It’s a piece of information students (and parents) want: What courses should I take senior year to give me the best shot at the top schools on my list?
New Trier library, 1958
The truth is,no answer is ironclad–which could be why Penn wants its tour guides to err on the side of discretion. Some general guidelines:
#1: Only take what you can handle. You have a life that includes mental and physical well being, so while colleges want to see applicants who are not lazy, and who have intellectual curiosity, nobody wants to see you on the verge of a breakdown.
#2–Choose senior-year classes commensurate with the track you’ve been on, and be certain to follow what every college admissions office says is their top consideration: That your transcript reflects challenge. If you take a mix of honors and medium-level classes, 2-3 AP’s may be about right. If you are in all top-level honors, you should already have a couple of AP’s under your belt and will expect to take 4-5 senior year. Non-honors level students should still enroll in a college-prep level curriculum, including a lab science and a fourth year of foreign language.
#3: Consult with your junior year teachers about what they think is appropriate for you. Your pre-calc teacher will know about your school’s calculus options, or AP Stats, or non-AP options. They know you and your track record in math. Same for science. If you think you have a college major in mind, say architecture or engineering, see if your school has an elective in that area.
#4: The so-called “soft” AP’s. It’s not that top-top-tier colleges “frown on” certain AP’s, such as Environmental Science or Econ, but they do notice if a student, again, has not challenged him or herself to take a top-level class. If you’re building a case for a major in business, then AP Econ makes more sense than AP Euro History; likewise for Enviro Sci rather than AP Physics if your intended major if environmental studies and sustainability. AP Calc AB vs. AP Stats? Calc will be required in college for business or econ majors, so why not take it senior year and show you have your eye on the ball, if that’s your presumed major? But there are two sides to this coin as well.
Bottom line: The process is really specific to each student. Setting up senior year depends on an evaluation of a student’s existing transcript, personal goals, and preliminary college wish list. Contact me for a consultation.