Is only having 5-6 APs Okay?

Answered

To synthesize the other answers here, you should take as many APs as possible based on your circumstances. If you school only offers 6 APs and you take all 6, then colleges will see that you maximized your course rigor and you will be a competitive applicant. To get even more of a boost, you can take a few DE classes to show that you are willing to go above and beyond to enhance your learning. Note that colleges value AP classes more than DE, since DE classes are not standardized on a national level. Hope this helps!

At the end of the day what I think really matters is your class rigor compared to what's available to you. If this is as much as you can do due to your school or state, then its perfectly fine. Im heading into senior year with only 5 and taking 3 next year but my school has greatly reduced the number of AP classes available to us in the past few years. I think a college class is honestly just as good and probably has a higher chance of being transferred over anyway lol.

Hey!

I don't think you should worry too much about how many AP classes you're taking. Yeah, it looks nice on your college resume and is good for your GPA but, it's all about the learning experience. As someone who's taken 9 AP classes (including 5 last year), I can tell you that it is not all it's cracked up to be. Not necessarily that the classes are difficult but, they are a lot of work and attention, and I found that I barely had time for much else. Next year (senior year for me) I'm only going to be taking 2 AP classes and 2 dual credit. Dual credit is good because it is literally a college course and will be counted, whereas not all AP classes are accepted even if you get a 5 (Yale hopeful here- only 2 of my credits will be accepted.) Either way, it just depends on how you feel and what you aim to learn. Colleges are not necessarily looking for APs so much as some rigorous class work and proof of a life outside of school. I found it hard to participate in my extracurriculars and community service last year, but it's up to you. You may want to look at the stats of some of the schools you want to get in if you still feel unsure.

I'm sure you'll do great, good luck!

It greatly depends on what schools you're applying to and how competitive they are. The average student takes around 8 APs, but taking fewer than 8 won't necessarily be looked down on, especially if the rest of your application makes up for it.

Students applying to less selective schools or state schools are recommended to take 1-5 APs, so if that is your bracket then you shouldn't need to worry too much. For honour programs, scholarships, or more selective schools, you might need to ensure your application stands out in other areas like sports. Having taken college courses may be more impressive than APs to a university, so you could still be a decent applicant in this bracket depending on the grades and the university. On the other hand, for highly selective schools like Ivies, you may need a seriously outstanding extracurricular profile.

I have heard that taking at least 5 APs is practically a requirement at highly selective schools, but I am not sure how true this is. Either way, if you are planning to apply to a highly selective school, you might need to look into taking even more college classes or adding a few APs if you still have time.

Hope your applications go well!