How many AP classes does a "typical, academically advanced" student take in MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Regardless of what credits colleges will award, all of them that I've heard from say they expect students to be taking the most rigorous couseload available in order to be competitive for admission. In many schools, that would be a schedule of heavily or mostly AP.

[Anonymous]

Co-sign on the obnoxious poster writing about W school kids vs. regular kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many universities will no longer accept more than six to nine AP credits. That's because it isn't really college work in at lot of cases.

Define "many". It's actually a pretty small number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids just study the prep books without taking the classes too. You don't have to take the class. Colleges are realizing it is kind of a scam.

Exactly. The really top privates don't even offer them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are all insane people. Literally insane. SLOW down. Enjoy life. Why push these kids?

I honestly don't know how to respond to your question. Looking back, my DD was not completely and totally bogged down by work. She went to bed at a normal time, hung out with her friends, and was a happy kid in high school. But she also took twelve APs, got all As, danced 6 hours a week, was in the marching band (another 10 hours a week), took flute lessons (and was 1st chair all-state), and still did not get into any Ivies. She goes to a wonderful school and Ivies were not the end all be all for us but it begs the question - what in god's name are they looking for??

She would have had to have been #1 nationally in flute and a composer or something plus a legacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids just study the prep books without taking the classes too. You don't have to take the class. Colleges are realizing it is kind of a scam.

Exactly. The really top privates don't even offer them.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, the fact that MCPS is allowing freshman to take college courses is ridiculous. No wonder so many college are doing away with them.

Freshman year AP is the only thing that kept my DC sane. Otherwise, school would have been incredibly boring!!! As it was, DC could have handled both AP NSL and AP Lang or Lit with ease. Similarly, DC should have been dual-enrolled junior year, but we realized too late.

AP and dual enrollment are critical opportunities for a small cohort of kids.

Different students need different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids just study the prep books without taking the classes too. You don't have to take the class. Colleges are realizing it is kind of a scam.

What do you mean?

You do not need to take an AP class to take an AP exam.

Taking an AP class and getting an A doesn't provide college credit.

Taking an AP exam and getting a sufficiently high score (varies depending on the college) can get you college credit (of a certain type- elective, major or degree credit and may be in limited amounts).

Many kids take IB classes and then take the corresponding AP exam and can do well enough to get credit.

Some kids have really deep interests in an area and are able to self-study and take the exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, the fact that MCPS is allowing freshman to take college courses is ridiculous. No wonder so many college are doing away with them.

Freshman year AP is the only thing that kept my DC sane. Otherwise, school would have been incredibly boring!!! As it was, DC could have handled both AP NSL and AP Lang or Lit with ease. Similarly, DC should have been dual-enrolled junior year, but we realized too late.

AP and dual enrollment are critical opportunities for a small cohort of kids.

Different students need different things.

*Golf clap*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids just study the prep books without taking the classes too. You don't have to take the class. Colleges are realizing it is kind of a scam.

Yes and are realizing high schools are offering so many now with subpar teachers just to butter up their test scores/state rankings and now colleges have to decide if they want that many kids coming in with a ridiculous amount of college credits, they won't get back. Colleges need $$. They aren't looking for the kids who have taken 12 AP's.

Nah, the top schools just don't award credit for the APs (or offer elective credit, but make you retake the class if it's in your major). This is nothing new--it was the case when I went to a state school 10 years ago.

Many top schools still award credit for highest scores - but not for all the classes. Totally varies by school but obviousy there's no way for the parent of an 8th or 9th grader to know what schools their DC may consider.

You can search here for the facts - https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies

[Anonymous]

I'm hoping my 9th grader at BCC can only take 6 classes so one period can be a study hall. And very few APs. He loves life and has an intense extracurricular out of school; I'm sure there is a great college out there for him, and that it isn't an Ivy. More likely to find it if he is well rested!

Should I start a thread on how many study halls did "just an averae kid at BCC (yes, no W!) take?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are all insane people. Literally insane. SLOW down. Enjoy life. Why push these kids?

Oh quit being so reasonable!

[Anonymous]

Participants on this post may be interested in the book "The Overachievers". Provides some interesting reporting and perspectives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm hoping my 9th grader at BCC can only take 6 classes so one period can be a study hall. And very few APs. He loves life and has an intense extracurricular out of school; I'm sure there is a great college out there for him, and that it isn't an Ivy. More likely to find it if he is well rested!

Should I start a thread on how many study halls did "just an averae kid at BCC (yes, no W!) take?

My non-W school does not even offer a study hall option..They said he could be a teachers aid..maybe that ends up being the same thing.

[Anonymous]

RMIB magnet student - a mix of IB and AP. 1, 2, 8, 5 Bulk taken in Junior year. IBs taken in junior and senior years only. Doubled up on AP exams for as many IB exams as she could. Self studied for some easy APs (for example - you can take Envio with Bio - it meshes well together).

It is not very hard to take these APs if you plan it out. Highest achieving W students are the same as the highest achieving students from any HS in MCPS. If they have more APs (I doubt it) then other MCPS high achieving students it is because they pay some professional counselors to map out a strategy of when and how to take these APs.

At the end of the day, remember that APs are only an objective type exams where you do not write essays. If your kid wants these many APs, go for it! It is hard work but it is manageable with a strategy and a plan.

Don't ask DCUM. Go to college confidential for this sort of info.