<p>Heyy so I'm a junior and currently have 5 AP classes (Biology, Calculus AB, CalculusBC, Psychology, and English Language/Composition) and am doing relatively well in all of them (low 90s, but we're on a 7-point scale). I also took AP Environmental Science as a sophomore and got an A in the class and a 4 on the exam.</p>
<p>My stats are up to par with these schools in my opinion. Good ECs with leadership (presidecies, vice-presidencies, founding club, etc) and an extensive medical internship (most likely majoring in Biology with a Pre-Med focus on Neuroscience). My standardized tests are 2000 SAT (650/680/670 E:10) and 30 ACT (30/30/33/27 E:8), all first tries. I will be taking Biology and MathII subject tests May 1 and Spanish w/ Listening in November. Also, my rank as of sophomore year was 2/~460 and as of 1 semester junior year 5/445 (I got a B in AB Calculus).</p>
<p>My question is how much dropping from 5 APs this year to 4 APs next year (Spanish 5, Chemistry, Human Geography, and Statistics) will impact my running for acceptance into schools like UVA, Georgetown, Brown, Johns Hopkins, WUSTL, and Duke. My parents are really persistent on me not taking 6 (it's either take 6 (adding AP U.S. History and AP Literature) or 4 , our schedules are weird...5 would be perfect lol) because with college applications and ECs the stress level will be too high.</p>
<p>If I were you, I’d just take as many as possible to be safe. I’m taking 6 this year, and from my perspective, if you’re organized it’s not exceedingly difficult to take 6 classes with college applications and ECs weighing in on your time. </p>
<p>Anyways, for most of those schools you’ll want higher standardized test scores, probably in the 2200/33 range. Also, I don’t think you’re allowed to take the BC and AB tests the same year. So I’d make sure you can actually take them both.</p>
<p>The BC test has an AB subscore which is graded like the BC test (for example, you can get a 4 on the BC exam, but your AB subscore may be a 5, depending on how you did on the AB topics on the exam; it’s like taking an AB exam encompassed in BC topics)</p>
<p>The thing is that my school is ridiculously competitive and the teachers are equally as difficult, so 6 APs is unheard of. I’m just worried that colleges will look at the drop and say no upon first glance (first impressions are the ones that last…).</p>
<p>The schools you mentioned want to see that you have challenged yourself. Clearly, you have. No school expects you to take every AP your school offers. I really don’t think the difference between 4 and 6 APs senior year is going to be the make or break on whether you are accepted. I think you will be just fine.</p>
<p>@Glass: Thanks for your reply! That’s what I’m focusing on most right now; I understand my scores are low for these schools, but hey, at least they’re consistent (better than having a 800/600/600, right?)</p>
<p>@Qialah: I really hope so. The only thing lacking from my application are athletics, although I am athletic (my courseload doesn’t allow me to partake in sports…we are also a very competitive athletic school with extensive off-season training). Hopefully I can convey this during the interviews.</p>
<p>@[[[: It technically does. They count the AB subscore as taking the AP AB Calculus exam. I know this because my Calculus teacher has been teaching for almost 40 years and was on the summer grading committee for the past 6 summers. I’m pretty sure she knows what she’s talking about…</p>
<p>If you want to count it by tests taken, think what you want. When you list your AP classes on applications, you don’t say you got a 5 in BC and AB, you just say BC. Colleges aren’t going to consider you as having taken 5 AP courses this year. They might note that you took the slightly harder BC test instead of the AB test, but that’s it.</p>
<p>It shows up as a subscore on the sheet CollegeBoard sends during the summer…it’s a legit score you receive. Of course, if I get a 5 on BC, then I’ll get a 5 on AB. It really only comes into use if I get a 4 on BC, but I have the opportunity to say I got a 5 on AB. It’s just a measure of your first semester calculus knowledge, and will give me college credit.</p>
<p>The AB subscore is for colleges so they can determine how much credit to give you. It doesn’t play a role in the admissions process. If you get a BC score of a 4, and an AB subscore of a 5, you can’t say you took the BC and AB tests and got a 4 and a 5. It just doesn’t work like that. Colleges never see your actual list of AP scores during the application process anyway, as they’re self reported. Self reporting taking a test you didn’t actually take would be dishonest and wrong.</p>
That doesn’t matter. Classes taken are recorded on your HS transcript, not through CB. The CB report only matters for:
a) Showing that you know your stuff (which is irrelevant, as a BC score is plenty)
b) Getting college credit</p>
<p>Anyway, you shouldn’t be asking us this question. We don’t go to your high school and don’t know the reputations of different classes. Ask some current seniors for their opinions.</p>
<p>hah all these schools on CC make mine look so weird. Even though we’ve sent numerous to good schools, we have so Many AP rules! in your Jr. year you can take 2 half year, or 1 full year AP (we work on the block sch) and in your Senior year you can take 2 all year, or four short year… one has to be english lang if youve been in honors. very very very few sophomores can take an ap</p>
<p>[[[ is assuming that you are taking Calc BC this year but not Calc AB. If his assumption is correct, then, no, you are not taking 5 APs, you are taking 4. You say, though, that you got a B in Calc AB, which implies you are taking both AB and BC, which would mean yes, you are taking 5 APs.</p>
<p>But that isn’t what you’re asking, which is, in your situation, would taking 4 APs next year be viewed less favorably by your targeted schools than taking 6APs.</p>
<p>Yes, it would be viewed less favorably, but not because more is always better than less. Look at your list of contemplated APs. Human Geo is considered an AP lite, often taken by sophomores. Stat is also seen as an easier AP, but if you’ve taken BC nobody will hold Stat against you. I’m not sure what you mean by AP Spanish 5 (Language or Literature?), either way it will look good. Chem is a solid AP in anyone’s view, so that’s good, but not taking APUSH or English Lit when they are offered looks questionable.</p>
<p>In short, the 4 APs you propose looks less than “most rigorous” to me.</p>
<p>@Amandarin: Last year, our school still had a very conservative principal who rarely allowed sophomores to take APs (10 max) and never freshman. This year, we have a younger, new principal who is very open to taking APs as long as you are qualified, so many freshman are in AP classes (mostly Human Geo and Psychology). I’m sorry to hear about that though yet you are lucky because you are taking that max your school offers, so not that much AP exam studying haha</p>
<p>@Sherpa: Yes, I had taken Calc AB last semester. That’s what I’m stuck on; I want to take 5, but with those classes it’s almost impossible. Also, I need a U.S. History to get my diploma, so I have to take that. Our schedule is weird…it allows for a lot of options but very little wiggle room. I’m taking Human Geo and Honors Debate IV, which are taught by the same teacher, because she loves me as I am a Debate co-captain and will be all-team captain next year (only 4 year debater at my school next year). Also, I’m taking AP Spanish Language. Thanks for your reply!</p>
<p>I don’t think the number of AP’s will have a bearing on your admission decision.</p>
<p>I would suggest you have some good match and safties that you really like. The schools you list may require higher SAT’s/ACT’s unless you have a hook. Personally, you’ve done stellar, but I am not an admissions rep!!</p>
<p>Good luck. Add some more schools to your list. You have enough “reach” schools.</p>
<p>@Crazed: I’m also applying to UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, NC State, a few 7-8 year medical programs at schools like VCU, and Columbia and Stanford to see what’ll happen :)</p>
<p>@Amandarin: At least you have bio, calc, language, and literature? Thost are all pretty solid haha</p>
(better than having a 800/600/600, right?)</p>
yet you are lucky because you are taking that max your school offers, so not that much AP exam studying haha</p>