I don’t know how many AP courses I should take vs. Honors courses. Is having entirely AP classes a really bad idea? Should I cut it down to 4 or 5? What’s generally a pretty managable number? Social life isn’t really a huge deal and I don’t currently(might be treasurer for one soon) have any leadership roles in any of the 3 clubs I’m in so I have slightly more time than an average gifted student. Please note that freshman year was terrible(slightly under 3.1) due to laziness which has been fixed; so I’m really trying to get a +3.85 GPA this year and next.
Which AP courses could you take as a sophomore as many of them have prerequisites?
Anyway, having an entire schedule of AP courses, or even 4-5, is not a wise idea considering that your GPA is ~3.1, and it’s unlikely that you, or any sophomore, would earn mostly A’s with all AP courses.
Taking AP classes are never bad! Having your whole schedule as an AP? Yes, if you haven’t taken at least two AP classes simultaneously. I think the best way to proceed with AP classes is to increase gradually. For ex, I took none freshman year (not allowed), 2 this year, 4 next year, then 5/6 senior year. This way, you’ll know how to manage your time.
There isn’t an exact # for how many AP classes you should take. I know, it’s frustrating since everyone probably tells you this. But it’s true. It’s really up to you. Everyone, even teachers, told me I couldn’t take 2 AP classes sophomore year. I decided not to listen to them and got a 4.3 at the end of the year. This doesn’t mean you should jump in and take 5, though.
What classes are available for sophomores at your school? If any is available then I suggest starting out with only one or two. I suggest AP World History, AP Art History, or AP Biology. Take one that interests you the most.
I feel like you’re not ready to take 4/5 AP classes as a sophomore since you haven’t developed good habits or experienced what an AP class is actually like. (not to be rude! just super realistic here).
ALSO! Remember you have to pay $90 per AP exam unless you have reduced/free lunch.
Top colleges (yup, Harvard, Stanford…) want to see a TOTAL of 4-8 classes. After that, the law of diminishing returns applies (meaning you’re better off taking community college classes, doing research, an internship, etc.)
So, your sophomore year, take one tough Ap (AP Euro, AP WH, AP CS, AP Gov, AP Foreign Language if you can…) or two “AP light” (among APES, AP Human Geo, AP Stats, AP Psych). If that goes well, take 3 junior year, including AP Language, and 3 senior year. And you’re good!
I feel like the people above may be missing something…
It would be best to stick to one or two Aps. Ask your guidance counselor. And it doesn’t matter if they are “light” or “tough” Aps, take what you are GENUINELY interested in learning.
Yeah, taking too many is a bad idea. Especially if you take it in subjects that your not interested in. To be safe, I say 3 ap classes is enough, more than that would drive me insane. You could instead choose to take more honors or accel courses to still show you have a rigorous record while still maintaining your gpa.