How many AP classes is considered rigorous?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid graduated from McLean last year with 9 APs. I'm pretty sure that counted as "most rigorous". I don't think there are any APs for 9th graders and only one for 10th (AP World) though I do understand some kids request and get permission to enroll before they are technically eligible. She graduated with a 4.5 something GPA. Didn't apply to any top 20 schools but got into UVA (and is there now).

Congrats to your daughter, but I don't understand how her GPA was so high with only 9 APs. Was she at a 4.5 when she applied to college or did it go up by the end of the year? My son, who has never gotten below an A in HS, has now taken 6 APs through his junior year and his GPA is a 4.2222. APs are the only classes that give him a bump, so maybe other schools do it differently?

It was a 3.975uw/4.452w when she applied. Two A-s (one AP class and one honors class) and the rest As. Five APs by end of junior year and as the other PP noted, fcps gives a bump for honors courses as well. Sounds like your DS is in slightly better position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC took 10 at Langley and was not considered “most rigorous”.

OP here. How and when do you find out if you will be considered most rigorous?

I don’t want to ask other parents in real life because I don’t want to be that parent already thinking about this so early on.

What does it take to be top 10%? Top 5%

The parents I know are not close personal friends. They are more acquaintances so I don’t want to ask them too many questions.

Your own student should have an idea of which APs are considered most rigorous. Ask your college counselor what they are and if she is going to check the most rigorous box for your child. If she won't tell you ask the principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC took 10 at Langley and was not considered “most rigorous”.

OP here. How and when do you find out if you will be considered most rigorous?

I don’t want to ask other parents in real life because I don’t want to be that parent already thinking about this so early on.

What does it take to be top 10%? Top 5%

The parents I know are not close personal friends. They are more acquaintances so I don’t want to ask them too many questions.

Your own student should have an idea of which APs are considered most rigorous. Ask your college counselor what they are and if she is going to check the most rigorous box for your child. If she won't tell you ask the principal.

I have 3 kids in the Langley pyramid. There are always some ridiculous kids and then a lot of very high achievers in every grade. My kids fall into the latter. They are with the high group of all honors, all AAP. My kid is not taking AP in 9th but plans/wants to take as many as he is allowed next year. I personally don’t think a tenth grader needs to take most/all APs sophomore year. At the end of the day, it is his schedule. I told him I would rather that he get an A in a non AP class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would hope and think quality of APs matters more than quantity. By that, I would hope a college doesn't care if you take AP Comp Sci A (and do well) and skip AP Comp Sci Principles. Same, take the two AP Physics C classes (Calculus-based) but skip AP Physics I (algebra-based). Also, there are random APs considered relatively easy like AP Psychology which I am not sure a college respects if it seems obvious it was for an AP GPA bump and little else.

You should also do research on what a college expects for various majors. After applying to one school, my DS was poking around on the college website where for CS they expect applicants to take the highest Math available to them and the highest Physics available to them (which he had done, so not an issue for him). He didn't see something that specific at other colleges. In theory, this generally means AP Physics C and at least AP Calc BC, though they would expect higher math if the HS school offers it. One would assume the school would care more about those APs regardless of total AP quantity.

Or we could consider that not all AP courses are meant for STEM majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would hope and think quality of APs matters more than quantity. By that, I would hope a college doesn't care if you take AP Comp Sci A (and do well) and skip AP Comp Sci Principles. Same, take the two AP Physics C classes (Calculus-based) but skip AP Physics I (algebra-based). Also, there are random APs considered relatively easy like AP Psychology which I am not sure a college respects if it seems obvious it was for an AP GPA bump and little else.

You should also do research on what a college expects for various majors. After applying to one school, my DS was poking around on the college website where for CS they expect applicants to take the highest Math available to them and the highest Physics available to them (which he had done, so not an issue for him). He didn't see something that specific at other colleges. In theory, this generally means AP Physics C and at least AP Calc BC, though they would expect higher math if the HS school offers it. One would assume the school would care more about those APs regardless of total AP quantity.

