Is a B in an honors course preferable to an A in a regular course?Answered
I am an incoming sophomore at a private high school in Minnesota. This year, I have taken the hardest possible courses (Honors: English, Algebra II, AP: AP Human Geography). I am earning all As except for Honors Algebra II, in which I had a B+ first semester and will likely get an A- second semester. This course is a year above the average for my grade (ninth graders are supposed to take Geometry/Honors Geometry, but I did two years of math in one in fifth grade). I am debating whether or not to take Honors or regular Precalculus next year. I will already be taking (in terms of my most difficult courses) AP US History (which is supposedly one of the hardest APs?), Honors English 10, Honors Biology, Biomedical Science, and spending a month in a french-speaking summer camp to skip up to French IV. Would a B+ or so in Honors Precalc be preferable to an A in regular Precalc?
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3 answers
If you think you can hack the course, go for it. It looks a lot better on your transcript and will count toward your weighted GPA.
Here is a general rule of thumb: if you think you can get an 85 percent or higher in the harder class, take it. Colleges want to see you challenging yourself.
It also depends on what major or career path you are striving for. If it has to do with math, I would suggest taking the harder class. If it doesn't, it won't matter as much. (Although everything matters)
The other two answers are spot on. Colleges want to see you challenging yourself and taking the hardest courses available to you. Considering you're already taking difficult courses (and skipped some math) it's going to look better to stick with the honors math than drop down. Of course, this only applies if you think you can get a good grade! Don't take a harder course if you're going to be overwhelmed with all your other work and could have your grades suffer. I don't think many schools would consider a B a bad grade so you'll be fine
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