Info: I go to a small high school in South Dakota. My class had around 90 kids and our high school has around 350. I am a junior and want to go to research university (Berkeley or Princeton or UCLA). I am the only person in my class wanting to do this. In order to be competitive with other students, I wanted to take AP Physics I, AP Calculus AB, AP Literature, and honors government classes (AP not offered). My school has never had anyone want to do this.
I took AP English Language and AP U.S. History this year and my average grade for each semester was around a 96%. I took five “honors” classes and all of my grades for very high A’s. I asked to take Macroeconomics this last semester and I was told there is a limit of two (why?).
So here’s the issue. I was told I may be able to take more than two per semester, so I want to take four. My school does not have anywhere to put me and they are also worried it’s going to be too hard. Currently, I sit in the computer teacher’s room during her prep period and then during one of her smaller classes. If I take four per semester, I will not have room in the lab.
For the last two weeks I have been going back to my counselor and she has just said “oh, I haven’t looked into it yet” and I finally said “well what classes am I signed up to take?” and she just replies “I’ll contact you over the summer when we decide what you are taking.”
What do I do? There is no reason I shouldn’t be able to take these classes. I can bring my own computer and I can also use the computers in the library if I need to.
If they don’t let you take all 3 AP classes is Dual enrollment an option? If not then it’s time to get your parents involved.
@clightfield24 have you looked into South Dakota Virtual School as an alternative? You do not need to be enrolled with them as a full time student and they offer the AP classes you desire. They do require that your home district approves your enrollment and registers you though. I’m unfamiliar with South Dakota Virtual School but in my state students can access the virtual school 12 months a year. This would allow you to take one or two courses over the summer and would also alleviate the school’s fear that this will be “too hard” for you.
Virtual school is not for everyone and you ae looking at some difficult classes to take online. However, providing you are self motivated and driven, which it appears you are, there should be no reason you cannot be successful.
If it is possible I would, in my opinion, pull a parent into the discussion at this stage. You are receiving quite a bit of pushback from the Guidance Counselor and it appears you need an adult standing with you.
I hope you’ll get to take your classes, but even if you can’t, don’t stress- colleges evaluate you in the context of your school. It seems like you have by far the hardest schedule offered at your school, so you shouldn’t worry. Even though a lot of people from competitive high schools take like 7 APs a year, you are still a competitive applicant because both you and the 7-AP student are taking the hardest classes offered at your respective schools. It’s all about context; that’s why colleges get a school report with your application.
Get your parents to lean on them if they’re good at that sort of thing and willing. It takes a lot of squeaky wheeling to get stuff like that done, because typically administration does not want to do anything that involves extra work for them.
Make it so that ignoring you is more work than giving you what you want.
If you can use your own computer, you could take the class in a random study hall or near any adult, including in the office. Taking 4 AP’s is not out of this world-impossible-bordering-on-insane, it’s doable. You could be a trailblazer for your school, and applying judiciously to colleges out of state, including west, east, and south, would give you a boost (all other things being equal). Another option would be community college if there’s one within driving distance and you can drive to it.
Now, I’m assuming your parents don’t have 240K laying around in a college fund for you, so the UC’s aren’t possible (no financial aid). Talk to them to know how much they can afford each year. Have them calculate EFC (or calculate it for them) and run NPC’s (net price calculators) together. Run NPC’s on Macalester, St Olaf, Carleton, Whitman, USC, Princeton, Emory, Davidson, Dickinson, Denison, Kenyon, Skidmore, Barnard (if you’re a girl).
Even if the UC’s aren’t possible, there are lots of great schools out West: USC, Occidental, the Claremonts (5-college consortium, with each school for a specific “student profile”), Whitman, Lewis&Clark, Reed…