Many parents are confused about whether their child should take more AP courses to stand out in college admissions. The reality is, highly selective colleges want to see a rigorous course of study on a student’s transcript. But they also want to see that your child can handle this rigor with a strong GPA.
When I worked in college admissions, the way we evaluated AP courses varied.
At Caltech, we preferred students who had done well in AP Calculus over students who did not take the course (if offered at their school). But we also wanted students excelling in other AP classes, especially science courses, and getting all A’s.
At Scripps College, we looked at the whole GPA and the student’s rigor on the transcript first, then we focused on the number of AP and honors classes. We did not necessarily prefer students who had taken ALL the AP classes their school offered. In fact, when we saw a student taking too many AP classes, and not spending much time outside of the classroom with meaningful extracurricular activities, we were not as impressed.
At Colledge, I keep my admissions experience in mind when working with students on AP course selection. Let’s take a closer look at how we advised Katie to take more AP classes, and advised Garrett to take fewer.
When Katie started working with us in 9th grade, her parents were concerned about AP classes. They didn’t want her to be overwhelmed, but they also wanted to be sure Katie was challenging herself.
After reviewing her learning style and personality assessment, I knew Katie could handle more rigor each year. We created an academic spreadsheet, mapping out 4 years of high school course options, including AP’s and honors, with colleges in mind. I suggested she add AP English and AP Biology junior year, and AP Calculus AB, AP Literature, and AP Government senior year and to check with her counselor at school. Katie ended up earning A’s and B’s in all of her AP courses, finishing with an overall GPA of 4.2.
Katie, now a senior, has already been accepted to two of her top three colleges. We are exceedingly proud of her!
But sometimes it’s best not to take AP courses, especially when the student might be struggling.
Take Garrett, for example. Garrett was a good student, already heavily involved in lacrosse and had pursued meaningful service work over the summer in Costa Rica. His GPA in 9th grade was a 2.8 with one honors class in Algebra and his parents were concerned that Garrett might not be ready for the AP courses he was signed up for in the fall.
Evaluating Garrett’s cumulative GPA and his priorities with college admissions, I recommended he take fewer AP classes than planned, to increase his average. He took my advice and brought his GPA up to a 3.1 by 10th grade, and an overall GPA of 3.3 by the end of his junior year. Rather than fall behind in a course load that was too rigorous for him to handle, Garrett was able to slow down with very few AP courses, and focus on his overall success in the classroom.
Garrett has been accepted at 6 out of 9 colleges, all of which have offered scholarships. He is overjoyed with his college results and his success in the classroom!
If you are concerned about your child’s rigor, and need help with academic planning for college, come talk to us. I can help you sort out your child’s strengths and provide them with a plan for college success.
