I’m not sure if this is the right place to put this, but during freshman year I took Physical Science and wasn’t offered any honor classes. I’m entering sophomore year and will be taking Honors Biology. Will selective colleges look at me different because of this? People are scaring me into thinking I’m not working hard enough and my roster isn’t as good as theirs. I don’t know… this just bothered me. I wasn’t even thinking about this whole process until someone planted it into my head. I just don’t know what to do. Should I be worried? I know it’s not worth the stress over one class but I feel like I should be stressing. This whole website got me stressin’! 
I know I probably sound whiny right now but is it important for 9th graders to get honors and above average classes? Also, will colleges like to see you in an AP class sophomore year? I wish my worth wasn’t based off my classes nor grades(I get decent grades by the way)but that’s how it is I guess. Help?
I sound whiny af
Chill. Enjoy high school. There will always be other students playing mind games with you trying to make you doubt yourself. And of course that pales in comparison to the pressure you’re gonna put on yourself.
My son took ZERO honors or AP classes in ninth grade. There was only one honors course available to ninth graders and he chose not to take it because he was worried about being able to handle the pressure of high school. He took one honors math course as a sophomore. His overall 10th grade schedule was pretty rigorous…just not any AP. He didn’t take any APs until he was a junior.
If your high school offers an AP in 10th grade and if it’s in a subject you’re generally comfortable with, then yeah, you should go ahead and take it. Just know that it’ll be fine if your 10th grade schedule shows rigor in other ways.
What you really want to look out for in 10th grade is to make sure you’re on track in terms of prerequisites to get into the most advanced classes for 11th and 12th grades. Don’t take an AP class in 10th grade for the sake of having an AP class if it means missing an important sequence class for math or languages.
Apply to schools in California they don’t look at 9th grade courses, LOL. Not gonna lie course rigor is important, one of the questions the your guidance counselor will answer about you in their counselor report for your college application(which many schools request) is something along the lines of “Did X student that the hardest courses available to him” or “Did X student take a harder course load in comparison to his classmates”. Biology in 10th grade is relatively normal, stop stressing about it. If you have the opportunity to take honors or pre-AP level course do it. @otterma had some sound advice. If you are thinking about applying to top 30 schools, course rigor will be VERY important as most of those accepted hop on the AP train very early. But please, please, please do not freak out about comparing your self to the majority of people on CC you are dealing with the upper echelons of high school kids and parents. My very average D18 was accepted at all 12 of the schools she applied to and is attending solid college in the fall.
Well, you do need to compare yourself to what colleges expect.
Try to have 4-5 classes at honors level per year sophomore to senior year. You could take one AP sophomore year if your school allows it and if it’s a subject you’re good at. But it’s okay if you don’t as long as you have 4-5 classes at honors level. Do plan on taking AP 's junior and senior year - AP English language especially.
You’ll need 4years of English and history/social science, math up to pre-calculus or calculus, foreign language up to level 4, and for science,
Physical science -> honors biology -> honors chemistry + apes or AP physics 1 would be a good sequence. Add one class in art/music, AP CS principles if you could be interested in CS… And you’re good for any university :).
You will find a college that is right for you.
You will find a selective college that is right for you.
Continue taking the highest levels of courses that make sense FOR YOU and that you can do well in.
SO it is great that you are taking Honors Bio. Continue with honors/AP sciences in the future.
Note that the recommendations in #5 assume all A’s in your 'regular ’ college classes AND a goal such as ‘state flagship / honors college with scholarships’.
It IS absolutely possible to go to college with only a handful of honors classes.
However, if you did very well last year in your cp classes and are ready to work hard, ask your gc if you can switch to that subject’s honors version in the 10th grade, even if it was not suggested. That’s called 'to be proactive and advocating for yourself ’ a skill that’ll come in very handy in your life.