Is my Coursework Sufficient?Answered
Hi!
My name is Nina. I am a Junior in high school. College is becoming more and more real, and so are my nerves. Throughout my Freshman and Sophomore year I took several honors and advanced courses. However, during sophomore year I had to drop AP US History because I was struggling with undiagnosed ADD and had not yet developed proper time management skills. This year, I received my credit for American Government through a summer CCP class. I will be taking two AP courses along with an advanced math class, CCP geo, a CCP econ elective, two art electives total, and Spanish 4. However, I have two studyhalls in one semester because I received my government credit already.
I am afraid that my coursework will not appear to be rigorous enough to admissions officers because of my two studyhalls. Should I enroll in another AP class? The reason I haven’t is because the only other option would be to try and take APUSH again and I am afraid that it would cost my mental health, but I do not want to look lazy on my transcript. (I will be taking another AP class only offered senior year, but that’s all).
I have a good few extracurriculars that I excel in as well, but I am afraid it won’t matter if my coursework seems lacking.
I do not want to attend an Ivy League, but I want to try to attend a school that is at least moderately selective. I’ve looked at schools like Lehigh and Clark, and schools with 40-55% acceptance rates in general. Do you think this is achievable, or should I add more courses to my schedule?
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1 answer
I'm no admission officer, so take this with a grain of salt.
You don't need a full roster of AP classes to have good 'course rigor', especially if your school doesn't offer very many AP classes. Colleges like to see that you're smart, rigorous, and capable but they also love to see your personality shine through. Two study halls can look 'not rigorous' but you have other options besides AP. I'd definitely suggest looking at foreign languages if your not taking any already, art or music classes, or any business or tech classes your school may offer. It may not be as impressive as APUSH, but they show personality and it's definitely more impressive than a study hall. If you can take one of those classes that relate to your extracurriculars, even better!
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Have you been since diagnosed with ADD? Because that can be a good topic for a college essay. Frankly, I'd say don't take APUSH. If you can't sign up for a different class, try maybe taking a course online if you want to bump up the rigor a little. Try an online certification program, I'd say if you want to add more courses. I think you have a good chance of getting into a moderately selective school.