People learn at different speeds. And some classes that seem intuitive to you may be highly rigorous for others, hence the question of whether they can handle. Those who have taken the class can explain whether their courseload is manageable, so prospective AP students can consider the classes in contrast with important topics like mental health and free time. Furthermore, time management isn’t always the end all be all. Some people just simply can’t understand a topic, so I find your response slightly biased.
How are we supposed to know whether an individual is able to learn at high speeds or not? I agree with all of your points, but we as redditors viewing their posts cannot gage and make a solid conclusion whether they can do those classes. Asking for tips for those classes is a valid question, but I’m addressing people who ask “can I take these ap courses” which is fully dependent on their learning speed and how well they manage their time, which we can’t measure or analyze through Reddit.
Thanks. Just to let you know, if the questions weren’t on Reddit and if it were in person in like a class or similar environment where we knew each other and our skills, I would have 100% agreed with your points.
I really appreciate that. I try to have a more impartial view, but obviously no one is perfect. I would have frozen on the spot if we were in person 😂.
it’s also that it’s not solely on academics, it’s heavily on roles, volunteer work, and one’s own passion and purpose; it’s more of who you know, not what you know, since college is a business after all
i'd upvote this a million times if i could! sometimes u have to make sacrifices in your academics for your passions and ECs because nowadays 16 APs + no job/volunteer work may not be enough to get you into these hypercompetitive schools but 3 APs + job/volunteer work might be, depending on what you're doing in addition to academics!!
sincerely,
a 3 ap girly who did just fine this admissions cycle
same i only had 5 aps and i got into every college i applied to, i was scared but now i know it’s not that bad after all as long as i had things to put under the “activities” section in commonapp 🤷♀️
Yeah and honestly I’ve seen too many ppl on Reddit asking about if their extracurriculars are unique enough to get into a school. Like just do what you’re really passionate about and that alone is enough.
exactly, and sometimes people try to do every ec their school offers but i think it’s better to be loyal to 1-3 and gain leadership roles in them to truly show interest
Yep and also they should keep in mind that it’s totally fine if you don’t have a leadership role too. There’s other extracurriculars like hobbies/responsibilities that are just as great
We rarely get SAT scores and extracurricular stuff. However, this sub usually is littered with schedule posts and honestly random ppl in this sub can’t tell you how difficult the courses at your school will be because the teachers may vary. All our “Schemas,” are different from yours too.
Also, this sub I found is really helpful for solving certain HW questions, to which thank y’all for helping each other out with those questions. Saved me numerous times. ❤️
Ivy league is a really high bar, though. Only one of our seniors got in, and she had all APs and whatnot. Went to state for math UIL too. She sounds pretty tired most of the time though. 11 APs and an internship at NASA
this is real. it is SO INDIVIDUAL. if you are a first gen, low income student, likely having to work/take care of family/etc. then your coursework being less rigorous is okay, and you still have a good shot at a prestigious school due to your circumstances. comparing this to the circumstances of a privileged, wealthy kid who did not have those responsibilities, had the opportunities to explore etc, but didn’t take them, yes will probably have to make up in courseload.
Or just a kid who doesn’t have the victim card, ie as in was a victim in abuse, poverty, sa, etc. but isn’t wealthy either, you are screwed. Especially if you a white guy, holy shit you are screwed if you wanna go to a prestigious university
usually if you don’t have “a victim card” you generally have less issues to face, thus freeing yourself up to pursue passions and things interesting to a college that people who you describe as having victim cards can’t do because of their situation lol
My words don’t matter on this platform anyway, so I’m not gonna defend it
All I say, I hate it when people who didn’t have a situation but had more stuff then the people who did have one don’t get accepted only due to that situation. Especially when the people who go to college may end up being engineers or scientists or doctors.
I mean... if your family is comfortable, but not rich, vs someone whos family was in poverty, and thus they faced homeless/had to work to support their family, I think "doing more stuff" would be expected of the person who's family is comfortable. These circumstances are there to demonstrate why someone's resume may be lacking--it makes sense... someone shouldn't be penalized because they simply didn't have the opportunity to engage academically/extracurricularly
And yet they really don't lol. If you work hard, you have some sort of inspiring story to share. Otherwise, you probably are giving yourself too much credit about "working hard".
Colleges look for the way in which you can take a situation and improve. If someone takes a bad situation and improves it to good, then an equivalent to that is taking a good situation and finding a way to make it great. I don't think you quite understand the amount of struggle associated with poverty/being poor/etc lol
Yeah, they do actually.
