Senior Course Load & gpa

<p>I'm aiming for Ivy League and top tier schools and I'm wondering if senior course load matters? I mean do they care how many APs I take in my final year and how difficult my courses are? Because I'm taking most of the APs I want to take this year, my gr.11 year (I'll only have taken 7 AP exams by the end of this year and I'm planning on taking only about 3 or 4 next year). Also, do admissions care about your average % or GPA? I'm only getting 94% average, but I've heard that you need a 96% average for most top tier schools. Just to let you know I'm from Canada.</p>