Will taking certain classes hurt my chances of admission into an Ivy-League school?

Applying to College
1

Senior year I will be taking the following courses:
German AP
Calculus BC AP
AP Statistics
U.S. Gov AP
AP Physics
AP Music Theory (not just because I want even more overwhelming APs, I play piano at a high level and have a love for music)
Advanced Studies, and Weight Training

I’m asking if Advanced Studies (a class dedicated for students with multiple AP courses to sit in the library and finish up some of the courseload they have) will seem unappealing/weak to Ivy Leagues, because it’s using up a class period to finish schoolwork.

Independent of Advanced Studies, will taking Weight Training hurt my chances? I’ve taken the exact class Sophomore year, so will Ivy-Leagues look down on having the same easy elective taken twice?

I pray it won’t matter because spending 1.5 hours working out during school would save a lot of stress from spending that time after school, along with homework and all other hobbies hahaha.
Cheers to all replies :slight_smile:

2

So “Advanced Studies” is code for “study hall”?

The Ivys, in addition to all the intangibles, want you to take the most rigorous classes your school offers, and to excel in them.

3

You have six academic classes. You are fine.

4

It’s a 1/2 year class, gives 1/2 a credit towards graduation, is an elective. But pretty much study hall. Even as ChezCurie said with 6 APs, is a study period class still a bad idea?

5

Okay, fellow CCers, let’s put @ttc100’s mind at ease–no college is going to expect this student to take seven academic classes, right?

6

In fact, I suggest dropping AP Stats and taking art, yoga, or band.

7

Correct. In fact, at my HS, 5 was the norm.

Well, AP Music Theory fills that arts niche. I’m OK with AP Stats if the OP has an interest in it. Although if s/he’s going to major in STEM, calc-based stats in college is a bit more useful. But for college admissions, the schedule is fine.

8

The reality is that no one has a good shot. But your schedule certainly has enough

9

Will having that study hall affect how your counselor marks you course choices (e.g. “most demanding” or some lesser level of rigor)?

Weight training would just be seen as a PE course, which is not rare among high school students.

Have you already taken all of the available / highest-level English courses, since there is no English course in your proposed schedule?

10

Agree with ucbalumnus, don’t you need a 4th year of English?

11

Oh right, I’m taking my 4th year of English online; maybe that’s a mistake. And having study hall will not affect the counselor’s marking, at least I highly doubt it judging who she is.

12

Given that English is a core requirement, you might want to take AP English instead of the AP Stats. I can’t see how weight training would be a negative. You’re already taking 6 APs, and it’s important to have a healthy stress relief plan in place.

13

English is by far my biggest weakness in schooling, and I’ve heard that being honest with what you can handle is more mature than trying to lie to yourself and overwhelming your courseload. I could handle these 6 classes I feel, but adding AP english in place of one of them seems like something I’d have trouble with.
With that said… do you still think it might be a better idea to swap Stats with English? If so I’m always willing to contemplate a change.
As for weight training, the only negative is that I’ve taken it before, so it’d be repeating a class, but it seems that’s not really a big deal based on the responses :^)

14

I hear you about the English, and I agree that you should set yourself up for success. I posted about it because when I visited Yale with my son last summer, the woman who spoke to us hammered it home to us that they were looking for RIGOR. Ivies are reaches for everyone. The thing is that even if you took AP English and got As, you probably still wouldn’t get in.

I’m not saying don’t apply or that you won’t get in. I’m saying that you need to realize how competitive getting into a top school is. Many 4.0 gpa, 1600 sat, lots of ECs students get rejected every year. You need to make sure you find safety and match schools that suit you (financially, academically, etc.) too.

What is it in your English coursework that is most challenging? Are the skills you need to work on going to be addressed well in the online class? Unless you go to a school with a completely open curriculum (Brown, Amherst) I don’t know how you get through avoiding heavy reading and writing expectations. I strongly suggest you have a conversation with your current English teacher and get some feedback. Talk to your guidance counselor too. I don’t think you should take an English class at a level higher than what meets your just right level to both succeed and get the teaching you need. If you need to cut back to be successful, cut Stats and kick butt on the rest. Check with your GC too though to make sure you qualify for the most rigorous status for courses taken.

15

You don’t have to take AP LAC or Comp, if there’s a college prep literature or composition class, that should be fine with your other APs. I would not take English online, that would be more of a concern having a gap or PE in your schedule, which others have said above.

16

You won’t get out of that at either one. Both require a frosh seminar course in reading and writing.

More recently Brown requires two: https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/degree/curriculum/writing-requirement

Amherst still requires one: https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/first_year_seminars

…but my STEM-ey D was advised to take a second writing intensive course by her first year seminar prof so she did.

17

I realize how close-minded I am - I’m refusing to see other options as a possibility, when in reality they may be the best choice even if I don’t want them. The issue isn’t so much I’m incapable of taking a difficult English class like AP Lit., rather it simply takes a lot more effort and time to be good in compared to any other classes, which scares me. But I’m more than capable.

I’m refusing to be open-minded about changing my schedule around, but now I see how taking out Stats in place of English may be the best option. I would definitely be overloading myself keeping all those 6 APs PLUS AP Lit, so something is gonna have to get replaced.

18

Another vote for English – either through dual enrollment or by taking an AP English class – either AP Language/Comp or AP Lit.

You don’t need both Calc BC and Stats; I’d drop Stats and take English.

19

Based on user name, @LoveTheBard is quite possibly biased toward studying english. I am an engineer, and I agree that english would probably be a better choice than stats.

20

Looks like @nordicdad’s got my number…

Objectively speaking, however, it is expected that students have four years of English. The University of California a-g subject requirements, for example, specify the following as minimal entry criteria:

History/social science (“a”) – Two years

English (“b”) – Four years of college preparatory English that integrates reading of classic and modern literature, frequent and regular writing, and practice listening and speaking.

Mathematics (“c”) –Three years of college-preparatory math, including or integrating the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry.

Laboratory science (“d”) – Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in at least two of the three disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.

Language other than English (“e”) – Two years of the same language other than English or equivalent to the second level of high school instruction.

Visual and performing arts (“f”) – One year chosen from dance, music, theater or the visual arts.

College-preparatory elective (“g”) – One year chosen from the “a-f” courses beyond those used to satisfy the requirements above, or courses that have been approved solely in the elective area.