My school offers some AP classes, however, there are not many, and the prerequisites are pretty strict. I plan to apply to a few summer programs junior year (I’m about to be a sophomore), and I’ve been looking at requirements/helpful things to have on applications. I’m worried because the classes that many of these programs like to see, my school either doesn’t offer/I can’t take until junior/senior year. AP Calculus will have to wait until senior year, and though there is no AP Physics class offered, regular Physics have to wait until junior year. Are programs such as RSI going to hold it against me that I haven’t taken AP Calculus yet – surely, if test scores/ECs are good enough, I’d still be competitive?
On a side note, I often see college tips saying that you should try to take one or two AP classes sophomore year, but what if due to prereqs I can’t?
Colleges take into consideration what your high school has to offer and compare applicants from the same high school to each other. However, it would probably be a good idea to use the portion of the application that allows for explanations to explain about the prerequisites and lack of availability of AP classes that you wanted to take but couldn’t. Summer programs are a good idea, especially the kind that teach how to do research. Also, taking a course at a community college or online when it is unavailable at your high school would be good if you do well in it. Some kids self-study an area they are interested in and then demonstrate their proficiency through activities that relate to it.
You can’t take what the school does not allow and colleges know that.
No it wouldn’t. The student trying to explain it risks coming off as making excuses or being whiny. Let the GC use his/her form to explain this.
When your HS sends your transcript to colleges they will also send a school profile that includes among other things, the classes offered at your HS so your coursework will be review in the proper context. As long as you take a schedule that would allow your guidance counselor to check the box in the college recommendation saying you have taken the most rigorous schedule available at your HS (which does not equate to the most APs) then you are fine.