AP classes? Answered
So, the public school I will be attending has around 130 students in each grade. There are no AP or IB classes offered at the High School. Will this effect my chances into prestigious colleges? How can I talk to my guidance counselor about the situation? I plan on self studying for AP tests using online resources and books. Any tips?
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6 answers
Tips:
1) Be realistic about how much you can handle. Make sure you do not burden yourself with too much material and make sure you do not take courses that you are not interested in. Also, it is a good idea to spread out the courses over your high school years as to not have too much on your plate at any given time.
2) You have to be VERY disciplined to succeed in self-studying. You will need to plan out your pacing and MUST stick to it. Once you fall behind, you could feel like you do not have enough time to catch up.
3) If the course is on Khan Academy, use it PLEASE. The ENTIRE curriculum is taught in just a few hours and incredibly clearly. Using Khan Academy and doing practice AP problems was enough to get two 5s and one 4 on the three exams I used it for. Best of all, Khan Academy is FREE.
4) You can also do dual enrollment coursework at a local community college or university. Not as impressive as AP courses for some reason but they allow you to explore topics not offered at the high school level. This is also a great way to show interest in a particular field/area of study.
Best of luck in your studies!
Typically colleges will consider the fact that you did not have AP classes offered at your school when looking over your application. However, at a prestigious school, academic rigor is one of the most important factors in your application. Self-studying for AP exams is notoriously difficult, but if you can manage it will show colleges that you are capable and driven. Another option that you may want to ask your counselor about is online AP courses. I live in a state that has a statewide online program with two free credits per year that offers more AP courses than my school alone, but I am not sure if this is the case elsewhere. Anyways I hope this is helpful. :)
Hi @jennieeee! If there are no AP or IB classes offered at your high school, you will not be penalized for being unable to take them. When you are applying to college, your counselor will send a report to each college summarizing the types of classes at your school, the opportunities available there, etc. So if AP or IB classes were not offered at your school, college admissions officers will be aware of this.
In terms of what you can do to make yourself more competitive, self-studying for AP exams is a great idea! @helpful provided some incredibly HELPFUL tips on how to study and stay disciplined :-) Dual enrollment classes at a local community college are also a great idea.
Hope that helps!
You're NOT supposed to take AP & IB classes or exams. You're just supposed to take on a rigorous course load. Sure, this can sometimes be in the form of AP/IB classes, in fact, it commonly is. However, it doesn't have to be exclusive to those two curriculums. As long as you're taking college-level classes at your school, you'll be a competitive applicant, and this will be reflected in your school report.
It will not affect your chances. Admission officers look at what was offered by the school and what was taken by the student. I would not self-study or take AP tests in your case.
I don't think it will affect.
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Thank you for your helpful tips! I'm still debating on whether if I should self-study for AP exams since I'm transitioning into high school. I will sure be talking to my counselor about dual enrollment. Thank you again.