How Many AP Classes Should You Take?
Friday, March 25, 2022
Are you wondering what the number of AP classes you should take is? It will depend on your goals and expectations. Here you'll find the amount of AP classes needed to stand out during the college application process.
The main reason students take AP classes is to prepare for college, since Advanced Placement classes are designed to reflect college-level rigor.
But, there's another important reason why students wonder what is the right amount of AP classes to take during high school:
Impress college admissions officers when applying for college.
There are many factors that can contribute to admissions officers' decision to accept a student, and students shouldn't forget about any of them, including:
- Grades
- Behavior record
- GPA
- Extracurricular activities
- AP classes
What can I do to get into my dream college? Let's see…
What are AP classes?
These are high school courses aimed to prepare students for college-level work. They have a more accelerated approach to the traditional high school courses.
Students taking AP classes sit for a standardized test each spring to show their comprehension of the college-level subject.
Students can take AP courses in any number of different fields, including Science, Math, History, Languages, Psychology, Art, Humanities, among many others.
What’s the Right Amount of AP Classes?
High school students are aware of the fierce competition that awaits them when the time of applying for college comes. This implies they must do everything in their power to impress admissions officers.
We strongly advise high school students to start planning ahead as soon as they start their freshman year. This way, they’ll have a four-year timespan to prepare for their higher education journey and to make sure they get into their dream college.
Depending on which college you are aiming at, there will be different requirements to be accepted. Are you aiming for Ivy League colleges? You need to make sure you are making everything in your power to excel in several aspects.
One way in which students can stand out from the crowd in this extremely competitive process is through an impressive amount of AP classes and impressive grades.
Selective colleges or scholarship programs
These colleges are the most competitive, only accepting the hardest-working students with the most impressive applications.
To be on the safe side, we advise you to take 7-9 AP classes over the four years of high school, and excel at them.
State schools and other not-so-selective colleges
These schools aren't so competitive, which means there's room for students with less AP classes.
In this case, the amount of classes you take will depend on your goals.
For example, there are some colleges that accept AP classes for credit! This means you can take some classes that you want to get over with in high school so that you can focus on harder ones in college!
Avoid burnout
Do not overdo yourself!
You'll have more chances of impressing admissions officers with high grades in 6 AP classes than medium grades in 10.
Plus, you should also focus on other factors if you want to have even more chances of getting into your dream college, some of which we've mentioned before (extracurricular activities, GPA, among others).
Take as many AP courses as you can manage, don't take more than you can chew.
Do you need more information on how to succeed in high school and impress admissions officers? Click here to find more articles.