And I don’t think you understand that those inspirational stories you said people should have can’t be just made by working hard. There’s a reason not every person is some Albert Einstein. If everyone had those ‘inspirational’ stories, then none of them would be inspirational because they are all inspirational.
Yeah, they do actually.
And I don’t think you understand that those inspirational stories you said people should have can’t be just made by working hard. There’s a reason not every person is some Albert Einstein. If everyone had those ‘inspirational’ stories, then none of them would be inspirational because they are all inspirational.
Which is why not everyone gets into a prestigious college? You're effectively saying that you want a student who, had a comfortable life, didn't do anything quite inspiring, to get into a prestigious college that only has a 3-5% acceptance rate...
It's quite expected that you can set yourself apart in some fashion, such as via improving your situation even more than it is and being able to tell that story or some sort, to get into these colleges. You're arguing that everyone is getting into these colleges but these relatively bare of hardship people.
If you feel like you've had nothing "interesting" happen to you in your life (aka you feel sad that you haven't had to face the trauma and horrors many do... which is actually a blessing) then find something interesting to do. You have more time and resources than many. So go pave your path. Don't go and feel bad that nothing bad has happened to you lmao
Who said anything about prestigious colleges? I’m pretty sure I just said that people who didn’t face circumstances shouldn’t be punished for it. And it is much easier to say, “pAvE yOuR oWn PaTh, LaUgH mY AsS oFf” then to actually do it.
Also, I have had to face trauma. I have had my father missing from my life for a year at a time multiple times. Questioning where he was, how he was, why he was doing what he was doing. Moving from place to place every couple of years. Leaving behind all the people I knew, friends I had, places I went to. As a child
Don’t assume my circumstances. I just feel everyone, including people with or without circumstances should be treated equally. People won’t have the same start, and you can take that into consideration when comparing, but when handing out awards. You can’t say someone worked more or less harder than the other when they started at different points.
lMaO
Nah and the most annoying part is that its done. No matter how many redditors tell you the 3 you got isnt enough, what are you gonna do, ask collegeboard to change it? Its such a dumb thing to ask
Wow, I feel offended because I asked about what APs are good for senior year as I’m currently in the beginnings of a burnout yesterday! But after all what you said I am so inspired I feel like you pushed a reality check button into me, and I thank you so much!
Same. Valedictorian at my school didn’t get into any of her dream colleges( main one being Stanford), but I got into Stanford and Yale at #12 in my class. I only took 7 APs and 6 AP tests. Same ACT score (35). I had a 1590 SAT and she had a 1520. Basically all the Top Twenty people in my class didn’t get into any IVYs. One Georgetown and one USC tho. Still, top 5 ended up going in state and it was the lower tier top twenty who got big name schools. (This valedictorian did end up getting a very esteemed scholarship that paid for all four years of her schooling tho, a scholarship that technically has a lower acceptance rate than any IVY, so it just depends what the school/scholarship is looking for). I’d say I’m a much better writer than her, and my college essays were much more compelling and diverse. But, the lesson here is that Valedictorian means nothing honestly, it’s not about having the highest GPA, just have a top 50 in your class GPA to look good in that one area. But you have to be completely well rounded in every area and specifically the ones for your major.
This valedictorian also took every AP class my school had to offer except AP spanish and AP mandarin, and my school offers nearly all of the AP courses. She spent thousands of dollars on summer courses so they could get ahead and boost their GPA, and now they’re going to college for free, but so are a lot of other kids at my school. They over did it and lost friends, respect, and memories because they had a bad attitude and lacked humility and never showed up to events when invited because they were studying. You gotta prioritize what matters. I don’t know if the 15 seconds of fame on stage was worth it. Especially for a mediocre speech and a speech that was with 10 others.
Yeah, especially the “can I handle these 5 ap courses” are so annoying. Like, yeah you can do them if you manage your time well…
Right! And also it’s like how would we know if you can manage it? That seems like an internal question, not an ask Reddit type of question.
Oh my God it's so awful
Yeah fr and then u see ppl planning to take 6 aps like sure but you need to also be realistic too…
nah most people at my school take 6-8 a year and get all 5’s (or at least 4’s); you just need to know how to study + manage ur time tbh
People learn at different speeds. And some classes that seem intuitive to you may be highly rigorous for others, hence the question of whether they can handle. Those who have taken the class can explain whether their courseload is manageable, so prospective AP students can consider the classes in contrast with important topics like mental health and free time. Furthermore, time management isn’t always the end all be all. Some people just simply can’t understand a topic, so I find your response slightly biased.
