What if my school does not provide AP/IB classes?

In my opinion the smartest thing to do would be to concentrate on the exams your school already does; depending on what exams you are participating in within school, you could maybe add your previous year(s) scores to your college applications so the colleges know more about your academic background. You should also put a lot of preparation into the SAT/ACT so you can achieve a grade that give the college admissions board an idea of how much you have understood with the test you chose to take (some questions may be phrased in a different way for people in other countries to understand, so you may need to learn more about the phrasing of the questions).

If it's possible you should maybe try to see if there is any chance for you to participate in AP classes online unless it's too late for you to do so.

i guess what matters the most is that you are taking the more difficult classes that your school has, as it would give you a higher chance of getting into your dream college. As well as worrying about academics, you should really think about any extra-curricular activities that you have previously done (or still doing) since they appeal a lot more to certain colleges than academics at times.

As a person from a country where there is no way for me to participate in AP/IB/ Honors classes I understand the worry that you can feel at times. You just need to concentrate on the other things that will make your application stand out from others

I'd look into colleges that judge holistically. That means that they will look at the entirety of your situation so not taking these classes will not impact your admissions. Keep a very strong GPA for as long as you can and keep a strong list of extra-circulars. I'd also recommend that you score high on the SAT/ACTs and check into self-studying to take online AP exams and SAT subject exams. Check to see if your school offers a chance at allowing students to get Daul Credit. If it does, then do it. With dual credit, you will be taking college courses. Actual college courses. Which may be the only way that you can build a good course load. If you are a freshman and see that your school does offer it, then don't sweat about it until Sophomore year.

Self-studying for AP exams can be hard but Collegevine does offer resources. Shoot at taking easy ones first next year. Study for harder exams at the same time and consider taking them after two years of study so you can get loads of experience working at them. Here are the most relevant links here on Collegevine you will need:

https://blog.collegevine.com/guides-for-acing-your-ap-exams/

https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-register-for-ap-exams-even-if-you-didnt-take-the-class/

https://blog.collegevine.com/two-birds-one-stone-can-you-study-for-the-aps-and-sat-iis-at-the-same-time/

https://blog.collegevine.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-self-studying-ap-exams/

https://blog.collegevine.com/which-ap-exam-should-you-self-study/

When self-studying, look at reviews of AP books to determine which ones you'll need. I'd recommend looking at buying old college textbooks (which a lot of the time, people are fine giving away for free) but if you can't afford to buy textbooks and have access to a laptop and phone: look at enrolling in a college course through a site like Coursera or EdX (even auditing is a great option), watch CrashCourse on Youtube and think about looking at this website that allows downloading free e-books. It is shady but (if you're like me) it is a great resource for free scans of books. (https://b-ok.cc/)

As for extra-circulars, focus on getting leadership roles and experience. If you're a STEM major (I have a lot more experience working with STEM majors, since I will be one), look at international competitions. Even reaching the semi-finals there will look amazing on an application. Look at internships, community service, everything. Try making your own game or app, doing independent research, etc.

Please keep in mind that Collegevine is merely a chancing site. When filling out common applications, you will probably have a chance at writing about why your courseload looks bleh. But if you apply to holistic colleges, you will more than likely get accepted if you follow what I said. Holistic colleges will look at everything and if you have a great GPA, stellar ACT/ SAT scores, and a great list of extra-circulars, you will more then likely get accepted. I'd also recommend trying to graduate at the top of your class.

I agree with ray rose but yes college will see that your school doesn’t offer AP and it wouldn’t be held against you. But in that case your GPA and SAT will likely have to be slightly higher in order to compensate at holistic schools.

Also some schools such as Iowa. Iowa St, Kansas St require X gpa and Y test scores and if you meet both you have automatic admissions.