What AP classes should I self study?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>I am finished with my freshman year of high school maintaining a 4.0 in both semesters and being rank one of my class. The courses I took were:
English 9
Writing Composition
Physics AB (Algebra based)
P.E
Geometry
Algebra 1</p>

<p>Next year I am taking AP World History (only AP class my school offers to sophomores). I am planning to self study either AP Biology, since I will be taking Biology next year, AP Environmental Science or AP Statistics. I'm not sure what I want to major in college yet, but I know it will consist of math and/or science. </p>

<p>Are these subjects considered "manageable" to self study and get at least a 3 on the AP Exam? Are there any other AP subjects I should take instead due to my experience from the classes I took? Finally, do colleges ignore some AP subjects since people consider them easy? </p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

2

<p>colleges don’t care about self study… it will not help your changes.</p>

3

<p>Only take AP exams if you want the credit. Colleges care more about the course than the exam.</p>

4

<p>For AP credit alot of schools require a 4 or 5 on the exam. Check the AP policy of the schools. Also AP history requires an extensive amount of reading as you will find out next year.</p>

5

<p>Yeah, there’s no reason to self-study unless you want college credit for a class your school doesn’t offer or that doesn’t fit in your schedule. If your school offers a given AP class, colleges want you take the class and the test rather than just the test. If your school doesn’t offer it, colleges don’t expect you to take it, and you’d be better off working on your ECs or studying for the SAT or something. </p>

6

<p>I am studying for the SAT already, and I do plan to take the AP test. I would like college to to cost less for for me, so that’s why I am self studying. I heard that it does increase your chances getting in because it shows that you are able to do the work without a teacher, or is that also not true? </p>

7

<p>

So you want to get a bachelor’s degree in three years rather than four? Even then you’d be better off just applying to schools where you’d get a lot of merit aid. What colleges are you looking at?<br>

Your first priority is to get straight As (or close) in the most challenging classes possible at your school, and after that you should be worrying about the SAT/ACT and your extracurriculars. It’s possible that self-studying confers some small benefit, but they care about other things a lot more, and any time you spend self-studying is time you could have spent working on those things.</p>

8

<p>Would you consider volunteering an extracurricular activity such as at a hospital or homeless shelter? </p>

9

<p>Yes, but the volunteer hours don’t need to be documented or anything. An EC is basically anything productive you do outside of school, aside from really passive things like reading. An “impressive” EC is one where you show focus, dedication, and accomplishment. </p>

10

<p>I am in a robotics club at school and I plan to be in it throughout all of high school being a programmer. Would that work? I will do other things as well, but that is probably going to be the one I dedicate most of my time to. </p>

11

<p>The college I am interested in is Cal.Tech. So far, I would really want to go there, but I am still researching into other colleges such as MIT. </p>

12

<p>I think you’d be much better off working on your math if you want to go to a school like that, than trying to impress them with random self-studied AP exams.</p>

13

<p>

What do you mean? Doing well in their math classes, or something else?</p>