No Honors/AP until Junior year?

Applying to College
1

<p>I go to a competitive school and my school offers a lot of honors and AP classes even to freshmen and sophomores but I didn't take them because I didn't realize just how important they were and I was kind of lazy. I had very good grades (all As and A+, more A+ than A in fact). I want to know how much this will hurt me.</p>

<p>In 9th grade I took Precalculus, English I, Spanish 3, Biology, European History, Computer Science, and Gym.</p>

<p>In 10th grade I took Calculus, English 2, Spanish 4, Chemistry, US History, Physics, and Probability & Statistics. Near the end, I realized I should have taken harder classes, so I self studied the Calculus AB and French Language (I'm french) tests. I received 5s on both.</p>

<p>This year I'm taking the hardest schedule possible (7 APs): Calculus BC AP, English Language AP, World History AP, Physics BC AP, Computer Science A AP, Music Theory AP, Spanish Language AP. I currently have 3 A+ grades, 3 A grades, and 1 A- (in Spanish; it will probably become an A.) I am also taking AP Art History and AP Environmental Science online since neither one is offered at my school but I really wanted to take them. The tests I will be taking are all of those (physics is 3 tests, since it's the B exam and the 2 C exams), plus self-studying AP US History. Edit: I might also self study Human Geography if I have time. My weighted GPA will be 5.0 and unweighted 4.0; last 2 years both were 4.0 since I had no honors.</p>

<p>Next year I will take AP Statistics, AP English Literature, AP Psychology, AP Economics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, and AP Spanish Literature, if I get the classes I want.</p>

<p>I took some practice SATs and received in the 2250s range; I took the PSAT this october so hopefully I get National Merit :). I'm taking the SAT in January, and I am aiming for 2300+. Will my regular courses instead of honors/AP in the first 2 years hurt me a lot? My counselor has said that my schedule is still "most rigorous" because of how hard it is this year and next.</p>

2

<p>Your course load even in the first two years seems pretty rigorous.
9th grade shouldn’t be affected as much. 10th grade might be a question mark but I don’t think it will hurt you a lot.</p>

3

<p>Ok thanks. I know my courses in Math and Spanish were advanced but I still didn’t take the honors or AP version; for example, I could have taken Precalculus Honors, English 1 and 2 honors, Biology Honors, European History AP (maybe), and Physics Honors instead of the regular level equivalents I took, and taken Calculus AB or maybe BC earlier (in 10th grade) and AP statistics and AP chemistry (maybe) and maybe AP Spanish language earlier as well. I regret it but I didn’t know any better at the time.</p>

4

<p>Don’t sweat it you are an excellent student, and will likely get into an ivy.</p>

5

<p>Yeah the reason I’m asking is because I’m aiming for highly competitive schools like Ivies, Stanford, MIT, UChicago, etc. Had I known just how competitive they were I would have taken honors classes earlier. Anyway, thanks for your input!</p>

6

<p>yeh, I agree with previous answers. You are great! just keep your grades up and you’ll be totally fine</p>

7

<p>you’re schedule is giving me a headache…
you’re great =) good job</p>

8

<p>Colleges take everything in the context of your high school. It would depend on the courseloads of other students at your school compared to your own.</p>