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<p>That’s really amazing. (My son is on schedule to take the equivalent of AP BC calculus in ninth grade if he stays in state, and he is not the only one here with that schedule.) The availability of really advanced math courses at Red and Blue is one of the most attractive features those schools have to some families I know. So very few enrollees are in those schools to take full advantage of the math offerings? </p>
<p>To answer the basic question in this thread, YES, of course elite colleges consider what courses an applicant took in high school. Indeed, at the many regional information sessions I have attended in my town, college representatives almost always say that is the most important thing they look at in evaluating applicants for admission: what kind of courses did they take in high school, the more challenging the better. </p>
<p>Of course none of us know about specific cases, but in general I would feel a lot more comfortable having a child have a top 20 percent (but NOT top 5 percent) class rank at Exeter or Andover with a challenging course load, and major national EC involvement in something my child is passionate about, than having a child have a number 1 class rank at the best suburban high school in my town. The child who is taking on the most challenging environment would, I’m quite sure, fare better in college admission applications than the child who plays it safe to preserve a grade point average and class rank. </p>
<p>Good luck to your child in the admissions competition. Nothing is for sure, but doing what is challenging today is usually easily recognized by admissions officers at the top schools.</p>