I want to take 5 AP’s my senior year but I am worried it would be too much. The 5 AP’s would be AP European history, AP art history, AP physics, AP calculus b/c, and AP language and composition. I also am a president of the Girl Up club at my school I I take bass lessons every other Thursday. I also participate in Mu Alpha Theta, an Honors Math society. Would it be possible? I currently am taking 2 AP’s, chem and calculus a/b, and manage them with everything just fine. But I hear some of these Ap’s are difficult and I’m worried I wouldn’t be able to manage the extra 3 next year. Advice?
Also, I’m not sure if it matters but I currently have a 4.0 unweighted GPA.
This answer entirely depends on you - it is difficult for a stranger to advise.
My daughter is a 9th grader taking 2 AP classes. Next year she will take 5 AP classes as a sophomore. She is heavily involved with her extracurricular activities. She THRIVES on being busy and structures her time well.
Is that how you are? Are you the kind of person who does not mind having to schedule every single thing (including time with friends) into the calendar? Or are you the kind of person that is happiest when you have some free time and don’t have to schedule in time with friends because that time will spontaneously happen (because you aren’t always studying or doing your ec’s)?
Some kids thrive with this kind of schedule and some kids hate it. There is no right or wrong here - there is only what is right for YOU.
Many seniors applying to extremely selective schools take 5-6 AP and/or dual credit classes all the time, by the way. Again though, that doesn’t necessarily mean that is the right path for YOU.
@“riley furey” Are you a homeschooler or do you attend school? You mention the school you attend, so that makes me wonder. In terms of workload, that is going to depend on the individual class plus your time management skills. Not all APs are taught the same way or with the same materials. If this is at a school, I would recommend asking about approx time commitment for each course and see if you can gauge whether or not you think the workload is doable. For many kids, it wouldn’t be a problem. For others, juggling that many APs on top of college apps and college visits might be pushing the limit. Make sure to factor in the time necessary for college apps bc they can be very time consuming.
If you are homeschooling, I would make sure you know you have a test location where you can take all of the tests. APs done at home will have whatever workload your homeschool teacher deems necessary for successful covering the content. That would be a discussion to have with that person.
I’m in 5 APs as a junior and plan to take 5 as a senior. I promise it’s completely possible to do these as well as any extracurriculars. I recommend a study hall if your school offers it. It takes a lot of time management and learning how to be efficient, but I think it is the greatest academic decision I’ve ever made, despite all the stress that can come with it. If you are motivated and want to pursue it, you can do it!