What does "most rigorous" mean?

[Anonymous]

At least one AP in every core subject, and one or two others that interest them.

Our DD is not great in math (her only B's ever) but she's taking AP Calc AB and will take AP Calc BC or AP Stats as a senior.

That's the way it be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It means AP Physics C not 1 or 2
It means Calculus BC not AB
It means AP Chem and/or AP Bio not AP Psych or AP Environmental Science
It means both AP Lit and AP Language
It means AP Histories for 3+ years
It means AP Foreign Language
AP Stats is a nice add on but not in lieu of BC Calc

The amount of pressure and stress a child would be under completing this kind of workload, at 14-17 years old, is horrible. I am disturbed that parents are allowing the colleges to demand this kind of load on someone who is not actually at the age of a college level class. We are not buying into this and if our DDs go to a lower ranked college because they only completed 5 APs and all honors, and 2 of those honors were AP Psych and AP Environmental Science, then so be it. They’ll still have a college degree and in most fields, thar’s what matters. We are not demanding more of them unless they ask for those other classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dd's school offers 27 AP classes and 12 honors classes. She took 5 AP classes and 7 honors classes. What does most rigorous really mean? If you compare her to some peers with 9 or 12 APs, she did not take the "most rigorous."

You just answered your own question. You already know what the answer is, it won't change just because you don't like it.

Honors classes don't mean squat when you could have taken AP.

[Anonymous]

If you're aiming for top 25, she's not going to get in with that course schedule (even assuming 4.0 unweighted) if she is unhooked.

That's what it means when you opt out of "most rigorous," which she clearly did.

[Anonymous]

At the same time there isn’t much point in taking more than 7-8 APs if it comes at the expense of meaningful commitment to something outside of school.

The varied answers here tell the story - which is it varies by high school. And no counselor will give you his or her formula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the same time there isn’t much point in taking more than 7-8 APs if it comes at the expense of meaningful commitment to something outside of school.

The varied answers here tell the story - which is it varies by high school. And no counselor will give you his or her formula.

This is the thing though. People say this but that doesn't mean anything for MOST kids. MOST kids are not nationally ranked athletes or musicians or starting successful businesses at 17. That's what college counselors mean when they say stuff like that. They want something spectacular on your resume (in addition to the 4.0 GPA and perfect SATs). But most adults are not even capable of spectacular, let alone teenagers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It means AP Physics C not 1 or 2
It means Calculus BC not AB
It means AP Chem and/or AP Bio not AP Psych or AP Environmental Science
It means both AP Lit and AP Language
It means AP Histories for 3+ years
It means AP Foreign Language
AP Stats is a nice add on but not in lieu of BC Calc

The amount of pressure and stress a child would be under completing this kind of workload, at 14-17 years old, is horrible. I am disturbed that parents are allowing the colleges to demand this kind of load on someone who is not actually at the age of a college level class. We are not buying into this and if our DDs go to a lower ranked college because they only completed 5 APs and all honors, and 2 of those honors were AP Psych and AP Environmental Science, then so be it. They’ll still have a college degree and in most fields, thar’s what matters. We are not demanding more of them unless they ask for those other classes.

We are encouraging our kids to take it easy too but only because we have the kind of network that allows us to pull strings to get our kids the best internships and entry level jobs. From there, it will be on them. But we can get them in the door at least.

I understand why you'd pursue AP everything and Ivy League or bust if you don't have that network though.

It's disingenuous to pretend to be all holier than thou when you are planning to pull strings for your kid when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the same time there isn’t much point in taking more than 7-8 APs if it comes at the expense of meaningful commitment to something outside of school.

The varied answers here tell the story - which is it varies by high school. And no counselor will give you his or her formula.

This is the thing though. People say this but that doesn't mean anything for MOST kids. MOST kids are not nationally ranked athletes or musicians or starting successful businesses at 17. That's what college counselors mean when they say stuff like that. They want something spectacular on your resume (in addition to the 4.0 GPA and perfect SATs). But most adults are not even capable of spectacular, let alone teenagers.

+ 1

It's what people call a hook. If you're not hooked, don't listen to this crap. It's bullshit for the "normal" kids which are the vast majority.

