Will it look bad or good to colleges? Will they be seen as duplicate courses since “composition” is in their names? I will be a senior.
What is the rest of your schedule?
Taking AP Literature & Composition and AP Language & Composition is like taking EN101 and EN102
My other classes are
Dual-Enrollment College Calc 1 and Calc 2
AP Gov(only 1 semester)
AP Physics 1
French 3
Don’t a lot of people take 1 junior year and the other senior year? So why can’t I take both in the same year? They aren’t prerequisites.
My s took ap Lang last year and is taking AP lit starting tomorrow. The former focuses on learning rhetoric and how to do rhetorical composition, usually focusing on non-fiction writing; the latter is focussed on fiction and literary analysis. Both are usually a lot of work. So what else are you taking?
You’re taking calc 1 and calc 2 at the sametime?
No since it is at a college where one class is one semester long, I take Calc 1 in the fall and Calc 2 in the spring.
okay, but how are you going to prepare for AP Gov(only 1 semester)? are you going to self-study before the exam?
I take AP Gov in the fall and the exam is in May so I would have completed the class before the exam.
Have you taken any AP classes?
AP LIT has a LOT of reading, much more so than AP Lang. I’d advise you only take Lang, especially if you have NOT taken many AP classes before.
you may not have time for all the homework AND time to do your college applications!
I’ve taken APUSH, AP World History, AP Chem, AP Bio, AP Euro, APES, and AP Econ.
I can handle the reading trust me. I really want to take both AP Lang and AP Lit, will they be seen as duplicates or will taking both look good?
If you are looking at being a science/math type major take AP language. It will be more useful to you in the long run. Taking both may be a bit much, particularly since you are dual enrolling and doing Calc 1-2. @menloparkmom is right about allowing time for college applications. Plus there are lots of other senior year activities. You also do not want to burn out just in time for college.
As Stanford U clearly states on its admission webpage-[ and many other colleges agree and the preach the same guidelines regarding AP classes]-
“We want to be clear that this is not a case of “whoever has the most APs wins.” Instead, we look for thoughtful, eager and highly engaged students who will make a difference at Stanford and in the world beyond. We expect that these students have taken high school course loads of reasonable and appropriate challenge in the context of their schools.”
http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html
MORE AP classes wont “look good” unless you can ALSO get top grades in them.
Your Sr first semester grades are REALLY important- AND the college application process is very time consuming and is like having a mandatory a part time job, in addition to the work required by your classes.
So unless you have gotten real assurance from your HS guidance counselor that she/ he is confident you can handle all those classes AND do well in them, I would decide between the 2 english classes.
You will be getting a lot of practice in English while writing your college essays.
I know I can get top grades in them, English is my best subject. Actually, my Honors English 11 teacher is also the AP Lit teacher. I got an A in her class last year and from what I have heard, her AP Lit class is pretty easy. I asked her and she said that she knows I will do really well in her class since she really enjoys reading my essays(she gave me perfect scores on all of my papers last year).
They are different classes. If you love English and doing all of the varieties of writing styles that goes with it, then you should be fine. But do it for the intellectual joy of it, do not do it thinking it will impress colleges.
Nothing wrong with taking both AP English exams in one year. I know lots of kids who have done it.
^^ My DS did that after taking only AP Lit.
If you do well in that class you will do well on both exams.
Neutral IMO
No. AP Language focuses more on expository writing and nonfiction. AP Literature focuses more on literary analysis and fiction.
imo its a waste because most schools only give credit for one
I am not really concerned about credit, mainly about it looking good and increasing my GPA since AP classes are weighted.
If I don’t take one of those AP courses I have no choice but to choose an elective like Psychology since that is the only class available.
When I talked to my GC about my schedule a couple weeks ago she said she was confused on which English class I was picking and asked which one I wanted to take. I said both and she said this is the first time she had a student take both in the same year. She then gave said “rock on” and gave me a fist bump, so maybe that is a good sign that it might help me get that most-rigorous box checked off?