I always hear about how colleges look for “pointy” students (kids who win prestigious awards for math and are #1 in their state, figure skating champions, etc. etc.)
I am very, very passionate about English, and I think I can use this “pointy” factor to my advantage. thus, for my senior year, i am planning to:
double up on English classes
i. take both the AP and regulars class (even though only one is required)
take 2 history APs (APUSH & World)
i. one extra history course
take AP french language
i. already got 5s on both AP spanish lang and AP spanish lit during my junior year
this means I am doing an extra language AP, even though my language requirement is completed
ii. have been self-studying french for 2 years and did 2 months abraod in the summer
iii. my teachers have said i am fully prepared for the AP class
continue studying math (calculus)
HOWEVER
will not take a science course my senior year
i. I'm concerned because colleges may dislike the fact that i did not take any science
classes ( i HAVE completed the three year requirement, however)
calculus course will not be honors or AP
As you can see I’m trying to go for the ‘humanities’ angle (because that’s honestly what I love to study, am better at, and what i want to major in).
However, will taking only 1 math course (and no science courses) during my senior year repel the ivies ? is there such a thing as a student who is “too pointy” ?
Imo, yes, not taking science will hurt you in Ivy admissions as most recommend 4 years+ of science classes. The rest of the applicant pool will be taking science classes senior year.
I’ve heard AP World is not super credible in college admissions, seems like a waste.
Can’t think of a single reason why you’d take a standard English course as well as an AP English course. Seems like a total waste of time. If it were a specific part of English- i.e, a Shakespeare class, or a public speaking course, or poetry- I’d understand. But taking the general 12th grade curriculum and the AP level is to nobody’s benefit.
Colleges do appreciate passionate students, but Ivy league especially wants students who are strong in ALL areas, not just the ones they like. Avoiding a senior year science class and taking non-honors/AP calc doesn’t seem like Ivy prep to me.
yeah, that’s what i was thinking…
but the standard 12th grade english IS actually a poetry course (contemporary poetry of the 20th cent.), but perhaps colleges still won’t care for it?
I tend to agree that not taking science in your senior year will hurt. Moreover, it needs to be a challenging science course.
Top schools are looking for “pointy” achievements but well rounded course work. So if most people at your school take six classes and you add an additional English course as a seventh they will like that. If, however, you don’t take science and take the English course in place of it then it will be a negative.
That said, at Kenyon one of the admissions people was saying they for intended English majors it wouldn’t be the end of the world to not take the most rigorous science class your senior year of high school. He said it would be noted but might be overlooked if you show strong skills in other areas.
AP English
English 12 (20th Century Poetry)
APUSH
AP World
AP French
Calculus
Does your school offer seven classes or only six? Or did I miss something?
I would definitely agree to stay away from Gen Ed English; a science would far better complement your application than another English course. The truth is, adding another English class won’t make your application stick out more. Your current schedule seems to be very humanities-focused, not so much English-focused (i.e., two history classes and two language classes (including Spanish) on top of your two English classes). As @Troyus said, being well-rounded is as important as being “pointy.” IMO, keep your school schedule well-rounded and do well in all your classes. Your extracurriculars, your awards, and your volunteering offer you places in your application to take advantage of being “pointy.” If English is your passion, you could compete in essay contests, try to get published, go to writing conventions–the list goes on.
If you’re aiming for an Ivy as you mentioned in passing, definitely up your math to AP Calc if you feel confident that you can excel in it. Even if you’re not terribly math-oriented, your competing applicants for those Ivy spots will have AP Calc or above. Taking one math class is absolutely fine, but make sure it’s a quality math class.
Personally? If you’ll be applying to do a humanities/English major, I don’t think it is the end of the world not to take a science class as a senior. While I didn’t go to an Ivy, I did end up at a somewhat elite private, and I didn’t take math OR science my senior year. I had slightly special circumstances, as I spent my junior year abroad and had to make up two junior class credits as a senior (AP USH & American Lit), but regardless, it meant my senior year transcript consisted of two English classes, AP USH, AP Psych, AP Art and a newspaper class. I was only applying to schools as a journalism major, and it didn’t cause any issues. (and fun life fact: it will seriously make no difference to your life in the long run only taking 3 years of science in HS. If you’re not going into a science discipline, it doesn’t matter.) If you do want to aim for Ivies, as other commenters have pointed out they may be more stringent, re: 4 years of science and you may want to adjust accordingly, but I say if you’re not hyper-focused on Ivies, your senior course load will not hurt you at most schools.
