Do most take both AP Lang and AP Lit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some on this forum may not consider UVA a “top college” but my kid got in and took AP lang in 11th and DE English in 12th, as did many of her UVA-bound classmates.

+1. My student, NOVA public with 4.5 and 1560, 9 AP and 4 DE engineering applicant was waitlisted at UVA. Took HONORS English in 11th and 12th over Lang and Lit.

If you are coming out of NOVA you need a double digit AP count to be truly competitive. Sure some will get in with less but double digit AP count is the new norm.

By my count, if student took Lang and Lit that would be double digits.

Double digits means 10+

10 AP’s after Senior year? My kid’s school limits sophomores to 1 AP. Freshman cannot take any. Juniors and Seniors can take as many as they want, but with other requirements 10 AP’s is challenging to hit. But it can be done as long as Seniors take 5 AP’s

Some AP courses are only 1 semester (at least at our school), so for example, you can take AP macro and micro in one year, and that is two courses and two tests in the Spring, same with Physics C there are two one semester courses with two tests in the Spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is what a NOVA student should take, at a minimum, to be competitive when applying to top 50 colleges:

AP Lang
AP Lit
AP Calc (flavor depends on STEM vs Non-Stem
AP Stat
AP Chem
AP Physics
AP Bio
AP Comp Gov
AP US History
AP World History
4 years of the same language

Need 3 lab sciences so substitutions can be made there, and obviously more are available at most schools.

Add an AP foreign language. STEM students don’t need an AP in every lab science, but should take the one that most relates to their intended major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids took both, if you can't... not sure you're qualified for a top school. Neither was particularly hard.

NP here. It's not always that a student "can't" do the work.

It's that if a senior is taking, for example, AP MV Calc + another post-AP math + AP Physics C /AP Chem block class + AP in their FL + a sport + an EC or 2, + volunteer work, how much does AP Lit really matter if the kid is not interested?

I don't think I've ever seen a college that does not state in the common data set that they require applicants to have taken 4 years of high school English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what a NOVA student should take, at a minimum, to be competitive when applying to top 50 colleges:

AP Lang
AP Lit
AP Calc (flavor depends on STEM vs Non-Stem
AP Stat
AP Chem
AP Physics
AP Bio
AP Comp Gov
AP US History
AP World History
4 years of the same language

Need 3 lab sciences so substitutions can be made there, and obviously more are available at most schools.

As Taylor Swift would say, “You need to calm down”. This to me seems like overkill for T50, maybe like top 25.

+1. I have a feeling that AOs would laugh at this level of striving.

Sure, students are considered within the context of their high school, but it is not a race for the most APs, with the exception being quartile ranking by weighted GPA, which will be higher with a higher proportion of weighted courses (which is not the same question as straight-up number of APs).

Sure, they are looking for advanced courses in most core subjects. There are 5 core subjects, not 10. For a student at a well-resourced school, 6-8 APs is enough. For example, no student is getting denied for only taking APUSH without also World and Gov. No one needs AP stats for admission to a top school.

And to answer OP, no, I do not believe anyone needs both Lit and Lang. Pick one.

The only exception to the above is gaming the weighted GPA for rank. While most high schools don't rank individuals anymore, most do rank by decile or quartile and publish that in the high school's School Profile, frequently by weighted GPA. Consider what is necessary to place highly in the class by weighted GPA for your specific high school's weighting system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids took both, if you can't... not sure you're qualified for a top school. Neither was particularly hard.

NP here. It's not always that a student "can't" do the work.

It's that if a senior is taking, for example, AP MV Calc + another post-AP math + AP Physics C /AP Chem block class + AP in their FL + a sport + an EC or 2, + volunteer work, how much does AP Lit really matter if the kid is not interested?

Math, Science, English, History, and Language are called core subjects for a reason. You don't specialize until college and are expected to be well rounded in the all of the core subjects in high school.

That depends. Mine took

AP World
APUSH
AP Comp Gov
AP US Gov
AP HUG
AP European
AP Lang
AP Lit
AP French
AP Latin
AP Micro
AP Macro

But only three years of lab science (2HN, standard physics) and took standard math instead of honors in A2, Pre-Calc, and non-honors physics.

Act 36 verbal and 33 STEM

Went big in areas of strength and interest and ramped down in STEM starting junior year. Humanities major at at T40 college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids took both, if you can't... not sure you're qualified for a top school. Neither was particularly hard.

NP here. It's not always that a student "can't" do the work.

