<p>Up until my Senior year, I would have taken two AP courses: AP Stats, and AP Gov. Considering I'm planning to apply for a bunch of IVY league colleges, I don't think TWO APs is enough. </p>
<p>My GPA is around a 4.0, and I'm planning to do well on my SAT. I'm also very active in my community as a leader. </p>
<p>What's your guy's suggestion and advice? Should I take one more AP, or should I just leave it the way it is?</p>
<p>Is there a special situation that goes along with this (I.e you’re school doesn’t have many or youre schedule couldn’t fit anymore)? If so, then you are fine. If not, I would consider getting as many in as you can and do well you’re first semester of senior year.</p>
<p>Lots of schools don’t even offer APs and kids from those schools still manage to get into the Ivies. What we have heard from every admissions rep (literally, every single one from Stanford, Berkeley, Pomona, Wellesley, etc.) is that they want to see that you’ve taken the most challenging courses available and if not, why you didn’t. (For example, if you really love art and had to choose between AP Euro History and painting, so you chose painting.)</p>
<p>What different AP’s does your school offer?</p>
<p>All most selective colleges look to see if you took the “most rigorous course load” YOUR high school offered.</p>
<p>thedjboss: here’s the deal. If there have been other APs available but you’ve passed them, then your chances at top tier schools is extremely low. They want hungry scholars. That means driving yourself to excel at the most rigorous schedule possible. Why no AP Bio, AP Chem, Calc, Eng Lit, USHist? Unless “they weren’t offered” is the answer, then you’re not what top tier schools will want.</p>
<p>Well, does it matter if I took a bunch of honors? Will it also matter if I took the most rigorous schedule in my senior year? My school offers 19 APs, so I might be in trouble…</p>
<p>When your HS GC fills out the SSR, they will indicate whether you took the: most demanding, very demanding, demanding, etc…schedule. They will consider all 4 years relative to what others do at your school.</p>
<p>If the honors track is not the most rigorous track at your school then, yes, you will be in trouble. Not might be, but will be. It WILL matter that you “took a bunch of honors,” if you could have been taking “a bunch” of APs. If this is the case, Ivy admissions committees will not see you as Ivy material. Therefore, you may need to rethink your application list and weight it toward schools that don’t consider rigor of curriculum in their admissions decision process.</p>
<p>RE: your question “should I take one more AP, or should I leave it the way it is?” Well, by the time you are ready to apply to a “bunch of Ivy league colleges,” you seem to be prepared to have taken only 3 of 19 available APs. If you really think adding just one more is going to help your case, I would suggest you aren’t particularly knowledgeable about what it takes to get into an Ivy, or any top-tier school. Taking SIX might be a different story. Really, these schools look for academic ambition. And to suggest taking just one more over the course of your senior year…well…that doesn’t seem very ambitious. Maybe re-think this?</p>
<p>thedjboss: Please listen to swingtime’s advice. In reality, each student at your school who has taken 5-10 AP classes has already shown more academic drive and initiative than you. Top schools want the singly most excellent scholars. Certainly you’ll likely have a successful college career but you’re not a viable top tier college applicant, I’m afraid. </p>
<p>Please make an appt w/your guid counselor to form a good list of affordable and attainable schools. He/She will have great familiarity of where kids w/your same stats have applied in the past. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>EDIT: How many people use this account? According to your other posts – you’re either a Soph or Jr, 2300 SAT, Class president. You got a C+ because your lang teacher hates you and you have proof. Who has the password today?</p>