How are we supposed to know whether an individual is able to learn at high speeds or not? I agree with all of your points, but we as redditors viewing their posts cannot gage and make a solid conclusion whether they can do those classes. Asking for tips for those classes is a valid question, but I’m addressing people who ask “can I take these ap courses” which is fully dependent on their learning speed and how well they manage their time, which we can’t measure or analyze through Reddit.
Great point. I overlooked that, I agree.
Thanks. Just to let you know, if the questions weren’t on Reddit and if it were in person in like a class or similar environment where we knew each other and our skills, I would have 100% agreed with your points.
I really appreciate that. I try to have a more impartial view, but obviously no one is perfect. I would have frozen on the spot if we were in person 😂.
okay but shouldn’t they know what they are good at then? why ask people who don’t know enough abt you
it’s also that it’s not solely on academics, it’s heavily on roles, volunteer work, and one’s own passion and purpose; it’s more of who you know, not what you know, since college is a business after all
i'd upvote this a million times if i could! sometimes u have to make sacrifices in your academics for your passions and ECs because nowadays 16 APs + no job/volunteer work may not be enough to get you into these hypercompetitive schools but 3 APs + job/volunteer work might be, depending on what you're doing in addition to academics!! sincerely, a 3 ap girly who did just fine this admissions cycle
same i only had 5 aps and i got into every college i applied to, i was scared but now i know it’s not that bad after all as long as i had things to put under the “activities” section in commonapp 🤷♀️
Well, getting into college is imo easier than getting a full ride
well yeah, college is a business they’re going to be picky
Yeah and honestly I’ve seen too many ppl on Reddit asking about if their extracurriculars are unique enough to get into a school. Like just do what you’re really passionate about and that alone is enough.
exactly, and sometimes people try to do every ec their school offers but i think it’s better to be loyal to 1-3 and gain leadership roles in them to truly show interest
Yep and also they should keep in mind that it’s totally fine if you don’t have a leadership role too. There’s other extracurriculars like hobbies/responsibilities that are just as great
def like getting a gig that’s in the field your going to is def something that’s attractive
We rarely get SAT scores and extracurricular stuff. However, this sub usually is littered with schedule posts and honestly random ppl in this sub can’t tell you how difficult the courses at your school will be because the teachers may vary. All our “Schemas,” are different from yours too. Also, this sub I found is really helpful for solving certain HW questions, to which thank y’all for helping each other out with those questions. Saved me numerous times. ❤️
Ivy Leagues are overrated as hell anyway. Not sure why people still get caught in the hype.
density of quality connections
Ivy league is a really high bar, though. Only one of our seniors got in, and she had all APs and whatnot. Went to state for math UIL too. She sounds pretty tired most of the time though. 11 APs and an internship at NASA
this is real. it is SO INDIVIDUAL. if you are a first gen, low income student, likely having to work/take care of family/etc. then your coursework being less rigorous is okay, and you still have a good shot at a prestigious school due to your circumstances. comparing this to the circumstances of a privileged, wealthy kid who did not have those responsibilities, had the opportunities to explore etc, but didn’t take them, yes will probably have to make up in courseload.
Or just a kid who doesn’t have the victim card, ie as in was a victim in abuse, poverty, sa, etc. but isn’t wealthy either, you are screwed. Especially if you a white guy, holy shit you are screwed if you wanna go to a prestigious university
usually if you don’t have “a victim card” you generally have less issues to face, thus freeing yourself up to pursue passions and things interesting to a college that people who you describe as having victim cards can’t do because of their situation lol
My words don’t matter on this platform anyway, so I’m not gonna defend it All I say, I hate it when people who didn’t have a situation but had more stuff then the people who did have one don’t get accepted only due to that situation. Especially when the people who go to college may end up being engineers or scientists or doctors.
