How many AP classes do you need for Ivy League?

Asked by: Delpha Bauch  |  Last update: October 31, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (38 votes)

Ivy League
To be a competitive candidate for admission, you will need to take at least 8 AP® classes, more if you can. It is a good idea to take 1 AP® course in each of the following core disciplines: English, Foreign Language, History, Math, and Science to impress the admissions officers.

Do you need AP courses to get into Ivy League?

A typical Ivy League applicant, however, will have taken between 7 and 12 AP classes. Also, keep in mind that it matters more to have completed an AP course than to do well on the AP test.

How many AP classes does Harvard require?

Be cautious of overloading your schedule: Harvard would rather see a high GPA with 4 AP courses each year than a low GPA and a daunting 8 AP courses. Consider your AP, honors, and regular options carefully each semester based upon your own self-knowledge, schedule flexibility, and course offerings.

Do AP classes matter to Ivy Leagues?

Taking an ambitious number of AP classes, and scoring high on AP exams, greatly improves students' chances of college admission, including with Ivy League schools.

How many AP classes should I take freshman year Ivy League?

Freshman year you might take one or two AP classes if they're available. Sophomore year you can ramp it up to two or three. Junior year, if you're hoping to attend an Ivy League school, you should consider taking three to five AP classes in core subject areas.

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36 related questions found

Is 4 APs too much junior year?

Junior Year

Depending on what kind of school you want to go to, you should be taking between 3 and 5 AP® classes this year. You will need to manage your time well, however, as you also need to study for the SAT® or ACT® during this time.

Is 5 APs too much senior year?

There's no set rule about the best time to take AP classes, and it depends on which classes your school offers. PrepScholar recommends taking 1-3 AP classes in your sophomore year, 2-4 AP classes in your junior year, and 3-5 AP classes in your senior year.

What is the hardest AP class?

For example, we looked at r/APStudents on Reddit and found that students generally considered the following AP classes to be among the hardest:
  • AP Calculus BC.
  • AP Chemistry.
  • AP English Literature.
  • AP Latin.
  • AP Physics 1.
  • AP Physics C E&M.
  • AP Physics C Mechanics.
  • AP US History.

Is 7 AP classes enough for Ivy League?

Aim for four to eight AP exams in your junior and senior years. For competitive Ivy League schools, admission officers also want to see AP courses for core subject areas and additional courses. If possible, aim to pass about seven to 12 AP exams if applying to these highly selective schools.

Is 7 AP classes enough for Harvard?

Generally speaking, admissions officers at selective schools such as Harvard, Yale and Princeton usually have a preference for applicants who have taken anywhere from 7 to 12 AP courses — it is said that around 80% of high schools in the US offer some type of AP class, and the average number of AP class they have is ...

What are the hardest AP classes ranked?

  • 1) AP Biology.
  • 2) AP Calculus BC.
  • 3) AP Chemistry.
  • 4) AP English Language and Composition.
  • 5) AP English Literature and Composition.
  • 7) AP Latin.
  • 8) AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism.
  • 9) AP Physics 1.

How many AP classes does Yale want?

Yale does not require students to take AP courses to get accepted by the school. However, if your school offers AP courses, you should take them instead of taking the easier versions of the classes.

How many AP classes is ideal?

How Many AP Classes Should You Take for Ivy Leagues and Other Top US Universities? For students aiming for the Ivy League and Top 20 schools in the United States, a good target is to take (and pass) 10-14 AP classes throughout your high school career — or 3-4 each year.

Do Ivy Leagues accept 3 on AP exams?

An AP Score of 3 or 4 will likely not get you any college credit or respect at a top school like Stanford/Ivies/MIT. A score of 5 may not either — top colleges like to think that their courses are more rigorous than APs and thus should not be passed out of, and earning a 5 is simply expected for top admits.

What GPA do Ivy Leagues like?

Average GPAs at Ivy League schools start at 3.9. Therefore, it's best to aspire for a 4.0 to play it safe. But as long as you have a GPA close to this, your GPA likely won't hold you back in the admissions process.

Is 3 APs enough for junior year?

Last year for my Junior year, I took 3 AP's and had the rest of my classes be honors classes. I've heard the number of AP's you take matter to an extent, but if you take leadership in extracurriculars and demonstrate you are a well rounded student that cares about things. The amount of AP's do not matter.

What is an impressive number of AP classes?

To be competitive at some of the most highly selective colleges in the country, 8-12 AP courses may be the sweet spot amount, assuming the student can handle that level of rigor. There are no colleges out there that require you to take 14, 17, or some other obscene number of Advanced Placement offerings.

Is 7 aps too much?

Students looking to earn admission to highly selective colleges should take multiple AP classes to bolster their applications and demonstrate they can handle challenging coursework. Some college admissions experts recommend taking as many as 7-12 AP courses before applying to the most elite universities.

Are B's in AP classes good?

This is because a "B" in an AP class demonstrates that the student was able to handle a high level of coursework and achieve a good grade in a challenging environment. However, it's also important to consider the student's goals and future plans.

What is the rarest AP class?

Many of the least popular AP exams are world language tests, as these exams generally target a more niche group of students. What's more, some languages are less commonly taught at high schools than others (e.g., Japanese and Italian courses are rarer than Spanish courses).

What is the highest failed AP exam?

AP Physics 1 is the hardest AP class with the least passing rate of 51.6. It means almost half of the students fail this exam.

Is 6 APs in one year a lot?

It's not uncommon for applicants to highly selective schools to have as many as 5 or 6 AP classes senior year, but keep your own schedule and limits in mind.

Do AP classes boost GPA?

GPA Weight

At many high schools, honors and AP classes both offer more heavily weighted training compared to regular classes. While honors courses usually add 0.5 points to your GPA, AP classes often add 1 point. In other words, a 3.5 GPA would be boosted to a 4.0 in an honors class and a 4.5 in an AP class.

Is 10 APs too much?

Taking 10 AP classes can offer students many advantages. It can prepare them for college-level coursework, improve their applications for college admission and give them the potential to earn credit toward a degree.