With the start of a new school year and the last day to drop/add classes looming, I have been flooded with questions about the importance of certain Advanced Placement classes. We know that rigor in the curriculum and performance in core academic classes carry the most weight in admissions decisions. This is true for schools with and without holistic admissions approaches. Rigor is demonstrated by taking as many core academic classes as possible in the four years of high school and by taking advanced classes such as Honors, AP, IB and, dual-enrollment college classes.
Advanced Placement is the most popular of these advanced classes for several reasons. Unlike dual enrollment, the curriculum is set at a national level and can be reviewed and evaluated by colleges. They are also more prevalent in high school offerings than is the prestigious International Baccalaureate Program. However, when it comes to selecting AP classes, not all are created equal. Many on “both sides of the desk” feel that some APs are “softer.” Usually mentioned in this list are Human Geography, Statistics, Environmental Science, Studio Art, and Psychology. Sometimes mentioned are English Composition, Seminar, and Spanish Literature. This does not mean that a student shouldn’t choose to take any of those. It means that their relevance on a transcript is dependent on a student’s intended field of study in college. Calculus is preferable to Statistics for most STEM and Business majors at highly selective schools, but Stats is a solid choice for others. AP Biology is the right choice for a pre-med student but taking AP Environmental Science demonstrates a deep interest if the student intends to be an Ecologist. In addition to intended majors, one should consider their academic strengths when picking an AP class. Statistics, for instance, is usually easier for students who process language well; strong reading skills often help. Calculus BC is the same as AB but with an additional two or three topics. Pre-Calculus is the prerequisite for both, so the choice would likely depend on how fast you absorb new math concepts and if your school allows you to “skip” AB.
Another thing to keep in mind is that every college has its own list of AP tests and minimum scores for which they will give credit. It might be worth investigating the AP policies of schools on your list before you decide to add/drop an AP class. Additionally, many schools and especially the UCs like to see that students who took an AP class followed through and sat for the test. They see taking the tests as another demonstration of challenging oneself. AP test results are not typically considered in admissions decisions, at least not yet, so this is not risky.
Which AP to take can be a complex and individual decision. It should be made based on the student’s future interests. It should also be made with one’s strengths in mind and with awareness of the subsequent workload. The student who takes every AP available is probably sacrificing other important activities and maybe even their happiness. At the end of the day, your mental health is more important than a college application.