10+ AP classes

[Anonymous]

Some people are reporting that their kids are taking 10+, 15, and even 20 AP classes. How is this possible? I am looking at my rising 9th grader's schedule and I don't see how you can pack more than about 10 AP classes? They can only take 1 AP class in 9th grade and you can't take, say, AP Biology, from the getgo.

[Anonymous]

DC took 12. 2 sophomore year, 5 junior year, 5 senior year. Lots of honors classes freshman and sophomore year. It's possible.

[Anonymous]

DC took 19. Freshman Year-1, Sophomore Year-4, Junior Year-7, Senior Year-7. He enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people are reporting that their kids are taking 10+, 15, and even 20 AP classes. How is this possible? I am looking at my rising 9th grader's schedule and I don't see how you can pack more than about 10 AP classes? They can only take 1 AP class in 9th grade and you can't take, say, AP Biology, from the getgo.

None allowed in 9th but 1/3 of the sophomores take an AP and the ones already in AP calc have a second. Junior year : almost half the grade has 3 APs, the top 1/4 has 5 (APphys 1, calc, Apush, AP lang, and an elective such as Gov or a second AP science or econ). Senior yr top 1/4 is in multivariable calc and linear algebra (post AP taught at the school by a phD), AP lit, AP foreign language, a second (or third) AP science, and an elective can also be AP though there is a senior civics seminar required. the top 1/3 or so students take six core courses 10th-12th plus one elective (arts) , most of these take AP or honors for all of these. 10-12 total is commonplace. Which AP courses are selected accounts for the difference in strength of schedule. AOs look at courses not number of APs. 8 of the hardest is better than 10 mostly weak ones

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people are reporting that their kids are taking 10+, 15, and even 20 AP classes. How is this possible? I am looking at my rising 9th grader's schedule and I don't see how you can pack more than about 10 AP classes? They can only take 1 AP class in 9th grade and you can't take, say, AP Biology, from the getgo.

None allowed in 9th but 1/3 of the sophomores take an AP and the ones already in AP calc have a second. Junior year : almost half the grade has 3 APs, the top 1/4 has 5 (APphys 1, calc, Apush, AP lang, and an elective such as Gov or a second AP science or econ). Senior yr top 1/4 is in multivariable calc and linear algebra (post AP taught at the school by a phD), AP lit, AP foreign language, a second (or third) AP science, and an elective can also be AP though there is a senior civics seminar required. the top 1/3 or so students take six core courses 10th-12th plus one elective (arts) , most of these take AP or honors for all of these. 10-12 total is commonplace. Which AP courses are selected accounts for the difference in strength of schedule. AOs look at courses not number of APs. 8 of the hardest is better than 10 mostly weak ones

At DC's high school (in the south) the average AP count is extremely high (think around 9-12 range), so you have to take a ton to stand out. It was stressful at the time, but his ivy was easier than high school.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your replies. My questions are:

1) Are your kids not taking MV calculus - not an AP class?
2) What about double period AP classes - like chemistry and bio, in our kid's HS? Do they not eat up into other classes (e.g. you can only take 6 subjects rather than seven)
3) My kid wants to take AP drawing but it takes a long time to get there (4 years). Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your replies. My questions are:

1) Are your kids not taking MV calculus - not an AP class?
2) What about double period AP classes - like chemistry and bio, in our kid's HS? Do they not eat up into other classes (e.g. you can only take 6 subjects rather than seven)
3) My kid wants to take AP drawing but it takes a long time to get there (4 years). Any advice?

At DC's school, there were 8 courses every semester, so that definitely helps. You couldn't ever take less than 8. Classes were pretty well designed, so they wouldn't run into one another. No One is taking MV calc, it's not offered-the school says when they did offer it, admissions departments gave them the eye brow and suggested slowing students down. Instead there's an occasional number theory class for seniors. Don't hasten the APs if it isn't necessary!

[Anonymous]

Basis DC student; one each in 8th and 9th (and could have taken 2 in 9th); 6 in 10th (two econ, which are 1 semester courses), and 5 or 6 in 11th. And unusually, calc is split into 2 years (AB then BC).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis DC student; one each in 8th and 9th (and could have taken 2 in 9th); 6 in 10th (two econ, which are 1 semester courses), and 5 or 6 in 11th. And unusually, calc is split into 2 years (AB then BC).

More schools should split them. The rush to get students to do math as quickly as possible is getting out of hand. DS's college friends came into college with enough math for half a math major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis DC student; one each in 8th and 9th (and could have taken 2 in 9th); 6 in 10th (two econ, which are 1 semester courses), and 5 or 6 in 11th. And unusually, calc is split into 2 years (AB then BC).

More schools should split them. The rush to get students to do math as quickly as possible is getting out of hand. DS's college friends came into college with enough math for half a math major.

AB and BC are very similar. No reason to split.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis DC student; one each in 8th and 9th (and could have taken 2 in 9th); 6 in 10th (two econ, which are 1 semester courses), and 5 or 6 in 11th. And unusually, calc is split into 2 years (AB then BC).

More schools should split them. The rush to get students to do math as quickly as possible is getting out of hand. DS's college friends came into college with enough math for half a math major.

AB and BC are very similar. No reason to split.

Building the skills slowly can be helpful. Like Separating Mechanics and E&M rather than jamming them into one courses like some high schools do.

[Anonymous]

Let's see. By graduation my kid will have taken
-AP US in ninth
-AP Govt and AP Physics in tenth
-AP Lang, AP BC Calc, AP World History in 11th
-AP Lit, AP Stats, AP Econ, AP Physics but a different level, AP Spanish
-So 11. He could have thrown AP Comp Sci in there but didn't.

[Anonymous]

Some schools have lots of AP classes, others don't. Mine took 1 freshman year, all that was offere, will take 3 Sophmore year (all that was offered, as they didn't offer it in science), not sure the following years... but he could do 8-12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your replies. My questions are:

1) Are your kids not taking MV calculus - not an AP class?
2) What about double period AP classes - like chemistry and bio, in our kid's HS? Do they not eat up into other classes (e.g. you can only take 6 subjects rather than seven)
3) My kid wants to take AP drawing but it takes a long time to get there (4 years). Any advice?

1) no my kid is not. The highest math they’ll take is Calc BC (in 12th)
2) chem and bio are not double periods at our school
3) my kid does a special elective all 4 years. It is not weighted.

You student will only be compared to other kids at their school. So it doesn’t matter that kids from other schools have tons of APs.

Many schools limit them!

[Anonymous]

Sounds like many schools have put an AP in front of a lot of their classes. A different kind of inflation.