Not taking APUSH and chances for W&M?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is fine- but should have taken AP US instead of AP World

I can't speak about all schools, but DD's school does not allow sophomores to take APUSH, only AP World.

Right, I think was PP was suggesting was Honors World as a sophomore and APUSH Jr year.

This varies a lot by school. At our school, APUSH is considered a freshman class. People wring their hands about it, but the advantage is that you're not taking it alongside BC Calc, AP Chem and the like junior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is fine- but should have taken AP US instead of AP World

I can't speak about all schools, but DD's school does not allow sophomores to take APUSH, only AP World.

Right, I think was PP was suggesting was Honors World as a sophomore and APUSH Jr year.

DP here. There is no “honors world” at our school. It’s the unweighted academic level class or AP World. Or you take AP Human Geo if you don’t want to take World.

[Anonymous]

I just found this thread and interested in the exact same topic. DS’s school only offers World in 9th, but only honors or regular with no AP. 10th is Modern Euro and he is taking AP. 11th grade is when they do US History and he can’t decide between APUSH and Honors.

Will be taking AP Physics, AP Calc, AP English and AP Latin next year. Intensive load, and plans another four APs senior year including AP Gov. He is very interested in natural sciences at W&M, either biology or chem, but doesn’t want to knock himself out of the running at W&M or UVA because he chose Honors rather than AP for sanity his junior year.

[Anonymous]

4.1 weighted GPA seems the cut off for W&M from our private. Doesn’t seem to me you need AP in every subject with that bar.

My kids say APUSH was easier than AP Euro

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well crap my kid is taking DE US history

It’s ok. My kid got in as a Monroe scholar with DE history. Lots of other APs and rigor. It was a good class.

+1. Monroe Scholar with DE US US History. BC Calc, APs Lang & Lit, AP Physics & Bio, plus 4-5 more.

[Anonymous]

DC was accepted this year ED1. I don't think you need to have AP in every core subject. DC had AP World and APUSH, but did not have any AP science, mostly just honors and regular physics. They did have both the AP English classes and AP Calc BC. GPA is 4.0 unweighted and did all the demonstrated interest and also submitted an arts supplement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC was accepted this year ED1. I don't think you need to have AP in every core subject. DC had AP World and APUSH, but did not have any AP science, mostly just honors and regular physics. They did have both the AP English classes and AP Calc BC. GPA is 4.0 unweighted and did all the demonstrated interest and also submitted an arts supplement.

Editing to add their school counselor told them they would not be as competitive as their peers without an AP science but that did not appear to be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter did take APUSH as a junior, but she didn't take AP CALC or even AP STATS.

I would recommend touring, doing the interview, and apply ED if it's your child's first choice. Mine also pushed herself in her ECs, doing things she didn't necessarily *want* to do, but thought it would help her and help her have a hook. Mine also did had six years of French (including the middle school classes) and took AP French -- again, she didn't want to but our counselor thought it would help her chances at W&M and help make up for the lack of highest math.

Good luck to you!

W&M does interviews? For everyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter did take APUSH as a junior, but she didn't take AP CALC or even AP STATS.

I would recommend touring, doing the interview, and apply ED if it's your child's first choice. Mine also pushed herself in her ECs, doing things she didn't necessarily *want* to do, but thought it would help her and help her have a hook. Mine also did had six years of French (including the middle school classes) and took AP French -- again, she didn't want to but our counselor thought it would help her chances at W&M and help make up for the lack of highest math.

Good luck to you!

W&M does interviews? For everyone?

Yes- these previously opened on May 1st. They are held all summer, both in person and online. Here is the page: https://admission.wm.edu/portal/interviews

[Anonymous]

Interviews are optional. The majority of applicants to not do an interview.

[Anonymous]

I’d ask the HS counselor- at some schools, choices like this change if they mark off most rigorous or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is fine- but should have taken AP US instead of AP World

Agree. APush is more rigorous than AP World.
AP Euro is very challenging tho.

This is a terrible way to decide what to study.

It’s also not universal. At our school, they are equally hard and World might be harder.

oMG of course the AP's are universal. There's not a different AP curriculum for districts or schools they are NATIONWIDE standard tests.

The tests only matter for credit purposes. It's the INSTRUCTOR that matters for grading purposes. They are all handed the College Board curriculum but many instructors teach the material differently and grade differently. Yes, the test is important but it is not that big of a deal for college admissions purposes. It's your final grade that matters.

[Anonymous]

How can a kid not take Calc in this day and age, not even pre-calc???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is fine- but should have taken AP US instead of AP World

Agree. APush is more rigorous than AP World.
AP Euro is very challenging tho.

This is a terrible way to decide what to study.

It’s also not universal. At our school, they are equally hard and World might be harder.

oMG of course the AP's are universal. There's not a different AP curriculum for districts or schools they are NATIONWIDE standard tests.

The tests only matter for credit purposes. It's the INSTRUCTOR that matters for grading purposes. They are all handed the College Board curriculum but many instructors teach the material differently and grade differently. Yes, the test is important but it is not that big of a deal for college admissions purposes. It's your final grade that matters.

This, some teachers are outrageous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter did take APUSH as a junior, but she didn't take AP CALC or even AP STATS.

I would recommend touring, doing the interview, and apply ED if it's your child's first choice. Mine also pushed herself in her ECs, doing things she didn't necessarily *want* to do, but thought it would help her and help her have a hook. Mine also did had six years of French (including the middle school classes) and took AP French -- again, she didn't want to but our counselor thought it would help her chances at W&M and help make up for the lack of highest math.

Good luck to you!

Thank you!

You are welcome! I wanted to mention, I am not sure if your child is interested in UVA- but our school counselor did tell us that UVA is a bit different than W&M because UVA wants the highest AP courses in the main subjects- math, science, english, lang/history. She told us that our daughter was inadmissible for UVA due to the no AP Calc, but W&M she had a shot. Our daughter was also told by her Regional Rep from W&M that in NOVA you are basically competing with the kids from your HS to get in. She also applied ED.

If your school counselor really said this they need to be fired. It is categorically untrue that without AP Calculus you are “inadmissible” to UVA. It’s better to have it, sure, but it is not an admissions requirement. As for W&M; until a few years ago they actually said on their admissions website that they wanted Calculus. They don’t say that anymore.

Disagree in the reading of this. The counselor is looking at OP's kid's record and saying she will not be checking off the "most rigorous" box.