I get asked this question time and time again, especially as we near course selection time. My answer is that a students’ focus should not be on ‘more’ but, instead, on who they are. In helping students with their course selection, I ask what suits this particular student best in terms of their intended major or career interests. What is the most rigorous course load with which this student can be successful?
We want students to be taking a rigorous course load which challenges them but we also want them to be able to maintain their sanity. I tell students to pick a course load with which they know they can be successful personally while maintaining a balance in their life and managing their sanity. Naturally, every choice will have an impact and will make a difference. However, once the student takes 5-8 AP courses, anything beyond that doesn’t matter as much. In many instances, the benefits of more AP courses would be negligible according to studies.
Universities want students who can think and who can write. The rest is fluff. There are no set rules. Different institutions treat your profile differently. Academics matter, of course, but what also matters is how you will contribute to the campus community. Personal qualities matter. Leadership potential matters. Entrepreneurship matters. Applications to Honors Programs and to engineering programs are where more course rigor can make a difference.
Not every student has a passion; a student who has a passion for physics might have taken 3 or more advanced courses in that subject area, and several more in other areas of interest. However, everyone is different and there is a wonderful college or university where each and every student will thrive. What is important is the need to build up a strong foundation with solid building blocks to do well in certain areas of focus, for example in math and calculus for those targeting business or engineering programs. This can’t always be rushed. It’s not a race to collect as many AP’s as possible. Some students do it for the credit they can get when entering university but it is not always a good idea to use such credit to skip introductory classes because you’ve taken what you think is a similar course in high school. At some high schools, their AP program’s science courses don’t have electronic microscopes and universities are aware that not all AP programs were created equal. By leapfrogging Biology 101 at university, a premed student could be doing himself or herself a disservice as the university course will go more in-depth into the subject matter and by opting to take the course, you are building a strong foundation and if you find the course easy, you will gain an easy ‘A’ to buy yourself time to ease into university life and join more extracurricular activities and get to know more of your fellow peers. When reviewing your transcript, universities will look at your overall profile and the ups and downs of your story, as told in various ways, including the story your transcript tells. Your recommendations also tell a story.
For those of you applying to UK universities, your grades are the first priority. Next are activities you have engaged in which demonstrate your interest or strength in your area of proposed concentration. These activities can include extra courses, summer programs, hobbies, clubs, internships and so on.
In selecting courses, students are advised to balance their activities and make sure they can balance their academic load with their extracurricular commitments in order to maintain their sanity to give themselves the opportunity to thrive and gain leadership in activities they engage in.