Hi so I didn’t know where to put this but I figured that the parents would probably be most knowledgeable about this.
So I have my senior year schedule figured out and now I’m worried that it’s not competitive enough. I am really hoping or at least aiming to get into a top university or LAC (not like HYPS but still intimidatingly competitive schools) so keep that in mind.
So over summer I am taking these three courses at the local community college;
State and Local Govt
Principles of Sociology
Intro to Psychology
and senior year, I am taking
AP Spanish
AP Chem
AP Euro
AP Calculus AB
Physics
Ceramics
Model UN/NATO (at community college; it’s really like a club but you get a credit)
So as you can see, I only have 4 APs. Last year I also had 4 APs and was hoping that I would do like 5 or 6 this year but the way the classes were scheduled, a lot of APs overlap and so I had to take regular physics. Also, last year I took AP Stats and so I will be ending my senior year with just Calc AB. So anyway, are the classes rigorous enough? There’s nothing I can really do b/c of overlapping, but I just want to know if this is considered a rigorous schedule to selective colleges anyway. I want to major in poli sci and minor in Spanish by the way! Thanks!
Well I took Honors English 1 in 8th grade and took English in 9th, 10th, and 11th so I have four years. I would take one senior year but I already took the two AP English courses. I even still looked into taking the next highest up but it would be English 4 Honors (so kinda a downgrade) and I would have to drop an AP.
Unless that 8th grade English class appears on your high school transcript, you probably ought to take an English course, even if it means one fewer AP. Not only do some colleges require four years of English, you may need four years of it to graduate from high school.
It appears on the transcript and it’s counted for graduation, fortunately. Do you still think I should take English Honors 4? I got a 5 on the AP Lang exam if it means anything (idk my score on the Lit exam yet)
Any chance you can replace AP chemistry Ugh dual enrollment English ? Since you took AP Lang and AP lit, you should be able to take sophomore level seminars, which is even more rigorous than AP. Or one semester college sophomore English , one semester philosophy.
3 AP s and one dual enrollment class would be absolutely fine - ideal from Adcoms’ point of view, sufficiently rigorous without being overwhelming, and well-balanced.
Taking physics, even regular, is more important than taking a random AP. And since it’s a science, you don’t need AP chemistry. But not having English will look bad.
Unfortunately the community college that I am going to take a few classes at requires you to take the equivalents of AP lang and AP lit before taking any other English courses and they don’t accept AP credits. They also don’t allow you to place out of it. @MYOS1634
Like they require you to take English Comp 1 and 2 if you are a high school student. My school just started a book club late this year. Do you think if I joined that colleges won’t care about the English? Lol kinda getting desperate. I mean I already took two AP English classes and got A’s and a 5 on at least one of them so I didn’t anticipate it mattering.
Well, then, take Philosophy 100 at the college, it’ll be way more rigorous than English IV, and it’ll cover your English requirement for college admission without your having to take Composition at the college. Or, if they have an interdisciplinary Freshman Seminar (like Writing/Urban Studies, or Writing/Legal issues…) you could take that. Take just one and you’ll be good.
Why not simply ask the colleges you are interested in applying to? It’s true that pretty much every college requires four years of English in high school (some might not count that 8th grade year, even if it’s on your transcript) but if you’ve maxed out on English at your school, they may be fine with that. So ask them!
If you’ve taken AP Lang and Lit I don’t think you’ll have an issue. It’s unusual though. Your schedule looks fine to me. My oldest (who got into Harvard) took 3 APs senior year and a post AP math course. My youngest (who got int U Chicago, Vassar and Tufts) also took just 3 APs senior year. You are judged in the context of your school, so if there’s an AP war going on, you might need to take more, but generally I think 6-10 APs will make you competitive for most schools.
My senior year schedule consisted of 2 AP classes, 2 post-AP classes, and …wait for it… a theater class and a photography class. I had no problems at all in the admissions process. As I’ve said many, many times in this forum, which is backed up by both Stanford and MIT, the college admissions process is not an arms race; the one with the most AP’s does not always win.
The English thing makes me nervous though. I agree with @Massmomm ; ask some of your targeted colleges.
It might make a difference to some colleges whether the English course in 8th grade was taken on the high school campus or on the middle school campus.
I think you are fine. Have the guidance counselor explain the overlaps and that you took high school honors English in 8th grade.
If you loved English, you could take a CLEP and do classes at the community college, but I think you are fine.
Why are you taking those classes in the summer? Do you need them to graduate? I would find something better to do
Honestly, I don’t think adding AP classes will help your admissions that much. I think that your time could be better spent doing something you are interested in, whether in school or outside. And you could work this summer. Colleges are trying to honor that…
“f you’ve taken AP Lang and Lit I don’t think you’ll have an issue.”
Agreed.
If you have taken the most rigorous English classes at your HS you are fine.
there are NO prizes awarded for having taken the most AP Classes .
Colleges want you to take rigorous classes as well as the classes you are interested in taking in preparation for college, simply because college classes are HARDER than HS AP classes.
If you’re uncomfortable with this, send a few emails to colleges that you’re not interested in applying to first. Pick colleges that are similar in selectivity to the ones you would like to attend but unacceptable for some reason (size, religious affiliation, location, whatever). You will probably learn that you will receive a polite and helpful answer. And then you will feel comfortable posing the question to the colleges you actually care about.
Is there a creative writing option for English? As a Poly Sci major that would be far more beneficial than AP Chem unless you need that as a graduation requirement.
Do you still think I should take English Honors 4? I got a 5 on the AP Lang exam if it means anything (idk my score on the Lit exam yet)