Or we could consider that not all AP courses are meant for STEM majors.

Top 10 schools like to see everyone take AP Language, even the future STEM majors. At least one AP History too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is taking an AP class over the summer at a program like JHU CYY a waste of time as far as college admissions go? My understanding is that they are not included on the HS transcript.

Or, what if a student studies a course on their own and takes the AP test and passes with a 4 or 5?

Their time is better spent working at a job or doing an unusual extracurricular. Admissions offices have soured on the "strivers" who try to take all of the AP exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just about the number. It’s also about what subjects.

No... it is about your stated interests. If you are into Life Sciences, you should take AP Bio and APES. If math, then AP Physics. My kids have always focused on taking as many AP history/social science courses as possible and this has been successful for them, since they were applying for those majors. Match the courses to your "passion."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is taking an AP class over the summer at a program like JHU CYY a waste of time as far as college admissions go? My understanding is that they are not included on the HS transcript.

Or, what if a student studies a course on their own and takes the AP test and passes with a 4 or 5?

Their time is better spent working at a job or doing an unusual extracurricular. Admissions offices have soured on the "strivers" who try to take all of the AP exams.

That's good - I think my kid would rather work anyway. Just not sure how he is going to compete with all these 12+ AP courses when his school offers 0 in freshman year and only 2 or 3 sophomore year. He's only interested in one of those.

I guess kids in his school are loading up jr. and sr. years but I plan to limit him to 3, maybe 4 at the most those last 2 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public schools kids often have way more APs on their record than private school kids. It's doesn't equate to a better education or a more rigorous course load.

True. It just means they can't afford private school tuition.

What matters is what they score on the AP tests. Their grades in the class mean nothing with all the grade inflation out there. That said, my son, who attended private school, took only 5 AP classes and is at a top 20 school now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is taking an AP class over the summer at a program like JHU CYY a waste of time as far as college admissions go? My understanding is that they are not included on the HS transcript.

Or, what if a student studies a course on their own and takes the AP test and passes with a 4 or 5?

Their time is better spent working at a job or doing an unusual extracurricular. Admissions offices have soured on the "strivers" who try to take all of the AP exams.

That's good - I think my kid would rather work anyway. Just not sure how he is going to compete with all these 12+ AP courses when his school offers 0 in freshman year and only 2 or 3 sophomore year. He's only interested in one of those.

I guess kids in his school are loading up jr. and sr. years but I plan to limit him to 3, maybe 4 at the most those last 2 years.

Your kid will be measured against kids from his/her own school. The school sends a profile so the college knows the grading scale and what is offered. Don’t sweat the AP arms race folks. Doesn’t impact you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid had 14 APs and 7 post-APs and that is considered the most rigorous for this high school.

Can you list these classes? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what this schedule would have looked like over 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid had 14 APs and 7 post-APs and that is considered the most rigorous for this high school.

Can you list these classes? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what this schedule would have looked like over 4 years.

Because it’s not true unless the kid went to a school like BASIS, which allows APs in MS. And even then, I’ve never heard of stats like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will get different answers.

DC has 11 APs and 2 DEs.
I did ask DC's counselor if this qualifies for checking the most rigorous box on common app.
The counselor said yes.

So the kid has to actually check a box saying they did the most rigorous curriculum offered? I assumed it was just inferred from their transcript Gonna feel really good to my kid who is a very middle of the road kid doing "some" AP and honors but not every single one offered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will get different answers.

DC has 11 APs and 2 DEs.
I did ask DC's counselor if this qualifies for checking the most rigorous box on common app.
The counselor said yes.

So the kid has to actually check a box saying they did the most rigorous curriculum offered? I assumed it was just inferred from their transcript Gonna feel really good to my kid who is a very middle of the road kid doing "some" AP and honors but not every single one offered.

The counselor checks the box on the counselor recommendation. There are various options, with most rigorous being top.

[Anonymous]

+1