How can you get into a good college when attending a bad high school? I go to a small high school in a rural town where most of the graduates go to community college if anything. It only offers 2 A.P. classes and no good extracurricular activities.
I have 2 comments -What’s wrong with going to community college?? Today, it can be an extremely smart way to get your basic classes done economically. It can have other advantages as well - like more manageable class sizes compared to larger universities and smaller campuses that are easier to navigate. They can act as a great stepping stone for those not quite ready for or able to afford a larger college.Do you know how many colleges there are in the US?? I actually don’t know the exact answer to that question to be honest. But I do know this - I have lived in a number of Midwestern states - Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. The number of colleges in those states is often mind boggling to me. There are more large and small colleges and universities than I can count. A good college isn’t necessarily an Ivy League or Big 10 or Pac West - etc college. There are colleges of all sizes and shapes. And there is one somewhere that is right for you in terms of size, course offerings, costs, locations, etc.Don’t worry about how big or small your high school is and how many AP courses or extracurricular activities it offers. Do your best in all your classes. Learn as much as you can outside of school by keeping an open mind and READ, READ, READ. Explore all the various college opportunities around you. I bet if you google “colleges and universities in ‘your state’” you would be amazed. Now add the next nearest states and you probably have hundreds of choices. Admittedly, some will not be “good colleges” but many will be, no matter what their size or whether or not you have ever heard of them.
Is it bad if i dont take any AP courses in high school?
Hmmm it's pretty bad... Most people take AP courses to boost their GPA's or to learn more on subjects of interest. If you can get a straight 4.0, it won't be too bad, but it would still be a lot better if you take an AP (and get an A in the class). Good luck! Oh, and definitely take AP chem (or at least bio, but chem is a bit more in depth in pharmacological matters) if you want to "major in pharmacy;" most good college accept only people who take AP courses in similar subjects, for there are going to be a LOT of people enrolling. I'm planning on taking 4 AP's, a Honors, and another class next year (junior year):P and my school's hella hard.... I'll have no sleep time :O gahh.. Just saying.
Does anyone regret high school grades?
I truly regret my poor grades in school as my test scores were fairly good. Grades are important, but not nearly as much as the wisdom you gain from your "failures". A C+ in high school will not destroy a potential career in college. It's the basis for enrollment, but what counts is what you do in college. Experience is your best teacher...if anything, look back on where your weak spots were in the class and focus on learning the material better. Don't worry as much about the grade now, but try to gain the knowledge that you need. As for your parents, you are still their child and they will understand. There is no shame in a low grade, so long as your effort was as high as possible. There is no doubt of the importance of grades, but you need to keep your perspective. It appears to me that you have achieved quite a success so far in your life...and if my guess is accurate, you have many more successes to follow. Keep your eye on the prize, not the wound. The Warlock
Does only taking 2 AP classes at a school that offers 28 kill my admission chances at any selective university?
One of the letters of recommendation sent to colleges is completed by your high school guidance counselor. Your guidance counselor will explain that your school offers 28 AP classes. Your guidance counselor will also identify your class rank which will undoubtedly be based on weighted GPAs with so many AP courses offered at your school. There really isn’t anything you can do about this.Top colleges or select universities as you reference them look at a students GPA, class rank and course rigor. They will see that your schedule is not as rigorous as it could have been in your school. They want to see that you challenged yourself and that you are ready to do college level work with other outstanding high school students who pushed themselves.So your course schedule won’t kill your chances but it certainly doesn’t help it either. You will need to differentiate yourself from other outstanding students using something other than your high school academic record.
Is it bad to take algebra 1 freshman year in high school?
