I am a junior choosing my classes for next year. I want to take a class called engineering preperation. but It has bad GPA points (the class is on a 3.0 scale) or I can take environmental Science (IB / AP) which at my school will be on a 6.0 scale. The reason the scale matters is because I want to attend Texas A&M and with their new Holistic review for engineering majors I don’t know if I should take the extra AP class to improve my class rank. Right now I am barely sitting at the top 25% and i have an ACT score of 30. If I take Engineering prep and make an A+, my class rank should stay the same (or drop), but if I take environmental Science and make a B- my class rank is guaranteed to rise up to at least top 18% (Becuase this year most of the kids in my school dropped out of AP). I like both equally. Here are my classes
AP Calc AB
AP Chemistry 2
AP English Literature
AP US Government / R Color Guard
IB Computer Science 2
IB Film 4
H Academic Decathlon / AP Economics
Environmental Science (6.0) / Engineering Prep(3.0)
You do not have to take AP to get into a college, but you should strive to take some to get into top colleges.
Agreed. You do not have to take AP’s for college, but colleges want you to challenge yourself. A class that’s weighted on a 3.0 scale sounds to be about a half-step above a shop class (not that’s there’s anything wrong with shop. 
) With rank a consideration, I’d take the class that will better help your rank.
You don’t have to take APES, but considering you other choices it seems preferable.
And reason why you don’t have a foreign language on that schedule ?
Also, can you take AP English language and composition before AP lit ? It’s usually recommended and as a junior probably more useful to take.
I Get that its not required directly, but is a good class rank pretty much a requirement? Does the course load i presently have look challenging enough? Would it look better to have the extra AP? Or does it not make a notable difference.
@MYOS1634 I finished AP Spanish and English lang this year. and this is for my senior year.
In Texas, it ALL rests on class rank first, and curriculum rigor next (so, both for class rank and separately!)
Any other class you could take beside APES and Engineering 3.0scale?
AP Lang and Spanish: Ok so you’re good with those two
@MYOS1634 Their are, but i really want a seventh science credit graduating so I’d prefer to take another science. And i’ve already done most of the AP sciences at my school. ):
AP makes you look good to colleges. Your schedule seems totally doable, and you should definitely go for the classes that are weighted heavier.
Then you should takes APES, because if your goal is TAMU and you’re a Texas resident, you have to play by Texas’ rules.
Exception: if you don’t want hem to count your first quarter senior standing and just stick to Junior standing for class rank.