I've taken a mix of honors and AP classes during my time in high school. Do colleges see these as equivalent in terms of rigor, or do they prefer AP classes? Just want to make sure my schedule is competitive for admissions.
Hello there! It's great to see students striving to make their schedules as robust as possible. AP classes are typically viewed by colleges as more rigorous than honors classes because they are standardized at a national level and culminate in exams that can earn you college credit.
While honors courses are certainly challenging and valuable, they can vary more by school in terms of content and difficulty. That said, a mix of honors and AP courses can still be very competitive, especially if the AP courses align with your academic interests or intended major.
Most importantly, colleges want to see that you've challenged yourself relative to what your school offers. So, if your school offers a plethora of AP classes and you've only taken a few, that might not seem as rigorous as someone who has taken most of the AP classes available to them. Keep aiming high and make sure to excel in whichever advanced classes you take!
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