Honors/AP
- Thread starter 2ndLTgray
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They'll look at how rigorous your course load. Obviously, more honors versus regular level classes will show you are taking a harder course load and make your file stronger. As BlindROTC said, it can also help your GPA is honors get weighted as well as AP in your GPA calculations. I didn't take any AP's freshman/sophomore year, just honors level course load, and since then have had a great number of AP's as well a continuing with the honors level and I earned an appointment this year
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They look at class rank, because GPAs are usually very different metrics from school to school. For example, let's say School A only offers one AP class while School B offers 10 AP classes. The valedictorian of each school is going to have a strikingly different GPA. Instead, class rank measures you against your immediate peers.
Some high schools do not rank. From what I understand, admissions then reviews your weighted GPA, course work, school profile & how many kids go onto 4 year universities. IMO, I think it is better to have a higher GPA mixed with regular, honors and AP classes than take all AP type courses...and struggle. Play to your strengths.
I took honors math courses only for my first three years, everything else in "basic" placement, and maintained a 3.9 gpa for that time.
This year, I actually chose the classes I liked, and ended up taking BC Calculus, AP Physics, AP English, AP Economics, AP Computer Science, and my other required courses. All of these are year-long classes, too. I would not recommend taking this course of action. Your sleep patterns will suffer. Your grades will drop. Maybe the weighting can make up for it, but I would not suggest it. Without weighting, my gpa is cumulatively now something akin to 3.75.
Don't go as crazy as I did senior year. Take at max two or three APs at a time, and keep your GPA up elsewhere. I don't think my class selection had that huge of an impact on my admissions decision, so take a couple of honors/AP, but make sure you stay active in extracirriculars and sports and stuff like that.
This year, I actually chose the classes I liked, and ended up taking BC Calculus, AP Physics, AP English, AP Economics, AP Computer Science, and my other required courses. All of these are year-long classes, too. I would not recommend taking this course of action. Your sleep patterns will suffer. Your grades will drop. Maybe the weighting can make up for it, but I would not suggest it. Without weighting, my gpa is cumulatively now something akin to 3.75.
Don't go as crazy as I did senior year. Take at max two or three APs at a time, and keep your GPA up elsewhere. I don't think my class selection had that huge of an impact on my admissions decision, so take a couple of honors/AP, but make sure you stay active in extracirriculars and sports and stuff like that.
My goal is to be in AP Calc, AP Physics and/or AP Chemistry when I'm a senior
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Yea the goal is to take as many advanced placement courses as you can while still doing well. I took 3 my junior year (bio, chem, history) and that actually ended up being a harder course load than my senior year with 5 AP's (human geo, english, bc calc, physics, spanish). Know your weaknesses and strengths and make sure you don't overload yourself while also continuing to challenge yourself as much as possible.
My cadet attended a high school that did not provide class rank.
One of the factors that colleges and perhaps WP consider is that the school provides a profile of its students: 99%of graduates go on to college, and the profile lists average standardized test scores for its students and a summary of the universities students attend (from the previous year).
This information gives a comparable profile of the strength of its students and rigor of the academic program. Also provided are the courses offered, and percent of students taking AP or honors level courses.
A unweighted GPA of 3.5 at one school may not be the same as a 3.5 at another, unless there is some comparison to national norms.
In the schools 150+ history, there have only been 3 or 4 students who have graduated with an unweighted 4.0 GPA.
One of the factors that colleges and perhaps WP consider is that the school provides a profile of its students: 99%of graduates go on to college, and the profile lists average standardized test scores for its students and a summary of the universities students attend (from the previous year).
This information gives a comparable profile of the strength of its students and rigor of the academic program. Also provided are the courses offered, and percent of students taking AP or honors level courses.
A unweighted GPA of 3.5 at one school may not be the same as a 3.5 at another, unless there is some comparison to national norms.
In the schools 150+ history, there have only been 3 or 4 students who have graduated with an unweighted 4.0 GPA.