Hello! I am about to enter sophomore year and have dealt with a bit of anxiety and doubt this summer because I don't know how 'competitive' the courses I've chosen would be considered when measured by Ivy League Admissions' standards.
I am taking
AP Environmental
AP Art History
AP Spanish
(having taken AP Bio and World Hist. Freshman year)
Three courses is the norm among other soon-to-be Sophomores in my school, however I am afraid that my schedule will pale in comparison because those three courses I've chosen are (I've heard) on the softer-end of APs.
I have two questions for you experienced peeps out there: What do you believe is a good number of APs to take in Sophomore year- considering my Ivy goals? Should I supplement my current schedule with more AP classes to make for a more competitive course load?
Any and all advice would be enlightening, as I am just so lost when it comes to this whole thing.
AP Bitter-Sweet Lovin':p
I'm going to be a sophmore this next year too and 3 AP classes is really rare for sophmore at my school so I think you're ok. I want to go to Harvard and I'm taking 2 this year. If I was you I would take a lot of AP classes your junior and senior year though... That's what I'm doing.
:p&**Angel**&:p
Thank you so much for replying. *sigh* That is actually very soothing. I am planning to stack on the APs come Junior year too, but with those people who take 20-something AP courses in in their high school careers roaming the streets I've become really paranoid as to how I would fair in comparisson.
AP Bitter-Sweet Lovin':p
Yup me too. I was super worried because in comparison I'm not taking a lot either. I'm trying to get used to it all this year though. We have a summer assignment for my AP Bio class and I'm just putting all my effort into it.
:p&**Angel**&:p
Oh, that's awesome, if you immerse yourself within the subject you'll have no trouble whatsoever. I think that taking it a bit easy at first is actually very wise, I didn't and nearly had a mental breakdown Freshman year. Just, like you stated, make sure to take plenty of APs in Junior and Senior year.
AP Bitter-Sweet Lovin':p
Yea. I'm actually going to be crazy and take at least 5 my senior year. It depends but I actually want to take six..... there goes my social life.
:p&**Angel**&:p
I've actually heard of many kids who take 8 AP classes Junior and Senior year, usually after the first year of taking APs apprehension flies out the window. I shall take one year at a time however.
AP Bitter-Sweet Lovin':p
Yea, I'm used to pushing myself until I can't do anymore, because my teachers usually all decide to assign papers on the same day, and I have to make everything perfect. The only really good thing about being obsessed to the point you can't go to sleep without fixing just one more thing is that my grades don't seem to suffer at all. But I don't know about AP at all. I'm used to nice gifted classes where people are smart, but usually not scary smart..
:p&**Angel**&:p
XD Well, I've been in gifted classes for a while but most of my classmates tend to be very lazy. I've yet to meet any crazy-smart students in my AP classes, which, you know, is all the better for me :p. I also obsess over the smallest of things, but I wouldn't call myself a perfectionist because I live in a state of chaos. ^-^
Good luck, don't loose TOO MUCH sleep!
AP Bitter-Sweet Lovin':p
something you both will notice is that you have been surrounded by smart people all your lives and that's how it will stay. you talk about crazy smart people and meeting them in AP classes but that doesn't happen. at least, not in my experience. you will expect to meet smarter people each year and will be suprised to realize that for the most part, people around you get dumber. by your senior year you will come to that horrible realization that you can't seem to find someone smarter than you. (that'll change in collage, especially at an ivy league).
anyway, i am a senior in highschool now and by the end of this year i will have taken a total of six AP classes because that is all that is offered at my school. if you need any help with anything, you know where to find me.
all in all, it's just another brick in the wall...
I took: AP US Hist, AP Stats, AP Chem
I am taking: AP Calc, AP English, AP Phsics
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Don't worry about how many AP classes you are taking this year. You seem to be on the right track with 3 classes, if not even going "beyond the call of duty."
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