I am wondering if taking 5 AP classes are worth it. I would take AP Calc AB, Seminar, Lit, Gov, and Physics 2. I am currently taking 2 and one other advance course, so would adding 2 extra be viable? I am planning to dual major in Business and CS
If you search you will see this question comes up often. It all depends on you. Know one knows if you can handle it. What is your current unweighted GPA and Act /Sat scores?
My son also only had 2 Aps in his junior year at his all honors high school. His junior schedule got screwed up. So to prove to the colleges and to himself he took 6 Aps with Multivariate Calc 3 with another class senior year. He claims it was his easiest schedule and got all As.
He thought his Aps were actually easier then his honor classes. It came down to they were more in depth and he found that more enjoyable. It was the first time in high school that we actually saw him study, every day, for long periods of time… Lol…
So again it all depends on you. If your struggling then maybe not a good idea.
Currently have straight As and my ACT score is pretty low as a 24. And I am enjoying all my advance courses so far. The AP gov class is one sem only, so the second Semester senior year I would only have 4.
Note that the answer also depends on what alternative courses you would take if you did not take these courses.
AP calculus AB – this is presumably the standard progression (or option if you have the choice of BC as well) if you are taking precalculus in 11th grade.
AP English literature – this is presumably the honors option for 12th grade English.
AP US government – this is presumably the honors option for regular civics.
AP physics 2 – presumably you are in AP physics 1 this year, so you know what the work is like; would you take some other science instead if you did not take AP physics 2?
AP seminar – ??
Great suggestions above. But you got to get that 24 up. Talk to your counselor or teachers and figure out how to make that happen. That is most likely more important then taking a lot of AP classes.
I didn’t take any Honors English courses, I could have switched into AP Lang this year but didn’t. This is the reason I think that my ACT English/ Reading section is low. Theres not really another option of a science class other than AP Chem, and I dont really like chem much when I took Honors Chem. and AP seminar is a researched based class, its an introduction to “labs” in college.
My son did AP seminar and research and feels it’s his most rewarding AP. He was a poor writer. After these classes he is a great writer. He did his research paper on Augmented Reality and how it’s used in medicine. He started a student org as a freshman (now a junior) on AR and it’s one of the busiest clubs on campus. He used the research portion doing research at college and went to a leadership seminar that pretty much was a rehash on different research techniques…
You need to get that 24 up. Online programs, Kahn Academy, teacher, tutors etc
That what I am working on right now
Awesome!! You appear motivated. Just make it happen then. If Act is not your cup of tea then try a practice Sat. Some kids just do much better on one vs the other. Act is also about speed and timing. It’s a fast test. Work on that so you don’t feel rush.
Check out the “5lb Act book” it’s amazing and some tutors use it.
That’s one heck of a red flag.
This is a decision that you need to talk to your parents, counselor and current seniors or students who have taken those AP courses. The number of AP class to take (regardless of year) depends on the student. My son (currently a senior is taking 7 APs). He found it very helpful that he had discussions with his peers about the experiences and workload of the courses. In his school, there are multiples instructor teaching the AP course so even that will affect the decision to take the course. There is no right or wrong answer because it depends on the situation. As one begin to take on more responsibilities, there needs to be an understanding of a give and take. If you are taking 5 APs, what are you given up? If you are not given up anything, how could you best use the spare time you would have (in your case, maybe studying for the ACT more?)
I would counsel against too many APs Senior year, and this is why.
In the fall, you are in college application season. You may be taking the SAT again. You may want to visit some more colleges. You have to write college- specific essays (hopefully you already wrote your common app essay over the summer.). You have to fill out your Common App and get recommendations.
Also you may be in marching band or Sports or be a leader of a club. College Apps is like another time-sucking EC on top of that.
Then in the spring, you may have senioritis. You are been accepted to college and are looking toward the finish line. You have to study for the AP tests…it will be difficult to study for too many at once.
Stanford U says:
“We expect applicants to pursue a reasonably challenging curriculum, choosing courses from among the most demanding courses available at your school. We ask you to exercise good judgment and to consult with your counselor, teachers and parents as you construct a curriculum that is right for you. Our hope is that your curriculum will inspire you to develop your intellectual passions, not suffer from unnecessary stress. The students who thrive at Stanford are those who are genuinely excited about learning, not necessarily those who take every single AP or IB, Honors or Accelerated class just because it has that designation.”
“The College Board needs to say a similar thing about taking A.P. courses. We have data that taking up to five A.P. courses over the course of high school helps students complete college on time. But there is no evidence that excessively cramming your schedule with A.P. classes advances you. Let us say to students, ‘If you would like to take more than 5 A.P. courses because you love the class, do so, but not to get into college.’
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/24/opinion/higher-education-double-major-extracurricular-activities.html
I would advise against it too. First, your primary focus must be to raise that ACT score. Sure, you can apply to test optional schools but only if everything else is strong, and 4 v 5 APs do t make a difference.
Based on your academic interests I’d say keep AP calc, AP physics 2, seminar and gov. With applications and essay you’ll be very busy already and you’re better off with 4 As in AP than with 5 APs none of which is done well - or, worse still, one which results in a D (unfortunately, very very common… And cause for being rescinded!)
I think I am going to only take 4, which are the ones you have listed. I am also trying to get my ACT score up. I will be working on it for the foreseeable future until I get my desired score. Thank you to everyone who commented and gave out help.
Regarding test scores, have you tried an old released SAT for practice to see if you would do better on the SAT compared to the ACT?
I have not