The Best AP Classes to Take – 5 Reasons Why You Should Change Courses in High School

Whether you’re looking for easy schools to get into or reading up on top Ivy League schools, you probably have some questions about AP courses. Choosing the right courses or the best AP classes to take often happens after choosing the wrong courses first. Every year, we find our students making some of the same common mistakes when it comes to course selection. Thankfully, most high schools are willing to work with you to make adjustments. Here are the most common course changes you should consider.

How Many AP Classes Should I Take? – Too Many Weighted Courses

As they say, too much of anything is a bad thing, and weighted coursework is no exception. How much is too much?

First, it depends on a student’s prior performance. Looking at how you did in a similar class should provide a clue about your readiness for weighted coursework. If, for example, you earned a B/B in English Honors, think twice before taking AP Lang (after all, your goal is to earn an A, not a B). The same logic applies for any subject. Taking weighted courses because you heard “it makes you look good” for college is foolish. There’s no hard data to support this common myth.

Secondly, it’s usually a bad idea to take over 4 APs in a semester. No matter who you are, maintaining A’s in that many weighted courses at once saps time away from profile-building outside of class.

Which AP classes Should I Take? – Weighted Courses in the Wrong Areas

Students majoring in Engineering derive little to no benefit from the headache of AP US History, especially if they don’t enjoy history to begin with. Likewise, students majoring in history derive little to no benefit from taking AP Calculus BC, especially if they don’t like math. We see students signing up for weighted courses that have nothing to do with their major—or interests—all the time! Taking AP courses you aren’t strong in ruins GPAs every year. So do yourself a favor and replace your weighted coursework with classes that have more to do with your major or your interests.

Read more here to find out the weighted courses that make sense – and which don’t – depending on the major you are indicating towards.

AP Physics for CS/Engineering Majors in 11th

Computer Science and Engineering majors keep making this one mistake: not taking physics until senior year. If physics is an option for 11th grade, we strongly recommend CS/Engineering majors take it because:

• It demonstrates aptitude towards CS/Engineering departments
• It prepares you for the field of study you’re trying to pursue

Even better is taking AP Physics 1 in 11th grade, opening up the opportunity to then take AP Physics C in 12th. Note that taking physics any later than the 11th grade wouldn’t allow a student to report your grade until after college application deadlines, which is too late by our books.

AP Psychology for Biology or Business Majors

Having a back-up plan is always good. Intended Biology majors sometimes find themselves stuck with a really hard AP Biology class or teacher, and a pair of B’s can really wreck your plan of majoring in Biology. Likewise, prospective Business students often have bad luck in core classes that are important for business admissions, like English and math.

We recommend taking Psychology or AP Psychology in 11th grade so that if you struggle in core classes later on, you can still turn to Psychology as a backup major. Once you’re in college, you can easily change from Psychology to a variety of majors including Business, Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Science.

Accelerated Math with Weak Foundations

Taking an accelerated math course often doesn’t make you better at math; it makes you worse. It’s because you move so fast through the compressed curriculum that you don’t “learn” anything at all; rather, you’re just studying and taking tests before moving onto the next topic. For students who already lack strong foundations in math, this is an absolute nightmare and can do a lot more damage than one originally thought was possible.

So if you’re registered for an accelerated math course, be honest with yourself: are you 100% solid on the concepts you learned thus far? If not, either invest the time to prepare ahead of time, or simply take a pass on the course.

The Best AP Classes to Take – Recap & Conclusion

It is important to take classes that correlate with your major in order to build your profile. Your best strategy is to take key classes that relate to your major by 11th grade and only enroll in classes you know you can earn an A in.

Remember, do not tire yourself out by taking too many weighted courses or weighted courses that won’t have an impact on the major you want to study. You only get one GPA—use it wisely!

Looking for customized tips on course selection and insights into higher education trends? Sign up for a free initial consultation to get to know our team and learn how we can help you get into your dream school!

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How Colleges View Weighted Classes and Course Rigor

While there isn’t an exact formula for getting into college, it’s important to understand how weighted classes, course rigor, and even the high school that you attend affect your overall college profile. Here’s how college admissions view course rigor and how it pertains to weighted classes and coursework.

Factors to Consider

Factor #1: How Do Colleges Rank High Schools?

