I’m a senior TAing AP Calc and currently taking 5 APs (14 throughout hs). I’m aiming for T20s so I’m hoping to be seen as having a courseload that’s maximum rigor, but would that TA class have a negative impact (or significantly enough to influence admissions)? I guess one reason I’m TAing this semester is because I have varsity sport this season, which is really time-consuming so I wanted to have a freer period to work on hw and college apps. Do I need to explain that or no?
One anecdote, my kid did this and was admitted to a top school.
You have plenty of APs. Go for it. Definitely do not explain.
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Can you please explain what TA means? It is not clear what you are talking about.
Teacher assistant/aide
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Thank you. Our local high schools do not have high school students as teaching assistants so I was unfamiliar.
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Talk to your guidance counselor as they are the ones who will check off the highest rigor box for their part of your application.
At my D’s school, the GC’s were very stingy about how they assessed rigor but every schools is different.
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Will AOs assess rigor primarily based on what my counselor checks off, or will they also judge by themselves based on my transcript?
Being a TA will positively impact your application. Good luck.
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Both, especially if there are other students from your high school applying to the same university.
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Does being a TA (Teacher’s Assistant) look bad on college apps? (for ivies/T20s)
No
Whatever you do, don’t explain. Certainly not the explanation provided.
Why, pray tell, does an AP course require a TA?
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Are HS TAs just peer tutors? Mg kids were peer tutors, but that was an EC. They were responsible to holding weekly “office hours” for anyone in need of extra help.
No, my kid (already a peer tutor) is considering being a TA for their 7th period in senior year too. It’s more like an official assistant position for a particular class from what I can figure out. I can’t see why it would be a bad thing for a college app. I would have thought it would be a positive.
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Case of one.
Several years ago when I taught at a private school I had one senior as my TA in APCSA. He took the class and scored 5 in sophomore year. On his transcript the course was listed as “independent study / teaching assistant”. There was a detailed curriculum on file that outlined his duties and assessments. I also described in my rec. letter what he actually did, which included peer tutoring the four advanced students in that class (while I took care of the regular and at-risk ones), writing canonical solutions, grading (and debugging) some coding exercises, looking for and testing additional resources, etc. He applied to one T20 university (ED) for CS major and was accepted.
I think the description of TA is different at each and every high school.
My kids didn’t have time to do their homework and get caught up on their studies when they TA’d for teachers.
They were submitting Scantron’s for completed quizzes into the machine. They collated workbooks. They ran messages to the department offices. They tutored students who had been out with illness.
There was an honor code meeting where all of that quarters’ TA students had to attend. It was strict.
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I forgot to add that the TAing helped those teachers write up my kids letters of recommendations. The teachers got to know our kids on a “adult “level.
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I can’t imagine any college will view being a TA as a negative. In fact, when I read the OP, I was confused as to why @chocolatecherrymint thought it could be problematic. Being asked to TA is a very good thing. It means you were either chosen or asked to fill that role. There is no reason to explain.
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When my son was applying four years ago, it seemed like some people had TA positions that were mostly a glorified study hall (not his school but others).
So he made sure to specify that his TA duties were to hold review sessions, make practice tests for students, and conduct peer tutoring.
So I think it varies and it’s best to specify responsibilities.
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Given you’re taking 5 APs, you have plenty of rigor. I don’t think being a TA will negatively impact you as far as college admissions.
That may be the case for some. Still, a student is seeking the position and they probably have to go through an approval process. In this student’s case, there is clear rigor.
This could also be listed as an activity on Common App. The student can use that section to explain their duties.
I agree with others that being a TA will be a positive.
I think that it is actually positive two ways. One is that by itself it is a good thing. It shows that the teacher knows you and respects both your academic ability and your ability to get along with and help others (do not underestimate the value of this second part). The other thing is that it will help your teachers to get to know you better, which should help with letters of reference, which are also quite important.
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