Advanced Placement Courses. How to Figure Out How Many and Which AP Courses to Take. The Right Mix of Courses to Have in Your Academic Record. The Role of Holistic Admissions. [Columbia University and the USC Marshall School of Business]

The College Metropolis Podcast: College Admissions Talk for High School Students and Parents

#066 – On this episode we dive into the details of Advanced Placement courses, including the importance of having a number of them reflected in your transcripts, especially if you are planning to apply to highly selective colleges and universities. There may be departments or programs within colleges or universities that will expect to see specific AP courses on your academic record. An example of this may be Engineering Programs expecting to see a number of AP math and science courses in your transcripts. Jankel and I go over the different AP courses available, the number of AP courses you should take, the necessary scores to pass your AP Exams, the effect that a holistic approach employed by some admission departments will have on your application, and the one person in your high school who is prepared to help you with any AP questions you may have. That person can help you take the courses that will help you become a strong candidate for admission into the schools to which you will apply. We also explore the unit credit that colleges and universities may give you for taking AP courses and passing the AP Exams in those courses. Lastly, we analyze how Advanced Placement courses are managed at the Undergraduate Admission Office at Columbia University, and at the University of Southern California (USC) Marshall School of Business. There was a moment on this episode when I addressed an issue as a parent. The vast and challenging amounts of work that high school students have to do, especially when they are taking advanced courses. I mentioned I see it with my son, who currently is a sophomore in high school. The huge amounts of work are impossible to get done within a time that allows for appropriate rest for a teenager. You will hear my thoughts on that issue and what we are doing to make sure we support our son as he maintains his sanity. We think you will find this episode to be very supportive and helpful. You can find our show notes at https://collegemetropolis.com/66. You can help our podcast greatly by telling others about us, by giving us a 5-star rating, and by a leaving us a positive review. We will greatly appreciate it. Thank you!