It's that if a senior is taking, for example, AP MV Calc + another post-AP math + AP Physics C /AP Chem block class + AP in their FL + a sport + an EC or 2, + volunteer work, how much does AP Lit really matter if the kid is not interested?

Math, Science, English, History, and Language are called core subjects for a reason. You don't specialize until college and are expected to be well rounded in the all of the core subjects in high school.

That depends. Mine took

AP World
APUSH
AP Comp Gov
AP US Gov
AP HUG
AP European
AP Lang
AP Lit
AP French
AP Latin
AP Micro
AP Macro

But only three years of lab science (2HN, standard physics) and took standard math instead of honors in A2, Pre-Calc, and non-honors physics.

Act 36 verbal and 33 STEM

Went big in areas of strength and interest and ramped down in STEM starting junior year. Humanities major at at T40 college.

Should say non-AP Calc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids took both, if you can't... not sure you're qualified for a top school. Neither was particularly hard.

NP here. It's not always that a student "can't" do the work.

It's that if a senior is taking, for example, AP MV Calc + another post-AP math + AP Physics C /AP Chem block class + AP in their FL + a sport + an EC or 2, + volunteer work, how much does AP Lit really matter if the kid is not interested?

Math, Science, English, History, and Language are called core subjects for a reason. You don't specialize until college and are expected to be well rounded in the all of the core subjects in high school.

That depends. Mine took

AP World
APUSH
AP Comp Gov
AP US Gov
AP HUG
AP European
AP Lang
AP Lit
AP French
AP Latin
AP Micro
AP Macro

But only three years of lab science (2HN, standard physics) and took standard math instead of honors in A2, Pre-Calc, and non-honors physics.

Act 36 verbal and 33 STEM

Went big in areas of strength and interest and ramped down in STEM starting junior year. Humanities major at at T40 college.

Also have a kid at a T40. Took:
AP calc BC
AP Physics C
AP Physics 1
APUSH
AP Latin
AP Macro

And a bunch of honors courses. No DE. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what a NOVA student should take, at a minimum, to be competitive when applying to top 50 colleges:

AP Lang
AP Lit
AP Calc (flavor depends on STEM vs Non-Stem
AP Stat
AP Chem
AP Physics
AP Bio
AP Comp Gov
AP US History
AP World History
4 years of the same language

Need 3 lab sciences so substitutions can be made there, and obviously more are available at most schools.

As Taylor Swift would say, “You need to calm down”. This to me seems like overkill for T50, maybe like top 25.

+1. I have a feeling that AOs would laugh at this level of striving.

Sure, students are considered within the context of their high school, but it is not a race for the most APs, with the exception being quartile ranking by weighted GPA, which will be higher with a higher proportion of weighted courses (which is not the same question as straight-up number of APs).

Sure, they are looking for advanced courses in most core subjects. There are 5 core subjects, not 10. For a student at a well-resourced school, 6-8 APs is enough. For example, no student is getting denied for only taking APUSH without also World and Gov. No one needs AP stats for admission to a top school.

And to answer OP, no, I do not believe anyone needs both Lit and Lang. Pick one.

The only exception to the above is gaming the weighted GPA for rank. While most high schools don't rank individuals anymore, most do rank by decile or quartile and publish that in the high school's School Profile, frequently by weighted GPA. Consider what is necessary to place highly in the class by weighted GPA for your specific high school's weighting system.

That’s all fine and nice, but the schools themselves say they judge students by rigor. Are you implying they don’t actually mean it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids took both, if you can't... not sure you're qualified for a top school. Neither was particularly hard.

NP here. It's not always that a student "can't" do the work.

It's that if a senior is taking, for example, AP MV Calc + another post-AP math + AP Physics C /AP Chem block class + AP in their FL + a sport + an EC or 2, + volunteer work, how much does AP Lit really matter if the kid is not interested?

I don't think I've ever seen a college that does not state in the common data set that they require applicants to have taken 4 years of high school English.

Huh? 4 years of HS English can be accomplished without AP Lit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what a NOVA student should take, at a minimum, to be competitive when applying to top 50 colleges:

AP Lang
AP Lit
AP Calc (flavor depends on STEM vs Non-Stem
AP Stat
AP Chem
AP Physics
AP Bio
AP Comp Gov
AP US History
AP World History
4 years of the same language

Need 3 lab sciences so substitutions can be made there, and obviously more are available at most schools.

As Taylor Swift would say, “You need to calm down”. This to me seems like overkill for T50, maybe like top 25.

+1. I have a feeling that AOs would laugh at this level of striving.

