However, the non-transparency of the counselor’s criteria on rating the student’s curricular rigor means that the student and parent does not know whether the student is at a threshold between two ratings. One course does not generally matter, unless the student is close to the (unknown) threshold between two ratings.
Unless that is how the counselor decides the rating.
Probably most posters agree with the above statements by @twogirls , but no one knows whether the counselor has the same view on the matter, or if the counselor or school want to actively contribute to the “rat race” competition for the most/highest AP courses by keeping the criteria hidden.