Better to get an A in less demanding classes for elite college admissions?

I couldn’t agree with @JanieWalker more. My kid taking AB as a freshman rather than BC was the best decision ever. We fit nicely into the circumstances described by @Happytimes2001–my kid was a beneficiary/victim of early access and overly pushy parents :), but when push came to shove, we knew when to back off, and for our kid, slowing down the express train was the right move.