S23 (a junior this fall), definitely wants a rigorous schedule and pays attention to grades and GPA. But his school’s scheduling is routinely just awful. How attuned and understanding are Adcoms to this problem?
He attends a large decent public CA high school and is hoping to attend a top public flagship, likely OOS. He currently has scheduled AP Stats, AP Bio, AP Chem, and APUSH plus Latin 3 and Photography. He can only take 4 APs max each year at his school. He was hoping for Honors English either has to drop AP Stats or take regular English b/c of a conflict. Stats in the only math class he hasn’t already taken and he is interested Economics or Finance in College (and has a strong interest in science and technology). AP Stats is more important right? He can hopefully still take AP Lang next year. So frustrating.
(Note: Next year’s course request will probably be: AP Lang, AP Micro and Macro, AP Comp Sci (if they can hire a teacher), AP Government or Civics, AP Latin, Honors Physics, Photography).
It’s all in context. Since your school limits the number of AOs, AOs will see that too.
Additionally, the users on this site, even if they are all truthful, are not a statistically representative subset of college-bound students even those targeting T20s.
They don’t limit it exactly but we are on trimesters and APs are only taught Trimester 1-2. 5 classes max per trimester and almost every course is two trimesters long. So in practice it’s 4 AP/year. AP students have a very boring, easy Trimester 3.
Could he take AP Bio alongside Honors Physics next year? First, it’s not a good idea to schedule Ap Chem and AP bio together (labs+ complexity), second, it may make Honors English possible. The level and quality of writing expected in Honors English should be better preparation for about anything (AP Rngliah, college, commonapp essays, good written expression and clear thinking for every day life as a sentient citizen… )
Ask a counselor what “most rigorous” means at your school. I suspect it’s not limited to the very few students who take every single advanced class every year.
Iirc, there are only 4 or 5 options. It may not be given to the top 20-25% of students, but I suspect it’s more broadly classified than some seem to think.
My D17 had a “most rigorous” schedule with 5AP/mostly honors, approx. top 10-12%. Our school offers 24 APs.
The only section of Honors English was offered the same time as the only section of AP Stats. He was willing to sacrifice a science but it didn’t really help. Most juniors at his school do not take stats, it is intended for seniors, so he is likely the only students with this conflict. I hear you about Chem/Bio but honestly his school’s science program is not that rigorous and the specific teachers are known to be easy graders. He probably won’t choose to take both AP exams.
Meaning he has completed calculus? If so, why not defer statistics to 12th grade so that he can take honors English?
Economics or finance will require statistics, but some colleges require calculus-based statistics for those majors. Also, many science or engineering majors that require statistics will require calculus-based statistics or a major-specific version. So AP statistics may not be as useful for subject credit as one might assume.
Instead of statistics, can he take economics junior year in order to determine how interested he is in economics?
Yes he already took AP Calc BC. Econ is only available to seniors at his school. I tried. I just thought it looked really bad to not have math his junior year. (H English also conflicted with Latin!)
There are a few colleges that want to see a math or math-heavy course in senior year, such as Washington publics.
If he wants to go into economics to the PhD level, or quantitative finance, he may want to see if he can take multivariable calculus and/or linear algebra at a local community college, because those directions require more advanced math (PhD study expect undergraduate math preparation like real analysis and calculus-based probability theory).
he’s hoping to go MBA route. There’s a 1 trimester MVC course at his HS he will try to take senior year. And H Physics, which is math-y. He will have exhausted all options at his HS at that point. And isn’t that what colleges are supposed to look at? What is available at his HS? I am so opposed to high school students feeling pressured to enroll in actual college courses. Isn’t that what college is for? No way can a college freshman be behind just because they haven’t already had linear algebra.
He wouldn’t be behind but the natural progression for a kid who took calc BC as a sophomore is some kind of higher math jr and sr year (AP stats only requires Algebra2 so it wouldn’t count as higher math, although stats is a very useful course, one I personally would prioritize over calc for most students…)
You’re right though, if he’s bumping into high school limitations, it won’t be held against him in college admissions. However he might want classes that match his background and aptitude, hence the suggestion of dual enrollment classes.
Dual enrollment at a CC= AP though, just faster paced. For math, should be considered as a “taster course”.
The guidance counselor can explain scheduling conflicts to colleges when they send the transcript.
It seems that either stats or honors English could wait until next year.
I would ask, what does your son want to take? What is he interested in? Rather than what the colleges will think. And the GC can explain anyway. He is way ahead in math anyway,
He could also take a class online. We used this school when there was a significant conflict, and our school was so impressed that they joined so that 2 kids each semester got to take a class. VHS Learning | VHS Learning
To me this seems like a lot of AP’s, and a lot of advanced math well ahead of the norm. I would also think about stress and burnout- I’m sure you are.
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