Hi, I am a tenth grader in high school. My freshman unweighted GPA is a 3.0, but this year, I expect a 3.5 - 4.0. Next year, I want a more challenging course load. I have been developing some study habits, but I am still trying to get used to them. I really want to go to a top school, and I know that my GPA is not good right now. Here is what I kinda want my schedule to look like:
AP English 11
Pre-AP Precalculus
AP Chemistry
US History (I hate history, so no AP)
Marching Band
Concert Band (I love band; I do not want to lose these two electives.)
AP Statistics
AP Biology
Would this be too challenging? I also want a job, but I would only work on Fridays and weekends. I understand that my taking so many APs would be VERY difficult, and it would require tons of commitment, especially since my school does the AB schedule, but could I do it, without worrying about not getting enough sleep? Should I take out AP Bio, but keep AP Statistics? Band is a huge time commitment, but it would not get too much in the way, right? Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks for reading this!
If you think you can handle this, then that’s completely fine. However, I would seriously not recommend taking 2 AP sciences in the same year unless you are SURE both classes are easy enough for you to do well in. Colleges do like to see academic rigor, but they also want to make sure a student knows how to manage a course schedule and not bite off more than they can chew.
It depends on what you want to do after college. If you want to go straight to a prestigious university, then you need to get the GPA above a 4.0, and study hard for the SAT and ACT. If you want to go to community college first, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING, then it doesn’t matter to much. Just devote 3-4 hours / day to studying, and really any courses you take aren’t to bad. Also tutors are great. Even if you are doing well in class, no reason to see tutors to review stuff that you might be a little confused on.
If I understand correctly, you are just going to be starting your sophomore year, and you are trying to plan your courses for junior year. Is that right? It’s way too early to start doing this. Concentrate on your courses this year and work on those study habits. When it comes time to actually schedule courses for next year you will have a much better idea what is realistic for you.
Something else to consider is whether your school has minimum requirements to sign up for AP courses. At my kids school, they wouldn’t allow someone with a 3.0 to sign up for APs. Work on getting that GPA up.
I think you are going into your junior year, correct? I don’t think this schedule is too rigorous, as long as you feel you can comfortably manage the work without going crazy. Some people do well with a lot of pressure, others don’t. My two cents- whatever you do, don’t drop the music electives because it is clearly something you are really passionate about, and colleges value that.
Taking AP chemistry and AP bio together is a disaster waiting to happen, especially for someone whose GPA is around 3.5 this year, up from a 3.0. Both require great time commitment and added to band virtually guarantee problems.
Drop AP stats and either AP bio and AP chemistry.
Did you reach foreign language level 4 or AP this year ? If not, that’s a core class you’re missing.
Having 2 AP 's and doing well in them will help you much more than 4 with grades below B (a likely result for such a schedule with your background).
Okay, so I ended up getting all As and one B–3.75 core GPA. I had a B in Pre-AP Chemistry I. I think I know what I want my schedule to be, and I’m starting to figure out what I want in a college. I decided to take music theory, rather than AP Biology, but I think I will skip Pre-AP Precalculus, since I have that opportunity. I’m not dumb; I just really didn’t try my freshman year, and this past year, I only scratched the surface on how well I can do in school. I know that it’s pretty late to shoot for an ivy league school, so I think I want one of my reaches to be UCLA. Hopefully, my upward grade trend will continue, and I hope to make all As this year. I know, I seem like a big dreamer, and I am, but that’s where I really want to go. Even if I don’t make it, I know I will be happy, whatever college I go to.
Do you live in California? UC’s (including UCLA) no longer provide ANY financial aid to OOS applicants - you have to be able to pay the 55K outright.
I assume by “Ivy League” you mean Top 25 LAC and University, right? That’s 50 universities from which to pick your reaches. It’s always easy to pick dream schools. Now, it’s time to do the real work: find 2 likable safeties (schools where you’re in the top 25% for stats as they are now and which are affordable according to the NPC results as shown to your parents).
Well, thank you for telling me that. That really blows, but I suppose it’s okay. I have wanted to go to Oberlin college, since it’s physics program is great! I have three safeties: University of Alabama, Auburn University (I live in Alabama), and University of Arizona.