harder than the AP Human Geo.</p>
<p>I suggest you stop tooting your own horn and worry about something that you can actually control. Relax, many people will get “most rigorous” checked off.</p>
<p>If I were an admissions person I’d reject any applicant no matter what their scores if they were as anal as you. Pretty much everything about life is a competition and those idiots who get angry when they don’t get the only ribbon, the only compliment, the only prize make the rest of us sick to our stomachs. Your GC also checked the “most rigorous” box for you but you can’t live with the fact that someone – anyone – gets equally status. You’re not mature enough for college. Apply to junior high again. That’s where you belong.</p>
<p>Sorry for coming off as snobbish. I really don’t think I’m the best at school or life or anything. I just killed myself for 3 years taking AP classes cause I thought it would make a big difference when applying for colleges and I was frustrated that my GC didn’t seem to see that. She of course deserves a top school as well, not saying she doesn’t. It’s the same deal with how my school doesn’t have weighted GPAs. It’s just something that irks me.</p>
<p>I feel like I am being penalized because I decided to pursue my interests and not take the AP/IB elective that are complete B.S. at my school, just to build a resume as some do. Instead I took classes like Med Sci and Sports Medicine in order to see if I would actually like to work in that field. Now my class rank is not as stellar as my GPA would make you think, and I feel like that may hold me back in college admissions. It would suck to be rejected just because I wanted to study in what I am interested in</p>