Colleges look at the high school you attended to gain a better understanding of the courses available to you. They then compare you to people with similar scenarios. Public colleges compare you to your classmates at the same high school—not others. While private universities offer some flexibility, they are still known to compare individuals from schools with similar socioeconomic demographics and similar course availability.

Colleges generally compare you to your classmates at the same high school—not others.

This does not mean you should attend another school nearby because they offer more APs. There would be no beneficial impact, as students would continue to be compared to their immediate peer group.

It also doesn’t mean you should self-study for APs outside of what’s offered in hopes of looking better than your peers. Self-studying for AP exams is often perceived as manipulative, try-hard, and contrived to look good for college, rather than a genuine attempt to learn. Colleges measure students’ coursework and performance based on the curriculum offered and the grades earned, not the AP exam scores. Self-studying for APs does not factor in the same way as grades do in the evaluation process. You can read more about the value of APs and AP testing here. 

Factor #2: What courses did the student take?

Colleges will look to see how you challenged yourself in light of which courses were available to you. They expect students to balance weighted and unweighted classes so that you’re challenging yourself without over-challenging yourself.

That means it actually looks bad, not impressive, to sign up for every AP and Honors course available to you, especially if you can’t earn A’s in that many challenging courses. That being said, more rigorous universities do have greater expectations for weighted coursework, as they’re looking for students who have already proven they can excel under a rigorous course load. 

This means you should really know yourself before setting your sights on a Tier 0 school and enrolling in an abundance of weighted courses. If you actually have the proven track record demonstrating that you can earn an A in several Honors and AP courses at once, taking on a heavy load might be a difficult but strategic move. For most students, however, this is a huge risk that we strongly advise against, as earning low grades in weighted courses may hurt your chances of making it into a perfectly good school because you were aiming too high to begin with.

That being said, what’s the ideal number of AP and Honors courses you should take?

Pro-Tip: Take 2-4 weighted classes at any given time

This is highly recommended, at least for those attending school in affluent neighborhoods with plenty of weighted course options. This is enough to open up virtually all college doors, so long as you do well in them. 

Factor #3: How did the student do in the weighted classes?

With many students focused on the number of weighted coursework they take, they undermine the importance of the grades they receive. Colleges always prioritize your grades over the list of classes you took. For this reason, Unweighted GPA is arguably considered the most important number in college admissions. It demonstrates a student’s performance in their classes without taking into consideration the rigor of course.

Taking weighted courses makes students look good for college only if they earn A’s in those courses, NOT if they struggle. Choose courses that you are confident will not overwhelm you; are you absolutely certain you can earn an A in each class you enroll in? Make sure to also ace your finals, as they often heavily impact your grades. 

In addition, do not fall victim to the myth that getting a B in an AP class is similar to getting an A in a non-weighted class. Getting a B in an AP class is getting a B. End of story. Getting good grades (A’s) should always be your first priority. 

Bonus Factor: What additional context may affect the student’s academic performance?

In some cases, the grades and course load will not tell a student’s whole story. Life happens unexpectedly. It could be a bad fever during finals week or the passing of a loved one junior year. Colleges are willing to hear you out as long as you show a positive grade trajectory after the incident.

Family background is another factor that can play a vital role in college admissions. For example, if you are the first in your immediate family to go to college, that can put substandard grades or lack of weighted coursework into perspective. 

Pro-tip: Having a hard teacher rarely counts as valid context.

Having a bad teacher or a hard teacher rarely counts as a legitimate educational hardship. After all, you’ll have plenty of hard professors in college, so admissions departments want to know you can succeed under those professors as well.

How Colleges View Weighted Classes and Course Rigor Conclusion

The good news is that colleges take an equitable approach to admissions by evaluating your performance in light of the number of opportunities you had available to you. This means no matter what school background you’re coming from, making strategic decisions about your coursework can send a strong message that you’re willing to push yourself academically while still earning good grades. 

If navigating the maze of college applications still feels overwhelming, we can help. Our mentors come from admissions departments of top universities in the US, and they can offer customized advice to help you optimize your profile and boost your chances. Get started with a free consultation to meet our staff, make a connection, and discuss which of our services is the right fit for you.

See you soon!

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