<p>I am currently a grade 9 student in secondary school in Ontario, and i'm aiming to apply to the ivy league schools during grade 12. However, i'm very worried about the fact that my school only offers one AP course (Calculus) in grade 11, putting me at a severe disadvantage compared to Americans who are able to take 20+ AP courses. During the applications process, will admissions consider the fact that i couldn't push myself academically, and is it possible to study at home for the AP tests?</p>
<p>It’s definitely possible to study at home for the AP exams and take them independently, but from what I’ve been told, you shouldn’t worry too much about APs. I think the whole point is to take the most rigorous courses, so just take the most difficult courses your school has to offer. I know a few people who haven’t taken any APs because their schools don’t offer any and still get into top ivies, and I also know a LOT of people who take a crazy amount of APs outside of school and not get into ivies.</p>
<p>So would you recommend that i study for some AP’s at home, and use the rest of my time to improve my SAT and EC’s? By getting a high SAT score, will that show universities that I would have done good if my school offered AP classes?</p>
<p>I’m not sure if getting a high SAT score would show how you’d perform in AP classes, but your SAT score and ECs should definitely come before APs. If you really want to have APs, there are some fairly easy ones you could self-study (ex. Psychology, Micro/Macro).</p>