I am not sure what I want to pursue as career. I am also not able to accommodate all classes in four years. How do I go about choosing my classes. Cannot accomodate all APs
@alwaysAlearner, I moved your post here so that @Sally_Rubenstone can respond.
@alwaysAlearner -I can’t tell exactly what your situation is from your post, but it sounds like you’re a high school student who is trying to plan your high school classes but without a sense of what your future goals may be.
If that’s the case, you’re far from alone. Many high school students have no clue where they’re heading … and even those who claim they’re “certain” may ending changing direction down the road.
To plan your high school curriculum, first make sure that you are filling all of your high school’s graduation requirements. Since high school requirements are usually less stringent than college-admission requirements, this usually isn’t a big problem. But make sure that you don’t postpone requirements like arts or US history (or, in some states, the state history) until your final semester, when they might not fit well in your schedule.
If you are a strong student and suspect that you will aim for highly selective colleges, then you want to make sure you’re competitive in those applicant pools. This means taking the most rigorous academic program you think you can handle which should include 4 years of English; 4 years of math; 4 years of science (with 3 lab sciences); 3 years of history/social science; 4 (or at least 3) years of foreign language --preferably the same one.
The most selective colleges are looking for the “Heavy Hitter” AP classes like chem, physics, bio, Calculus, and also English and history. Other AP choices like Econ and Psych are worth taking if they interest you but aren’t viewed as equally rigorous by most admission folks … even when, in some high schools, they actually ARE.
But be sure that you don’t stress yourself when you make your course selections. If you have a passion such as band, ceramics, shop, culinary arts, etc. you should certainly pursue these subjects.
Although the MOST selective colleges can be snooty about academic choices and may tell students to “Follow your heart” but then reject those who pick Photography instead of Physics, the bottom line is that there are hundreds of colleges that will welcome students with a range of classes on their transcripts. There is far too much anxiety and depression among teenagers today that can be linked to unwieldy course loads in subjects that aren’t appealing.
Since you don’t know what your future holds, use the time ahead to sample a range of academic options and extracurricular ones, too. Listen to your parents and to your school counselor if they offer suggestions, but–above all–do listen to your heart <3