I am interested in applying to Northwestern and other top schools like it. I am interested in studying journalism. I am a junior and have currently taken 3 APs, which was all that was offered at my school.
10th - AP Euro (5)
11th - APUSH, AP Language and Comp (scores pending)
In 12th grade I am thinking about taking 4 APs but I am afraid that that would be two much for me to handle with my extracurriculars. I do not qualify for a foreign language AP.
I can take:
AP Bio OR AP Environmental (leaning towards Bio)(There is no science honors offered, so I must take a science AP)
AP Literature
AP Calculus
AP Macro OR AP Gov (leaning towards Gov)
Would colleges like NU look at me better if I took four APs or should I drop AP Calculus and take Calc Honors because it does not pertain to my major? Would my chances be better if I took these classes, even if it meant a B+? I know that at my school these classes are all a lot of work and I want to be able to put my best effort in.
from what i’ve heard, schools love seeing that you’re taking everything offered so you’re doing great so far! i was accepted as a journalism major as well with 4 aps soph-junior year (world 5, apush 5, lang 5, physics no score) and 4 aps senior year (euro calc lit microecon and gov). i got a few bs across the science and math ones and was still accepted. i don’t know if that helps you at all and honestly don’t have much of an answer.
on calc – since i’m not a math major (like you), it was very hard and felt very irrelevant. finding the area of a curve did nothing to further my journalism skills and i regretted taking it on many occasions. however, it got easier towards the end and ended up being fine.
it’s also important to remember that every college evaluates you differently and you’ll definitely be applying to several schools, so i’d almost advise you to just take what feels right and hope for the best. taking 10 aps doesn’t guarantee you’ll get in anywhere, and I got in taking just a medium amount of aps. plus that’s just me, and i’m sure everyone who applied has a different story! good luck!
Take the classes with the most rigor that you can still get an A in. You are supposed to be challenging yourself senior year. Getting an B in an AP class is better then in an honor class. They will look at what your school offers and what you chose to take compared to other kids at your school.