<p>My school is a very rigorous public high school. Our district is ranked number 2 in California and our high school is ranked number 9 in California.</p>
<p>11th grade
AP U.S. History
AP English
AP Calculus AB
Honors Physics
Korean 4
Journalism/Newspaper</p>
<p>Questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do you think I should change my current Junior Year to be competitive enough for Ivy League Colleges? (Assuming i get straight A-'s/A’s)
I could switch Honors Physics to AP Biology or Journalism to AP Biology.</p></li>
<li><p>Does taking Korean look very bad in terms of class rigor if I am Korean but born in America?</p></li>
<li><p>Is journalism/newspaper worth it? If I am a content editor of a section junior year and then a section editor or Editor-in-chief senior year, is that better than taking two AP classes? (Since I would be taking journalism for two years)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I know that grades aren’t the only factor in college admissions, but in terms of just class rigor is it enough as it is? or should I change it?</p>
<ol>
<li> This really depends on your particular situation. Are you a native Korean speaker, do you speak it at home? Are you learning things in Korean 4 which are beyond what you have learned out of class or are you just cruising? Have you taken another FL?</li>
</ol>
<p>Your counselor will have to rate the rigor of your course load against what’s available at your school. For a shot at any ivy, you will want the ‘most rigorous’ box checked. Always make sure you’re taking the hardest load possible at your school.</p>
<p>If you don’t need AP Bio, don’t take it. Instead do more extracurriculars. Enter some essay contexts/newspaper contests or a physics olympiad. Rigor is important, but it’s more important to excel in what you like to do.</p>
<p>I don’t give responses to questions like this. First, because I can’t guarantee it either way. And second, because I answer on the presumption that people are telling the truth. </p>
<p>There are many possible reasons why someone might take coursework in what is considered their native language: parent who spoke the language died, grammar not learned at home, parents trying to assimilate, etc.</p>