<p>I am from a Canadian high school that offers only AP Calculus AB and BC. I read on many websites that colleges consider the rigor of the school record (how hard you courses are) to be very important, and I was wondering if only having one AP course would harm my chances of getting into good colleges,(Lower tier Ivy), or would the admin officers know that I have taken the only possible AP course that my school offers (the BC one) and take that into consideration.
Also, I have one study block this semester, meaning I have one block for studying or time to use as I see fit. Pretty much every Grade 12 in my school has one, but is it normal for American students to have study blocks, and will having study blocks hinder my chances (in terms of rigor of school record).
Thanks in advance and any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Your counselor will have to rate the rigor of your schedule as compared to that of your classmates. As long as ‘most rigorous’ is checked, you’re fine.</p>
<p>^ What she said.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t take a study block. If you had a full schedule in 11th grade and don’t have one in 12th grade it could seem like you’re getting lazy, even if you’re not. One more course isn’t too great of a difference if you’re good at managing time.</p>
<p>hmom5, since the counselor’s rating of rigor is up to his or her own discretion, how would a college know if the rating was accurate or not?</p>
<p>When it comes to AP courses, selective colleges will look to see what your high school offers. If it only offers one and you take one, they do not penalize you. They can see what courses your school offers on the school report.</p>
<p>I went to high school in Ontario and back then there were different track classes, the university prep track and the regular track. Not sure if this is still the case. We also had some classes designated as advanced or honors or something. I remember taking an advanced Chemistry class that only had 12 kids in it. That is what the colleges will be looking for when they look at your courses.</p>
<p>As to the study block, I’m not sure it will hurt you. My son had a free block for one semester his senior year - his junior year had been a full course schedule including an extra independent study. In his case, in a small rural high school, there wasn’t really a class to take as he had taken AP Calc as a junior. And he got into many great schools - Cornell, Vassar, Tufts, Wesleyan…</p>
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<p>They have several ways to cross reference. They have the full transcript, the school profile and historical info from many schools.</p>
<p>re: study block impact…it really depends on the rest of your schedule. If you already have 5 academic solids, than it won’t matter. But, if you have three academics, PE and a study block, your schedule will look “lite”.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody for your replies,
I was also wondering if taking AP courses through other sources such as private tutors would significantly benefit my application. Can somebody please explain to me what the benefits of having AP courses are, other than showing schools that I have a tough schedule? Are the advantages significant enough to make it worth my time taking APs on my own time?</p>
<p>Yes, some kind of self study past what’s available at your school will show colleges your high degree of motivation.</p>
<p>Yeah don’t worry, they only judge you based on your school. The other benefit of APs is earning college credit.</p>
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<p>You could not simply have a tutor “teach” you a class…but you could “self-study” and the AP test would get you credit at US and Canadian schools.</p>