Did “Taking Algebra 1 as a freshman” ever do harm to yourself or others? If yes, then how could you? Stop doing that right now! If not, then it should be fine.Anyway, sorry for being a smarty-pants.You seem like an ambitious guy, and I respect that. Regarding your desire to go to a top-tier college, the necessity to move up math levels really depends on what you want to do in college. If you are planning on doing humanities or art/music/theatre, then is it really necessary that you have to be in higher level math courses to pursue these topics?If you want to do engineering and/or STEM, then that’s a different story. Many top engineering/STEM universities want to see that you are pretty competent in the field of mathematics. They would want to see that you have taken some form of Calculus by senior year. In this case, I think it would be pretty helpful for you to move up math levels. If you take Algebra I in 9th grade and you somehow “skip” Geometry, you would end up in Algebra II in 10th grade, allowing you to take Pre-Calc in 11th grade and Calculus in 12th. Luckily, there are two easy ways in which you can “skip” Geometry:Take summer coursesDoes your local community college offer some mathematics courses? Does your high school have a summer program for moving up math levels? If so, seize those opportunities. Sign up for the class. Work hard, get a good grade in the class, and hopefully, your high school will be able to count the course as credit. If not, some high schools offer an “aptitude test” for certain courses, where if you score above a threshold on the exam, you will be placed into that class. For example, my school has an aptitude test for AP Computer Science. If you score above an 80 (I believe) on it, you are automatically placed into AP Computer Science.Self StudyTake advantage of the many online resources there are for studying math. MOOCS, EdX, Coursera, you name it. It looks like Khan Academy has an excellent resource for “high-school geometry.” Study well in these courses, take the aptitude test, pass the test, and get placed into the course.There, simple. Also, it’s not like you have to spend your whole summer in a classroom or online. A lot of classes only meet several days a week for a few hours, so you will have time to do many other things in the summer, like getting a job, pursuing an extracurricular activity, or doing a summer program.
College and University Admissions: Is taking 2 AP classes your senior year too much if you've never taken an AP class before?
I think 2 AP classes are fine if you have never taken AP classes before. I had AP Literature in high school and I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I didn't put in too much work but it might all depend on the teacher you have. In high school I took both honor classes and AP classes; the difference between the two were not that stark.Make no mistake though, AP classes can make a difference for college admissions. Although AP classes are not like college courses, it shows colleges that you are ready to work hard. Yes, AP classes are a lot more work than honors classes as there is an AP test at the end of it but a majority of college applicants these days have taken some AP classes in their high school career so having taken only two might actually be a low number if you are thinking of applying to very elite universities. My transition from high school to college was a little rough because the workload was so different. You put in a lot more work for college courses so working hard now might help you prepare yourself! I also found that a lot of the general requirement classes I took freshman year in college depended heavily on memorization and vocabulary. Quizlet has been seriously useful in those regards.I also found a blog post from Admitsee that might be helpful to you!AP Classes vs. College Courses: What’s the Difference?Also, you should check out AdmitSee! It's a website devoted to helping high school students understand what it take to get into their dream colleges! It's crowd sourced, meaning that real college students offer advice and samples of their personal statements for YOU to read! Good luck!
Is taking only 2 Ap classes senior year bad?
I am a junior and I take 4 Ap classes. Next year I plan on taking AP Chemistry and AP Literature. Will colleges look down that I didnt take as junior year? Im taking APUSH but next year im taking college prep government because the college i want to go to doesnt require history as general eds. I want to focus more on my science since that is what I want to major in.
Is it okay to just take one AP class in all my high school years?
AP isn’t for everyone.Before this year, my senior year, I have never taken an AP course. Why? For the same reason as you: I dislike writing essays and research papers. (And the work load also scares me but not all AP classes have terrible work loads.)I believe it is perfectly okay if you only take one AP course your entire high school career.Colleges aren’t going to reject you just because you don’t have any AP’s under your belt. However, if you have taken multiple AP courses, it shows the colleges that you are going above and beyond what you normally do, which they will appreciate. But if you are challenging yourself with honors classes, colleges will appreciate that also.Please don’t stress about taking AP courses. It’s not the end of the world if you take one or none.