<p>First of all, it is your child, not you, doing the HS work and applying to colleges. What does this child want? Never sell your child short- let him/her always take on any academic challenges they wish to. </p>
<p>Here in Wisconsin, and I’m sure in many places, they don’t use weighted grades but do consider course rigor. Getting stellar grades/taking top courses doesn’t mean a student needs to aim for the most rigorous state school. A year from now your child may want to apply to more “ambitious” schools than you are envisioning now. Your child won’t have regrets with a better foundation for any college. What does his HS counselor suggest? A parent can derail opportunities for a child by assuming they should not aim high. YOU may think your child will want to be an engineer. The child may discover a major you never thought of once they head off to college. </p>
<p>As in an above post, never think the regular version of a course will mean an easier course or a better grade. Your child must be a new sophomore. Too soon to know which CA colleges will be a best fit. Some students blossom after a more mundane freshman experience, especially maturing boys. Get the input of the HS guidance counselor for courses to take- they know your student, at least by classes taken and grades received from known teachers, and know the classes and teachers at the HS. You don’t know that the schools you mention have a lot of students who took the AP classes and got As and Bs in them.</p>
<p>This is the time of your child’s life for him/her to reach for the stars- s/he may have to settle for the moon, but you don’t want him/her planetbound when more could be achieved if you as parents limited possibilities for a gpa. Students who are bored are more likely to not put in the effort to get the A.</p>