Sure, students are considered within the context of their high school, but it is not a race for the most APs, with the exception being quartile ranking by weighted GPA, which will be higher with a higher proportion of weighted courses (which is not the same question as straight-up number of APs).

Sure, they are looking for advanced courses in most core subjects. There are 5 core subjects, not 10. For a student at a well-resourced school, 6-8 APs is enough. For example, no student is getting denied for only taking APUSH without also World and Gov. No one needs AP stats for admission to a top school.

And to answer OP, no, I do not believe anyone needs both Lit and Lang. Pick one.

The only exception to the above is gaming the weighted GPA for rank. While most high schools don't rank individuals anymore, most do rank by decile or quartile and publish that in the high school's School Profile, frequently by weighted GPA. Consider what is necessary to place highly in the class by weighted GPA for your specific high school's weighting system.

That’s all fine and nice, but the schools themselves say they judge students by rigor. Are you implying they don’t actually mean it?

No. Just that the necessary level of rigor tops out before having both AP Lang and Lit, or 10 APs. Level of rigor is not about a race to having the most APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what a NOVA student should take, at a minimum, to be competitive when applying to top 50 colleges:

AP Lang
AP Lit
AP Calc (flavor depends on STEM vs Non-Stem
AP Stat
AP Chem
AP Physics
AP Bio
AP Comp Gov
AP US History
AP World History
4 years of the same language

Need 3 lab sciences so substitutions can be made there, and obviously more are available at most schools.

As Taylor Swift would say, “You need to calm down”. This to me seems like overkill for T50, maybe like top 25.

+1. I have a feeling that AOs would laugh at this level of striving.

Sure, students are considered within the context of their high school, but it is not a race for the most APs, with the exception being quartile ranking by weighted GPA, which will be higher with a higher proportion of weighted courses (which is not the same question as straight-up number of APs).

Sure, they are looking for advanced courses in most core subjects. There are 5 core subjects, not 10. For a student at a well-resourced school, 6-8 APs is enough. For example, no student is getting denied for only taking APUSH without also World and Gov. No one needs AP stats for admission to a top school.

And to answer OP, no, I do not believe anyone needs both Lit and Lang. Pick one.

The only exception to the above is gaming the weighted GPA for rank. While most high schools don't rank individuals anymore, most do rank by decile or quartile and publish that in the high school's School Profile, frequently by weighted GPA. Consider what is necessary to place highly in the class by weighted GPA for your specific high school's weighting system.

That’s all fine and nice, but the schools themselves say they judge students by rigor. Are you implying they don’t actually mean it?

No. Just that the necessary level of rigor tops out before having both AP Lang and Lit, or 10 APs. Level of rigor is not about a race to having the most APs.

+1. It's aspirational to have 10+ APs in STEM and English, but it's not necessary.

My non-STEM FCPS Asian DS got into his T25 in 2022, with APs in Calc AB, Stats, Psych, US Hist, US Gov, Macro/Micro and Environmental Science, 1460 SAT, 4.3 WGPA by end of high school. No DE. 4 years of foreign language, English was 3 years honors, and even 1 year at non-honors level.

Would a better profile help get a "better" result? We'll find out with younger DS this year, who has same AP courses as his brother and 4 years of foreign language, but with 4.3 WGPA at end of junior year, 1500 SAT, and additional APs in World History, Lang, African American Studies by end of senior year. He was honors in everything else.

[Anonymous]

The question is if “most” take both APs. I assume “most” US students do not take either. Now, “most” children of DCUM parents is a different story.

[Anonymous]

Level of rigor is not about a race to having the most APs.

+1. How many times have we seen people post their kid who took 15 APs and was "shut out" at top schools. There is no formula.

[Anonymous]

My kid at an ivy took AP lang and Honors English 12. She said it was a common path at her HS. AP lit was known as a huge time suck. She has a tech magor YMMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS and most kids in his circle took Lang in 11th and Lit in 12th - it's the most common pathway for good students at his large public high school. He thought Lang was very easy and got a 5, but struggled so much with the open-ended nature of Lit that he decided not to take the exam... and he knew his chosen major at the colleges that had accepted him wouldn't give him credit for a top score on that exam, anyway. However the benefit was noting on his college applications in the fall of senior year, that he was taking AP Lit.

DS has high-functioning autism, and even though his verbal cognitive skills are sky-high, he can be mentally rigid. I wonder if that played into his struggle with parsing literary texts in AP Lit? Other kids in his circle didn't seem to find such a contrast in the level of difficulty between the two classes, and did well in both.

My son had the exact same experience / thoughts.