[Anonymous]

Are most of the APs taken as Juniors and Seniors? My child is a sophomore in a humanities focused test-in program in MCPS. He is taking one AP as a sophomore and the rest of his classes are honors. The school/program doesn’t really allow more than that. Next year he definitely has to take at least two APs as part of his program but it will be the first opportunity to take any additional ones (possibly Bio and Calc). 4 APs seems like so much/too much. But is that the only way to take a rigorous enough schedule? He is aiming for a selective liberal arts college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are most of the APs taken as Juniors and Seniors? My child is a sophomore in a humanities focused test-in program in MCPS. He is taking one AP as a sophomore and the rest of his classes are honors. The school/program doesn’t really allow more than that. Next year he definitely has to take at least two APs as part of his program but it will be the first opportunity to take any additional ones (possibly Bio and Calc). 4 APs seems like so much/too much. But is that the only way to take a rigorous enough schedule? He is aiming for a selective liberal arts college.

No they start in 9th grade with AP world history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most of the APs taken as Juniors and Seniors? My child is a sophomore in a humanities focused test-in program in MCPS. He is taking one AP as a sophomore and the rest of his classes are honors. The school/program doesn’t really allow more than that. Next year he definitely has to take at least two APs as part of his program but it will be the first opportunity to take any additional ones (possibly Bio and Calc). 4 APs seems like so much/too much. But is that the only way to take a rigorous enough schedule? He is aiming for a selective liberal arts college.

No they start in 9th grade with AP world history.

Some MCPS allow kids to start APs in 9th. Others don’t. All that matters for this question is what the norm is for your student’s school and how they compare to that norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most of the APs taken as Juniors and Seniors? My child is a sophomore in a humanities focused test-in program in MCPS. He is taking one AP as a sophomore and the rest of his classes are honors. The school/program doesn’t really allow more than that. Next year he definitely has to take at least two APs as part of his program but it will be the first opportunity to take any additional ones (possibly Bio and Calc). 4 APs seems like so much/too much. But is that the only way to take a rigorous enough schedule? He is aiming for a selective liberal arts college.

No they start in 9th grade with AP world history.

Some MCPS allow kids to start APs in 9th. Others don’t. All that matters for this question is what the norm is for your student’s school and how they compare to that norm.

Not in my child's school/program. There are no APs until 10th (and then just one) and then two or more starting in 11th.

[Anonymous]

So what is the norm for a rigorous schedule in 11th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most of the APs taken as Juniors and Seniors? My child is a sophomore in a humanities focused test-in program in MCPS. He is taking one AP as a sophomore and the rest of his classes are honors. The school/program doesn’t really allow more than that. Next year he definitely has to take at least two APs as part of his program but it will be the first opportunity to take any additional ones (possibly Bio and Calc). 4 APs seems like so much/too much. But is that the only way to take a rigorous enough schedule? He is aiming for a selective liberal arts college.

No they start in 9th grade with AP world history.

Some MCPS allow kids to start APs in 9th. Others don’t. All that matters for this question is what the norm is for your student’s school and how they compare to that norm.

Not in my child's school/program. There are no APs until 10th (and then just one) and then two or more starting in 11th.

What school is this?

Your kid will be at a disadvantage to other students in the same area if they are taking APs starting in 9th grade.

It's not true that you're just competing against students in your school. You're really competing with students in your greater area.

Unless you're at a Magnet school. Then you are competing with the other kids in your school (who are considered the best of the best).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most of the APs taken as Juniors and Seniors? My child is a sophomore in a humanities focused test-in program in MCPS. He is taking one AP as a sophomore and the rest of his classes are honors. The school/program doesn’t really allow more than that. Next year he definitely has to take at least two APs as part of his program but it will be the first opportunity to take any additional ones (possibly Bio and Calc). 4 APs seems like so much/too much. But is that the only way to take a rigorous enough schedule? He is aiming for a selective liberal arts college.

No they start in 9th grade with AP world history.

Some MCPS allow kids to start APs in 9th. Others don’t. All that matters for this question is what the norm is for your student’s school and how they compare to that norm.

Not in my child's school/program. There are no APs until 10th (and then just one) and then two or more starting in 11th.

What school is this?

Your kid will be at a disadvantage to other students in the same area if they are taking APs starting in 9th grade.

It's not true that you're just competing against students in your school. You're really competing with students in your greater area.

Unless you're at a Magnet school. Then you are competing with the other kids in your school (who are considered the best of the best).

It's a magnet program within a high school.