Hi everyone, I will be a senior next school year and I will only be taking 3 classes at my highschool. All APs. AP chem, Ap environmental science and Ap literature. I want to take more classes but my school doesn’t offer anymore AP classes that I haven’t taken. No Ap physics, No Cal. BC because not enough people signed up and No AP language classes.
I have taken:
Ap world history
APUSH
Ap biology
Ap cal ab
Ap English Language
How will this affect my college admission? I am planning on taking a class at community college if that helps.
What matters is that you do well in your classes, and that your guidance counselor can write that you have taken the most demanding course load available. That’s it. No one will hold it against you that your school only offers a limited selection of AP courses.
So take those three AP courses, and fill your schedule up with other classes that work for you.
It does not sound good to me that you are only taking 3-4 classes. Could you fill your schedule with honors courses or otherwise classes that could help you in some way?
Also, although colleges compare applicants to each other in many ways, it wouldn’t be fair for them to compare you to a kid who came from a top private school where they have nearly all the APs. So that’s why college care about your class rank, to see where you are among other kids who had the same chances as you.
3 AP courses in high school plus college courses at a local college? That seems like a decent course load, depending on which college courses you take. Given your wish list of AP courses that are not offered, would it be correct to assume that you are taking calculus 2 and 3, calculus-based physics 1 and 2, and/or appropriately high level foreign language courses at the college? If so, that certainly is a full load of academic work when you combine your high school and college courses.
I’m in your same boat. My school doesn’t offer that many AP classes However colleges view college classes taken at a community college or a university like a rigorous AP class. That’s what I’m doing to compensate for the lacks of AP classes my school offers. No AP physics at your school, then take physics at a college.
If you are only taking 3 classes in your HS what else will you be doing? Will you be taking classes at a local college?
When your HS sends your transcript to colleges they also send a school profile which describes levels of classes offered etc. In addition, if you have taken the most rigorous courseload available your guidance counselor will not it on your recommendation. Your transcript/coursework will be reviewed in the context of what your school offers.
I think that’s a reasonable course load. Make sure you have your bases covered for college admissions as far as number of language and other courses that are required.
I would limit the community college to 2 classes a semester. Three would be pushing it. In some universities, that can be considered a full load. Does your school offer access to outside internships or other work-study opportunities? That may another way to fill your schedule.
For example, this is a long time ago, but my senior year, I took four classes (PE and orchestra were two, so this was not a heavy load), a class at the local university, and I also worked as an unpaid assistant (there were two of us high school students) on a research project in physics at the same university. Other kids found positions at a local radio station, with a professional sports team (marketing), and with local corporations. This was done through the high school.
I’m kind of confused as some of you guys are saying just 3 AP classes at HS plus college courses will be a sufficient workload. However I’ve been told by @menloparkmom and others that just 3 classes at HS isn’t sufficient. Don’t want to make the OP almost make the same mistake I almost might have done and take just 3 classes at HS.
3classes(4) in hs an nothing else is not enough. 3(4) in hs plus 2classes dual enrolled at a community college is a full schedule. Makevsure you remain involved in clubs with leadership positions, etc. And get to know your peofessorsaince you’ll be able to request a rec letter from them if you take a seminar or small where they get to know you (English composition, or foreign language, tend to be small).
LOL most high schools don’t even offer as many AP classes as you’ve probably taken in all four years at your school. I get your problem (and I agree with everyone, you’ll be fine just taking those 3 classes if you’re taking more at a local college), but it sounds like you don’t realize that your school is already offers more AP classes than the average high school, and students from many of those schools end up going to great colleges.