<p>I'm currently a junior and I'm taking 5 AP classes. Unfortunately, I seriously underestimated the difficulty of the courses and wound up getting 3 C's and 2 B's. This dropped my cumulative GPA to 3.43 and my 10-12 un-weighted GPA to 3.17. I'm working to improve my grades this semester, but it's not looking good right now. I know colleges like high GPA's, but will they be wary if they see I enrolled in mostly AP classes my junior year and then mostly "regular" classes my senior year? Is it better to barely pass AP classes or to ace regular classes? </p>
<p>If you’re getting multiple Bs and Cs it would be better to take regular classes and probably apply to less selective colleges.</p>
<p>So you’re saying it’s better to get A’s in regular classes than to get B’s and C’s in AP classes? </p>
<p>Essentially yes, but neither one will get you into HYPSM. A person with straight As in regular classes will be in a better position for getting GPA-based scholarships at less selective colleges. You can look at common data sets for different colleges to see which they value more, GPA or course rigor.
Getting an A in a regular class is definitely better than getting a C in an AP class. Getting a few Bs in AP classes is better than getting straight As in regular classes, but you should still have mostly As unless your school is unusually challenging. </p>
<p>Definitely do not take 5 AP classes again. Find what you’re interested in, take the AP choice in that subject, and then take normal/honors classes. Remember: Senior year involves a lot of essays/applications/scholarship apps. Make sure you’re not overwhelmed for that!</p>
<p>I’m guessing there’s no hope of me getting into any UC’s now is there? </p>