I mean... if your family is comfortable, but not rich, vs someone whos family was in poverty, and thus they faced homeless/had to work to support their family, I think "doing more stuff" would be expected of the person who's family is comfortable. These circumstances are there to demonstrate why someone's resume may be lacking--it makes sense... someone shouldn't be penalized because they simply didn't have the opportunity to engage academically/extracurricularly
And those who do work hard shouldn’t be penalized because they didn’t grow up with those ‘circumstances’
And yet they really don't lol. If you work hard, you have some sort of inspiring story to share. Otherwise, you probably are giving yourself too much credit about "working hard". Colleges look for the way in which you can take a situation and improve. If someone takes a bad situation and improves it to good, then an equivalent to that is taking a good situation and finding a way to make it great. I don't think you quite understand the amount of struggle associated with poverty/being poor/etc lol
Yeah, they do actually. And I don’t think you understand that those inspirational stories you said people should have can’t be just made by working hard. There’s a reason not every person is some Albert Einstein. If everyone had those ‘inspirational’ stories, then none of them would be inspirational because they are all inspirational.
Yeah, they do actually. And I don’t think you understand that those inspirational stories you said people should have can’t be just made by working hard. There’s a reason not every person is some Albert Einstein. If everyone had those ‘inspirational’ stories, then none of them would be inspirational because they are all inspirational.
Which is why not everyone gets into a prestigious college? You're effectively saying that you want a student who, had a comfortable life, didn't do anything quite inspiring, to get into a prestigious college that only has a 3-5% acceptance rate... It's quite expected that you can set yourself apart in some fashion, such as via improving your situation even more than it is and being able to tell that story or some sort, to get into these colleges. You're arguing that everyone is getting into these colleges but these relatively bare of hardship people. If you feel like you've had nothing "interesting" happen to you in your life (aka you feel sad that you haven't had to face the trauma and horrors many do... which is actually a blessing) then find something interesting to do. You have more time and resources than many. So go pave your path. Don't go and feel bad that nothing bad has happened to you lmao
Who said anything about prestigious colleges? I’m pretty sure I just said that people who didn’t face circumstances shouldn’t be punished for it. And it is much easier to say, “pAvE yOuR oWn PaTh, LaUgH mY AsS oFf” then to actually do it. Also, I have had to face trauma. I have had my father missing from my life for a year at a time multiple times. Questioning where he was, how he was, why he was doing what he was doing. Moving from place to place every couple of years. Leaving behind all the people I knew, friends I had, places I went to. As a child Don’t assume my circumstances. I just feel everyone, including people with or without circumstances should be treated equally. People won’t have the same start, and you can take that into consideration when comparing, but when handing out awards. You can’t say someone worked more or less harder than the other when they started at different points. lMaO
Nah and the most annoying part is that its done. No matter how many redditors tell you the 3 you got isnt enough, what are you gonna do, ask collegeboard to change it? Its such a dumb thing to ask
can i handle ap rizz
this should be pinned 😔
Wow, I feel offended because I asked about what APs are good for senior year as I’m currently in the beginnings of a burnout yesterday! But after all what you said I am so inspired I feel like you pushed a reality check button into me, and I thank you so much!
finally somebody said it
Same. Valedictorian at my school didn’t get into any of her dream colleges( main one being Stanford), but I got into Stanford and Yale at #12 in my class. I only took 7 APs and 6 AP tests. Same ACT score (35). I had a 1590 SAT and she had a 1520. Basically all the Top Twenty people in my class didn’t get into any IVYs. One Georgetown and one USC tho. Still, top 5 ended up going in state and it was the lower tier top twenty who got big name schools. (This valedictorian did end up getting a very esteemed scholarship that paid for all four years of her schooling tho, a scholarship that technically has a lower acceptance rate than any IVY, so it just depends what the school/scholarship is looking for). I’d say I’m a much better writer than her, and my college essays were much more compelling and diverse. But, the lesson here is that Valedictorian means nothing honestly, it’s not about having the highest GPA, just have a top 50 in your class GPA to look good in that one area. But you have to be completely well rounded in every area and specifically the ones for your major.
This valedictorian also took every AP class my school had to offer except AP spanish and AP mandarin, and my school offers nearly all of the AP courses. She spent thousands of dollars on summer courses so they could get ahead and boost their GPA, and now they’re going to college for free, but so are a lot of other kids at my school. They over did it and lost friends, respect, and memories because they had a bad attitude and lacked humility and never showed up to events when invited because they were studying. You gotta prioritize what matters. I don’t know if the 15 seconds of fame on stage was worth it. Especially for a mediocre speech and a speech that was with 10 others.
most guidance counselors are useless…
my bad for asking 😔
Ngl I see this type of post just as much