Essentiality of a Rigorous Course Load

Applying to College
1

I’m a senior here in the sunny state of (northern) California where I attend a rather academically-oriented public high school. I am, like many others, in the process of applying to colleges across the nation, if not the globe. While I did get good grades, I do not feel that I took a rigorous-enough course load to get me into some of the schools that I would like to, and am curious to hear the opinion of others on how course load is valued against GPA.

Grades/Scores:
I’ve been a straight A student throughout high school and have solid test scores (2210: CR 790, W 720, M 700) but I have a major weakness – a lack of a heavy course load. My school does not allow freshman (4.0) to take weighted courses. My sophomore year (4.33) I took two weighted: AP Euro and Honors Chem. Junior year (4.33) – now here is where I really mess up – I took two weighted as well: APUSH and APES. My senior year (4.5), I took three: Honors French, AP Comp Gov, and AP Biology. I’ve continued to get straight A’s so my cumulative unweighted is a 4.0 and weighted a 4.29.

Extracurrics/Volunteering:
I am a drama club officer, the improv team captain, the president of woodshop, the president of an environmental club that started a school garden and introduced composting to the school, and an actor/writer who’s participated in numerous shows as a lead. I volunteered with a school-affiliated tech mentorship at local elementary schools for a year, CSF for my freshman and sophomore years, and NHS for my junior and senior years.

Work:
I’ve worked as a soccer ref for six years now, and in my league I’ve been awarded the Youth Referee of the Year Award. I also coach for a local year-round child development indoor soccer camp. Finally, I private tutor a freshman at a nearby school in all subjects except for Spanish because I’m a French student :)>- .

Etc.:
I’m very cool with the teachers who wrote my rec letters so I have faith in them, and I think that my essays convey my voice. I am applying as a humanities major, and many of my top schools are liberal arts colleges because I am seeking a “well-rounded” education filled with math and sciences as well.

I’m super anxious that my mediocre course load will prevent me from getting into my schools!!! How much of a hindrance will this be for schools such as Brown University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Boston College, Bowdoin College, Bates College, and Haverford College? Thank you guys, this has been driving me nuts for MONTHS.

2

UCB/UCLA and USC all show on their common dataset that HS course rigor is very important. Your course rigor in comparison with your fellow classmates will be an important part of your application review.

Here is the CDS for USC and check section C7: http://oir.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CDS-2015-2016.pdf

3

Rigor is judged relative to what your school offers. Were there a lot of higher level classes in your various academic subjects that you could have taken instead of what you did? Otherwise, don’t worry about it. But almost all the schools on your list are reaches for anyone so you still need matches and safeties.

4

The opinion that matters most is that of your guidance counselor. Top tier schools generally want the guidance counselor to check the box off which states that you have taken the most rigorous schedule available at your HS. You should talk to your guidance counselor to see if he/she feels you schedule is sufficiently rigorous to allow him/her to check that box off.

5

I think it depends on whether your school had more rigorous classes and you didn’t take them or whether your school did not have more rigorous classes. If your school has Naviance you can take a look at it and see what the history is at your preferred schools for people with the same weighted GPA.

Regardless of what I wrote above almost all the schools on your list are considered reach schools for every single student. You need to find some safety schools that you like. Safety schools are schools that you like, can afford, and are guaranteed admission. Those are the most important schools on your list because many students get rejected from all their reach schools and admitted to their safeties. Make sure you have safeties that you like.