<p>what is better… having a 4.0 (93) GPA with around 5 classes a semester or having a 3.7 (91) GPA with around 8-10 classes a semester.</p>
<p>That depends on the difficulty of the classes. If the 10 classes are greater than or equal to the 5 classes in difficulty, then the 3.7 would be better.</p>
<p>Sent from my SCH-I510 using CC App</p>
<p>Assuming you are talking about high school, it’s better to have 8-10 honors classes with a 4.0 at elite universities. </p>
<p>Given the options you gave, I’d say the 3.7 is slightly better, at least when applying to top schools. A good GPA is nearly meaningless if the strength of schedule isn’t as hard or nearly as hard as it could be. Schools like Cornell want to see that you took the hardest course load possible AND see you succeed with that course load. So if your school offers a track of 5 honors courses a semester or 8-10 courses (assuming in both cases, the classes are the hardest you could take), then you need to go for the harder schedule.</p>
<p>this is one semester :</p>
<pre><code>5 classes with 93 GPA:
</code></pre>
<p>Honors Chem
Honors Geometry
English
Global Studies II
Hebrew</p>
<p>or 10 classes with 91:</p>
<p>Bkeyus
Iyun
Halacha
Navi
Parshas Hashavua
Honors Chem
Honors Geometry
English
Global Studies II
Hebrew</p>
<pre><code> the First five are Jewish classes
</code></pre>
<p>this is the hardest classes you can take at my school.</p>
<p>The 10 classes with a 91 is a lot more impressive since you are only 2pts lower in GPA, but have twice as many classes. That said, what is probably most relevant are you grades in those two Honors courses, irrespective of overall GPA. If those Honors grades are 98 in scenario one and 88 in scenario two, then the advantage may shift back to the 5-class semester. </p>
<p>Admissions is all very tricky. I have no idea how to rate the difficulty of the Jewish classes either as that is likely school-specific. If your school sends people to top schools every year, then the admissions offices will probably have a good understanding of your strength of schedule.</p>
<p>Not sure how your school does its scale, but since an A is presumably anything 93-100, maybe it gets tricky if you’re comparing a 99 overall GPA with 5 courses to a 91 GPA with 10 courses. </p>
<p>I disagree that what these classes tell you about your intellectual curiosity matters for college. What matters is taking the hardest possible classes you can and doing well in them. People who intend to be English majors should still be taking AP Calc and AP Chem if their school has the option. </p>
<p>What is really significant is taking advantage of as many rigorous academic opportunities as possible. If your school offers only 3 APs, you better take all 3. If it offers 10, take at least 7-8, even if only 1-2 are relevant to your intended major. If your school offers 25, take as many as you can fit into your schedule.</p>
<p>My S is a senior at a yeshiva high school, as well, and he was accepted ED to Cornell this month. How could you take only five classes at your school? Your transcript would list ALL of your classes (and if it didn’t, Cornell Admissions has seen enough of the yeshiva-type transcripts that it would know something funny was going on). To answer your question, though, the full 10 class schedule is much better because just taking a dual curriculum demonstrates that you can succeed in a challenging environment. Don’t sell yourself short - I’m sure you can do as well in all 10 of your classes.</p>
<p>the list of classes was from 10th grade and those two honor classes where the only ones my school offered for every grade that year.</p>
<p>this year (12th) i am taking:</p>
<p>Bkeyus
Iyun
Halacha
Parshas Hashavua
Shacharis
AP Calculus
business and finace
General physics 101 in Touro college</p>
<p>my school offered AP economics but i opted out of it so i could take physics</p>