what should my course load be like for senior year

Most colleges want to see that you’ve been able to excel in your classes given a relatively difficult course load. This means that, during your senior year, you need to set a goal of at least 5 rigorous courses from the five core academic areas. This could mean instead of a foreign language, you double up on math classes.

Full Answer

Do colleges care about your senior year courses?

Admissions officers do care about your senior year courses. They are looking for students who challenge themselves, who are interested in their own learning, and who pick senior year courses that push them to be their best. Colleges want curious students who are academically interested–as well as talented.

Should you drop a course in your senior year of high school?

Because the college application process is so time-consuming, it is not uncommon for students to drop a course in their senior year of high school. That said, you should not do this unless your course load going into senior year is already heavy.

How many APS should you take your senior year?

You get the idea. Some seniors are even taking five APs. Of course if you had an extremely difficult time in junior year with two APs, it’s advisable to stick with two APs for your senior year. The key is to not decrease the number of your rigorous courses.

Do colleges see your senior year of high school?

The first reason is that colleges will see your course selections for your senior year. In fact, you will have to list them right there on the Common Application. More than likely, your transcript will also reflect the courses in which you are enrolled.

Do colleges look at senior year course load?

UCs do look at courses you take in senior year and take the rigor into consideration when evaluating you for admission; but as long as you maintain satisfactory grades (typically an unweighted B average, with no non-passing grades, is sufficient), your performance in your senior year courses will not affect your ...

What is considered a rigorous course load in high school?

In a rigorous course load, electives can be the bridge between what you need to do and what you want to do. Courses such as visual art, theater, journalism, computer science, and philosophy can ultimately demonstrate your passions and interests to colleges.

What is a normal course load in college?

So on average, you would expect to take five classes a semester. That's above the usual minimum, which is 12 hours, and below the maximum, which is normally 18. If you are wondering “how long are college classes?”, the answer is that each course varies, but typically one credit equals one hour per week.

Should I take harder classes in senior year?

Taking the most rigorous courses available to you shows admissions committees that you are prepared for a college workload. Taking AP and honors courses your senior year, especially if you didn't take them as a junior or sophomore, shows that you have matured.

What is the most failed subject in high school?

AlgebraAlgebra is the single most failed course in high school, the most failed course in community college, and, along with English language for nonnative speakers, the single biggest academic reason that community colleges have a high dropout rate.

How can I be top of my class in high school?

Tips to Improve Your Class RankingEvaluate Study Habits. One thing students can do to raise their GPA is to evaluate their study habits. ... Take Summer Courses. ... Get the Assistance of a Tutor. ... Take Advantage of Opportunities for Extra Credit. ... A Note About High School Class Rankings.

Is 4 classes a semester too much?

Taking 12-15 credits is considered “full-time” in college lingo. That amounts to 4-5 classes, and for young students, that course load is really heavy (let's be honest, it's heavy for MOST students of any age).

What percentage of a full course load will you be taking?

Finding your percentage To find your course load percentage for each term: Divide the number of units you're enrolled in by the 100% course load for one term. Example: enrolled in 9 units, 100% is 15 units: 9/15 = . 6 or 60% course load.

Is 18 credits too much for a freshman?

Though many people do take 18 credits in a semester, it is your individual experience and no one else's. An 18-credit semester may be worth losing some sleep over — but it's not worth losing your sanity. Pay attention to warning signs that you're doing too much and stop yourself short before it worsens.

Is 6 APs too much senior year?

Students who want to competitive for top schools, however, should maximize the opportunities they have to take challenging courses (while still achieving strong grades and balancing their extracurriculars and social life). A lot of students, yes do take, over 6 APs and Honors, but not all.

Are 6 AP classes enough?

Take as many as you can handle without spreading yourself thin, and make sure you will have time to study for the ACT or SAT this year. An Ivy League hopeful might take 3 to 5 AP classes, while if you're aiming for less-selective schools, 2 to 4 would be enough.

Do senior year classes matter?

Senior Year: It Still Counts Colleges do consider fall grades, and even after admission your high school classes and grades still matter. Though it is far more common for a school to request a senior year schedule, there are many colleges that will ask for final grades.

Do colleges look for students?

Colleges are also not looking for students who do just the bare minimum. There is a big difference between what your high school requires for graduation and what colleges would like to see from you. After all, colleges are “schools” and they want to see how you take advantage of your educational opportunities.

Do admissions officers care about senior year courses?

Admissions officers do care about your senior year courses. They are looking for students who challenge themselves, who are interested in their own learning, and who pick senior year courses that push them to be their best. Colleges want curious students who are academically interested–as well as talented.

Do transcripts reflect senior year courses?

More than likely, your transcript will also reflect the courses in which you are enrolled. If these are not listed on the transcript, your counselor will likely let the admissions office know in some other fashion. So you can’t really hide. Admissions officers do care about your senior year courses.

What AP classes do you want College Board to add?

What AP classes do you want College Board to add? I feel like there's a lot of subjects that should have an AP option.

Unpopular opinion, AP Chem was such a fun class

I already know so many people are gonna disagree, but omg I genuinely had so much fun with it last year. If you even remotely like chemistry you’ll enjoy the class at least somewhat. I honestly felt so badass doing the labs and stuff, and now I’ve pretty much solidified that I wanna study biochemistry in college

What should your course decisions reflect?

Ultimately, though, your course decisions should reflect first and foremost your academic interests. While continuity and rigor are two good aspects to strive for in your course load, in the end you should plan to take the courses that excite you most. Truly, it is in those classes that you will do your best work.

Do seniors have great power?

Many seniors in high school will learn that great power does come with great responsibility if they find themselves with an increasing amount of liberty when choosing their classes. While the course requirements in the first three years of high school can often seem relatively straightforward, it is common for seniors in high school ...

Should I take more advanced classes or AP classes?

If you find yourself taking much fewer or many more AP or IB classes than the norm at your school, you should reconsider your choices. Taking too many advanced classes can also prevent you from spending your time in more valuable ways, such as developing your college applications or extracurricular activities.

Username dilemma

Mild rant here. As you can see, my username is QueenOfIvies. This leads to a lot of unnecessary hate and people PMing me saying I'm an elitist.

Holy shit

It seems like every person in this sub has like amazing test scores and fuck ton of extracurriculars and shit. After reading through this sub for ~10 minutes I genuinely don't think I will get into anywhere with my application. I have no extracurriculars currently (am a rising senior) and an 1170 SAT atm.