Is 4 APs too much?Answered
Hello!
I am currently a sophomore in high school and am planning to take AP Calc BC, APUSH, AP Lang, and AP Chem next year along with marching band, Spanish 3, and band. So far I haven't had a grade lower than 94% in my honors English, honors history, honors pre-calc, or honors chem class. Do you think it is possible for me to take these APs and only get 1 or 2 B's? My school doesn't offer AP classes to freshmen or juniors but I have taken AP psych, AP CSP, and AP ES outside of school and gotten an A in all of those classes.
Thank you!
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2 answers
I definitely think it's possible! I am a junior in precalc H, APUSH, AP Lang, and AP Physics 1. I would have said Calc BC might be too rigorous for you, but seeing as you're doing great in precalc H, a common prerequisite for it, you might be ready! Just make sure you consult your teacher or counselor and look at the AP curriculum on CollegeBoard, possibly take an introductory course over the summer, it will help. Same thing for AP Chem, I am not planning on taking it but I have senior friends struggling in that subject, you seem about as prepared as you can be though. Generally, you seem to be doing well in classes you take before these APs. Lang and APUSH aren't as hard, depends more on how strict your teacher is. Went from an A last year in APUSH 1 to a B bordering on C this year in 2.
Your GPA I'm guessing is fantastic and some harder classes will make you stand out more to any tougher schools you may apply to in the future. It is commonly believed these days that more AP/honors classes with a 3.7-3.8 GPA is preferable to more regular/accelerated classes with a 3.9-4.0 GPA. I'm in all honors/APs and my 3.9 GPA is sinking post-virtual school but I would rather it drop a little and maintain the strength of my coursework. Good luck!
Hello!
I'm currently a Junior in high school, and I'm taking AP Calc BC, APUSH, AP Lang, AP Euro, and AP Physics and, I took AP Chem last year. Taking that many AP classes AND marching band would be difficult so you should think about what your doing now and if it is truly realistic to do those things next year. AP chem requires you to quickly understand basic Chemistry already and moves very fast-paced. It will probably not assign much work, but you'll want to do the suggested work if you expect to keep up.
I think APUSH and AP Lang are quite manageable. Many notes in APUSH may take up a bit of time but, if you have a schedule you should be fine. AP Lang wasn't too much homework but requires reading and timed essay writing so be prepared.
Calc BC is a bit of a struggle for me, I've averaged a B so far with a lot of effort. Hopefully, you've taken Pre-Cal, if so having a high A (95+) is ideal before Calc BC because it is tested right away. I wish I would've taken AP AB Calc because I feel very overwhelmed with the work we are doing and missing even one day requires a lot of catching up. AP Stats was also an option for me and it seems much easier to do, however, I hear there is more homework.
That is simply my advice and I won't discourage you from doing something if you think you can do it. You may want to look at the course breakdown and exam scores on College Board if you want more information. Good Luck! I hope you do well in your classes whatever you choose.
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