AP classes and college admissions: what is a rigorous high school course load?

June 26, 10:41 AMCollege Admissions ExaminerLauren Starkey

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Here’s an interesting question from a College Admissions Examiner subscriber:

I know that colleges look at the rigor of one's coursework but I was wondering to what extent.  Do they look for a number of AP courses or a certain level of math, for example, as a minimum?  Can you define specifically what a rigorous high school course selection is? Or to what level of math and/or science should a student attain?

The question touches on an important admissions factor—one that’s not often discussed. The quality of public high schools varies widely. Some schools offer many AP classes while others have none or only a few. Grading systems and teacher qualifications vary as well.  Marilyn Emerson, President of College Planning Services Inc. explains, “For that reason, there is no set rule and no set number of AP classes. College admissions representatives are generally well aware of the opportunities available at specific high schools; when they read applications, they ask if students have challenged themselves and have taken full advantage of the academic opportunities presented by their high schools. It’s a natural question to ask, because the answer helps them to predict the extent to which a student will take advantage of the opportunities that college will offer.”

For students attending schools that do offer an array of AP classes, Howard Verman, Senior Associate at Strategies for College, Inc. offers this advice:

“Generally speaking, highly visible colleges want to see applicants taking the most challenging courses their high schools offer.  That usually amounts to AP courses in core subjects.  In math and science, and depending on the program being applied to, this could mean AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Chem, AP Bio, or AP Physics.  AP American History, AP Government, AP English, and an AP language could round out the rest of an applicant's courses. 

Some colleges want to see that students have gone out of their way to challenge themselves.  MIT, for example, says that if students have exhausted the top courses at their high school, they could consider taking courses at a local college or at a summer program.” 

If you’re preparing for junior or senior year, take another look at the courses you selected for the fall. Do they create a challenge for you as a student? Emerson continues, “the notion of challenging oneself applies to all students, not just to the top students.   Depending on the student and the high school, challenging for some students may mean taking many tough AP courses, while for others it may mean taking the standard top level courses offered, and for others still, it may mean simply moving to the next level.”

It’s not too late to make schedule changes. Choose your courses to create that challenge.

Have a question about college admissions? Send an email to lauren@laurenstarkey.com.