How many classes in 11th or 12th should be AP level or how many are "too much"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest did AP everything and could handle it. That made us think it wasn't a big deal - but we were wring. Now our youngest is struggling. He is the "smart one" but he doesn't have the personality to grind every single day.

Pay attention to their personalities!

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid isn’t sure if they want to go into a stem field, how important is it to have an AP science? For example, if the student took an AP science junior year, do they really need to take one senior year or is one enough?

If a STEM field is a possibility and they are aiming for highly selective colleges, ideally for senior year they would choose AP chem, AP bio or AP physics C. I think the same applies even if the kid took AP Physics 1 as a first physics course junior year.

To add, if they already took AP chem or AP bio or AP Physics C during junior year, then I think they're good, any science elective will do for senior year, provided they have at least one course of some type in the regular subject areas of bio, chem, and physics, plus an AP of one of these.

So, AP Chem or Bio junior year checks the box, right? My kid has not taken physics and I’m not sure AP works in the schedule bc it’s 2 periods.

Yes. If they took AP Chem or AP Bio junior year, and have not taken physics yet, they can take regular physics senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how many APs are students typically taking prior to graduating high school?

my son's plan:

9th: no APs
10th: 1 AP
11th: 3 APs
12: 4 APs

Total: 8 APs

This is what my son did. It’s considered most rigorous at his private. There are prerequisites for the AP courses and dine you need to apply for (writing sample for AP lang, etc).

He has honors in others. His younger brother likely will have 4 Jr year because they bumped him a math level this year ;sophomore).

how are the honors courses different from the AP courses in your private? Are they effectively of the same level of rigor and difficulty but just not preparing a student for AP exams? What is the difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid isn’t sure if they want to go into a stem field, how important is it to have an AP science? For example, if the student took an AP science junior year, do they really need to take one senior year or is one enough?

My white unhooked kid took no AP science and got into three Ivies. A lot of colleges do not care much about AP science if you are not applying as a science major.