Could not get into enough AP classes senior year - how bad will this affect my course rigor?
I go to a pretty competitive high school and took 7 APs from 9th-11th grade, which is a pretty good but I know people who took up to 10. For my senior year, I planned to drop my 1st period both semesters, and take 3 AP classes, 3 honors, and 2 dual enrollments. Unfortunately, I planned my schedule pretty poorly (with no Plan B and bad alternate classes) in March, and the algorithm that does our schedules didn't give me one of my AP electives. My only option after that was to ask my school for a Course Correction, and I asked to add 2 different APs, but it's very rare for a course correction to be granted and I got into neither.
My semester is pretty "easy," right now, but I feel really bad about taking only 2 APs the entire year and I think top colleges won't like to see that. And yes, I could've planned better in March, but it's really the algorithm who didn't give me my first choice elective and the school who didn't have room in those AP classes.
I'm worried colleges will think I'm doing an "easy senior year," because that's definitely how my friends see it. I don't want that to represent me, as I still work very hard and I'd work just as hard if I'd gotten into the AP classes I wanted.
How bad is that? What are my options, because I truly don't want the rigor I'm taking, and my school has no excuses: they have pretty much every AP, I'm just not in them all.
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1 answer
Truly, you're probably fine. While difficulty in classes does have some sway in college applications, it's more important that your classes follow a clear line of progression. Your schedule should indicate your personality, interests, and future plans. For example, say you wanted to be a lawyer. Taking Intro to Law classes and specialty courses revolving around the career will mean more than solely taking AP Government classes.
You can easily explain your situation in your college applications as well. The fact that you've taken so many AP classes throughout high school and handled them well should prove to colleges that you're a hard worker. It'll also prove you had a problem with the scheduling system rather than trying to take an "easy senior year." Take advantage of the section that lets you explain your GPA. The biggest effect this will have on you will be your weighted GPA.
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