Indrani writes:
I read an article of yours at quintcareers.com. I had a question about college admission. I just switched out of AP U.S. history and was wondering if that was indeed the right choice. I know that I could have handled the course. Yet, I do not think I could have handled the course in addition to studying for the SAT. My other courses include: Honors English, Honors Spanish, Honors Physics, Honors PreCalculus, and AP Chemistry. Now I am in Academic U.S. history. Will top colleges look badly on my decision? Will they not admit me because I did not take AP U.S. history?
The Career Doctor responds:
Let me start by saying that while I have no idea of your high-school grade point average, if you are taking a mix of honors and advanced-placement classes, you must be a student who excels academically.
Everyone has a different interpretation of top colleges, but if you are talking the elite colleges (such as the Ivy League), then you need every advantage you can get. However, course selection and grades are just part of these school look at in applicants.
Obviously, for the vast majority of colleges, standardized test scores are also an important factor. So, if you felt one more advanced placement course was going to hurt your SAT prep, then I think you made the right choice. You are obviously showing you can take (and I assume, succeed in) academically challenging courses, so your next goal should be to get the best score you can on the SAT.
The third element that college admissions folks examine is involvement — and not just being involved, but also taking leadership in at least one organization. It’s much better to have leadership experience in just one organization than be a member of 10 groups.
Finally, just about all admissions professionals I talk with tell me that they also look between the lines of applications for other elements. They are looking for students who are going to bring something new to the campus as well as students who seem a good fit for the school.
I suggest you meet with your guidance counselor and talk about your college goals. Your counselor can then help you map out what you need to do over these next few months to maximize your chances for getting accepted.
You can also read what various college admissions professionals say about a variety of these issues by reading our annual report, Answers to Common College Admissions Questions, published on Quintessential Careers.
