<p>I was wondering how colleges look at high schools that have pre-reqs for AP classes. I go to a public school that requires you to take Honors classes before AP classes (i.e. Honors Chem before AP Chem, Honors Bio before AP Bio, Honors Amer. Gov. before AP History, etc.) This makes my resume seem a little weak when I have to go to senior year with no AP classes because I have taken all the expected Honors classes. APs are available after you build up to them but now that I am going into my senior year I have all these AP opportunities but cannot take all of them. We cannot jump right into AP English in our freshman year which at other schools you could do this. Do you think this weakens my strength of schedule? I don't see how they can understand our system compared to other high schools.</p>
<p>Colleges look at your schedule in the context of what is available at your school. If you aren’t able to take APs until a certain year, they won’t hold it against you. Just make sure your GC explains that you couldn’t have taken those AP classes before Sr year.</p>
<p>Your counselor will have to weigh the rigor of your classes against that of your classmates. If you’ve taken the hardest schedule at your school you’re fine.</p>
<p>the colleges will compare the classes you took to those offered. if it really concerns you, you might be able to talk to your counselor about getting an exception to the pre-req. but really, you’ll be fine!</p>
<p>My school does the same thing for AP science classes, and colleges take that into consideration and won’t look down on you as long as your school mentions its AP policies with your transcript.</p>
<p>My high school did the same thing and I didn’t take any APs until junior year (and only one at that). Most of my APs were senior year (6). Colleges definitely look at how your high school does things so I wouldn’t worry about it.</p>
<p>The vast majority of college-bound seniors don’t take AP classes. Of the ones that do, the vast majority don’t take them until their junior or senior years. There are only a handful of schools across the country that allow their students to start taking them freshman year, with no pre-requisites, and an even smaller amount that have a number of AP classes that allow students to take like 10+ by the time they graduate. I did 7 at my school (total) and was considered slightly insane.</p>
<p>Colleges can only judge you by what you’ve done. They won’t compare you to the student who took 10 at his school because he started taking them freshman year and his school offers them all, if your school only offers 3 and only allows you to take them senior year. They realize that different schools have different policies.</p>
<p>Relax. You’ll be fine. Just take the most rigorous courseload you can personally handle, and that you are allowed to take.</p>
<p>I had a similar situation. You’re “supposed” to take CP chem before AP chem. </p>
<p>I just talked it over with my GC (small school) and went directly into AP. </p>
<p>Conclusion: They can’t say no if you don’t ask. So go ahead and ask.</p>
<p>My sons’ school is similar. Unless you are exceptionally gifted in an area, no one takes AP classes until Jr year. On the other hand, our school does not offer AP World History or AP Human Geography. Geography and World History are 9th and 10th grades classes, so some ambitious 9th and 10th graders self-study for those tests.</p>
<p>Yea my school forced us to take AP Physics B before C, to take Honors Chem before AP Chem…and so forth. It’s not big deal.</p>