Not taking the most advanced classes?

Applying to College
1

I’m not taking the absolute hardest classes in my high school. First of all, because of placement issues, I am taking regular Biology in freshman year; also, I’m not taking AP US History in sophomore year. If I take 2-3 classes that could be more rigorous (i.e., at a ‘regular’ level), will my college counselor write that I haven’t taken the “most demanding” classes? (I will have taken 11 AP classes by graduation, as well as the most amount of honors classes I can possibly take.) Can taking “very demanding” (i.e., not most demanding) classes put me at a (big) disadvantage against other HYPSM applicants?

Oh, and the max I can take is 13 AP classes at my HS; here’s the course schedule:

9th:
English 1 (no honors offered)
Religion (no honors offered in the entire religion department)
Bio (honors offered)
Alg. II (did not place into trig/honors)
Band (no honors)
Spanish III Honors
History (no honors offered)

Self-Studying: AP Enviro

10th:
English Honors
Religion
Chem Honors
Band
Pre-Calc Honors
AP Spanish
US History (no APUSH!)

Self-Studying: AP Bio

11th:
AP English Lang
Religion
AP Chem
AP Physics I
AP Calc AB
AP World

12th:
AP Stats
AP Physics C: E/M + Mech
AP Calc BC
Religion
AP English Lit
Advanced Conversational Spanish (Honors)

2

That’s really a question for your GC, but with 12 AP’s, I would think that should be “most demanding.”

Of course, particularly if there are applicants from your HS with a “most demanding” schedule.