<p>I see a lot of these threads and I guess I can see the worries that everyone has.</p>
<p>I am taking 5 APs this (senior) year and am ranked in the top 2% of class. Almost all my competitors are taking 7 or 8.</p>
<p>Do you think it is necessary to take more? I have several that I am interested in, but probably won't have time to manage.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>[Edit]
By the way, I am currently seeking out Cornell, Columbia, Stanford, and Harvard as my top choices, if that helps to put anything in relation.</p>
<p>you could try taking more but not to the point where you feel you won't be able to receive top marks. Are your competitors applying to similar schools? How many AP's have you taken up to this point?</p>
<p>This might not be the exact view of a real college admissions officer, but if it were me, anybody who takes a ridiculous quantity of AP classes at any one point might come off as somebody who is just trying to impress, and isn't really interested in these subjects. It also implies that the taker of these many courses doesn't have time to be an asset to the community, enjoy life, be a real person, etc.</p>
<p>At my school, there's no way to take more than 6 at a time, and most kids drop out of one when they strive that highly, because I don't know about everybody else, but these classes are tough and require a lot of effort.</p>
<p>I'm taking three my senior year and if colleges reject me because I want time for extracurriculars/community service/work, then that's not my problem. (I will have 9 done by the time I graduate in any case.)</p>
<p>This is slightly off tangent, but following the subject line of this thread... do you guys think there's any way to indicate to a college that you wanted harder courses than the ones you got stuck with? I signed up for American Government/Macroeconomics with the nearby community college (the professor comes to my school) but they couldn't accomodate all my classes, and they jammed me in Honors. I also wanted a fourth year of Spanish, but they couldn't give me that either, and stuck me in French I. Will these changes make any difference, and can I somehow explain that I was prepared to work harder?</p>
<p>EDIT: I just read your list of colleges, and on second thought, maybe more APs would just stand you out from the crowd in general. I stand by the fact that theoretically, you shouldn't take stuff just because you want colleges to like you, but if you really feel motivated, then go for it.</p>
<p>I think it depends what kind of school you go to. Face it. Not all schools are created equal. Many AP classes at one school are going to be easier or harder at another.</p>
<p>A worry I have is that I have too little. I have taken a 3000 level college course for credit this summer and I am taking my first AP class for school this year, which is my senior year. (Please don't laugh) Long story short, my middle school didn't offer any kind of honors courses so when I got to my high school I had to start completely mainstream. (All of my other classes but one are honors this year) My school also doesn't let you skip from college-prep to AP. Some courses (specifically the sciences) require you take the honors version first too. My school's honors classes are hard though. My honors physics book last year is being used at Florida State University right now. My NON-honors writing book is being used at the University of Florida this year!</p>
<p>Basically, I am sure other schools in Florida will see me through because my school is fairly prestigious (To be in the top 20% for the SAT at my school you have to score at least a 1432 M+V!), but I am worried about out of state schools.</p>
<p>EDIT: The course I took this summer was at the honors branch of a four-year university. I thought it was so EASY compared to the honors classes at my school and got an A even though it was at the 3000 level! (Which means it is at a difficulty for college juniors)</p>