<p>Hello all, I'm an ED2 applicant from Southern California. So it turns out that because I didn't BEGIN high school on the honors track, (meaning that I didn't start out with Honors English, Honors Math, or Biology) I automatically didn't get the check next to "This applicant has taken the most demanding course selection available at our high school. Instead, my GC checked "Demanding," the second level of rigor (the third was "basic college prep courses.") </p>
<p>But I did well freshmen year and got the recommendations from my freshmen college prep teachers for transferring onto the "honors track" - sophomore year I was in mostly all Honors classes that I could be in as well as the only AP sophomores are allowed to take at my school (US History). And junior and senior basically all my classes are honors/AP's. Still, however, because of the stupid way our HS counselors do their work, I only got the second level of rigor checked. Does this automatically blow my chances? I asked her whether Vandy would be able to see that I took mostly honors/AP's from grades 10-12. She said that in the school report that our HS sends to all colleges where our students apply, it lists all the AP/Honors courses. Here, she said the adcoms could see that indeed, my course selection was rigorous, but only after freshmen year, preventing me from getting the "most demanding" check. What do I do?</p>
<p>-sorry for not being able to explain myself concisely. i have a headache and this has been driving me crazy for awhile.--</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry too much about what your counselor checked off. Your courses are right there for the adcom to see, and your school profile will be included, as well. Personally, I can't imagine that Vandy would penalize you for not taking honors in 9th grade ... especially if everything after that has been most rigorous. Relax.</p>
<p>if you do get rejected, that will not be the reason, just stay positive so you dont get gray hairs and wait it out, if you want to call them, they are awesome over there and talk with them you could, but they are not stupid, they can read your transcript, they are not going to place a ton of weight on any one checkmark.</p>
<p>thanks for the responses, kelsmom and dirthog; you guys have really relieved a lot of stress in me.</p>
<p>Probably the main reason I started worrying so much about this is because I once read in a book (i think it was Michele Hernandez's Acing the College Application") that if you don't take the most rigorous course load your high school offers, "you had better be a recruited athlete" or your chances of getting in decline by half. I don't know if this statement is completely valid, but thanks for the reassurance.</p>
<p>Well I applied ED2 and I am from southern california, I took regular US history in 11th grade and regular English in 12th, I got into vandy, so I would not worry about it, as long as your SAT scores are good, mine as a 1500/1600 and your GPA is solid, I would not worry, but you are finding out soon, what high school do you go to? I am in the San Dieguito district</p>