<p>My HS only has 13 AP's. There isn't much diversity. If I do take at least 11 of those 13 (which I am interested in, since the other 2 are spanish language, which I am not good at, mostly because I am not spanish), will it be enough for schools like CHYMPS? It's just that there are many other High Schools in my State, which have like 30 AP's with enormous diversity. I don't really have much choice in what I choose (I do, but I hope you get what I mean)</p>
<p>I heard colleges look at how you use your HS's recourse, but will taking less AP's then other students at other high schools which have tons of AP's put me to a dis-advantage?</p>
<p>They evaluate each student within the context of their school, so no, you won’t be penalized for not taking as many AP’s as a person who goes to a school that offers more AP’s</p>
<p>A few years ago, I heard a college counselor from a top Baltimore prep school talk about AP classes. He said that the best way to use APs was to take them as the top class in a series of academic classes, so take Calculus, the English classes, the history classes, and at least one science. Taking numerous APs for the sake of taking them is silly. He referred to the classes that do not fit into the regular academic requirements as JV AP. And before anyone jumps on this, I am just repeating. </p>
<p>You will not be penalized for not taking what your school doesn’t offer.</p>
<p>Wow, aren’t you lucky! My high school only has 4 APs and no honor classes. consider yourself blessed. If i had stayed at my old high school, they like to brag about how they had nearly all the AP courses ( it was a prep school btw).</p>
<p>Many prep schools really limit how many APs a student can take. At my daughter’s school, students needed permission to take more than three at a time and they had to be recommended for any that they were going to take. Wiithout special permission, the most a student could take would be seven. Very few kids took that many.</p>
<p>“My HS does not have many AP’s. How will it “xxxxxx” admission to top schools?”</p>
<p>The word “affect” should be used, instead of “effect” in the above question.</p>
<p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you asked: “What is the effect on admissions to top schools, of my HS not having many AP’s?”</p>
<p>Then effect is the word to use.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p>
<p>Proper use of the correct words will help in your admission, to top schools.
Improper use, or ignorance of the correct usage of words, will detract from your applications.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it - colleges have profiles on every high school and know which, if any, APs are offered. It won’t affect your chances of getting accepted, especially if you explain in your common application that you wanted to take APs but couldn’t because of your school’s curriculum.</p>
<p>A girl I knew took 3 AP’s and got into Cornell. Another girl took 5 and got into Harvard and our school offered over 12 AP’s. AP’s are good to take, but if your school doesn’t offer them then you won’t penalize you. </p>
<p>“Yeah, most top notch colleges are comfortable with 8 APs.”</p>
<p>This statement doesn’t make sense. Colleges look at your course load in context with your school’s offerings.</p>
<p>I thought I was the only one. When I explained to people a few months ago on here that my private school only offers 12APs and you can only take a maximum of three junior/senior year, people thought I was crazy.</p>
<p>Of these colleges you mentioned, I applied to HYMP with only one AP and was accepted at H and M. Like you, I was afraid at the time that my lack of challenging courses would be a detriment in the college admissions process and therefore asked several admission officers during college visits whether my school’s lack of AP courses will be a disadvantage. All of admission officers I talked to told me exactly what Entertainer stated in his post, that “colleges look at your courseload in the context of your high school’s offerings.” Does that mean it’s not a disadvantage to not have taken as many AP courses? Would colleges really admit someone with a seemingly less challenging courseload over someone with brilliant AP/IB scores, with all else being equal? I honestly do not know the answer to that. (Perhaps you can also ask the admission officer in the MIT subforum on CC to see what he says:/?)</p>
<p>Take advantage of all the opportunities available to you, I guess, and show through other ways (SATIIs, great GPA, etc.) that you are indeed academically ready to tackle and excel in the difficult courseload of the college.</p>
JK!</p>