Their homework load may be almost unbearable, but for some students the pressure to take Advanced Placement courses is unshakeable.
The kids aren’t feeling this pressure for naught. AP classes are important, college admissions experts say.
"We do look at the AP curriculum and value it," said Courtney Minden, associate director of admissions at Tufts University.
Students who attend schools that don’t offer an extensive AP curriculum are, of course, not expected to have taken as many of those higher-level classes.
But, Minden said, "We expect students to be taking the most challenging curriculum they can handle."
Colin Riley, a spokesman for Boston University, said he often gets the question from students about whether it’s better to get an A in a standard course or a C in an AP course. And the answer, Riley said, is that it’s best to get an A in the AP course.
"It’s best to challenge yourself and do what’s best for you," Riley said.
While most students who attend Boston University have some advanced placement credit, Riley said, "Students need to do what’s in their best interest. When we look at an application we look at the student as a whole."
Duncan Murdoch, dean of admissions at Needham’s Olin College, agreed, though he heavily stressed academics. Colleges like to see that students are taking a rigorous courseload, he said.
At some of the most selective colleges and universities, including Olin, as many as 70 percent of the applicants have a course-load that consists entirely of AP classes, Murdoch added.
Still, Murdoch said, other things do matter. Extracurriculars are important.
Murdoch said he’s spoken to students who have dropped band or another hobby they are passionate about to make room for academics.
"I don’t like to see them do that," Murdoch said.
Still, he said, "We don’t want to see them get so immersed in activities that their grades suffer."
Extenuating circumstances matter as well. A student could have no extracurricular activities at all because he or she is the head of a household, taking care of younger siblings and even possibly a parent, Murdoch said, giving an example.
While taking a rigorous courseload is important, Murdoch said, he wouldn’t necessarily recommend that students "burn the candle at both ends."
"I just think that students should go into their senior year with some room for fun and enjoyment," he said.
In addition, he said, when college admissions teams are making their final decisions, "The difference between a 3.8 and 4.0 is noise."
Needham resident Michael London, president and founder of College Coach, an education consulting company that, among other things, works with students applying to college, said he’s noticed that high school students are increasingly aware of what colleges expect.
"It’s definitely a trend that people are taking tougher schedules," he said.
The most competitive colleges do favor applicants who take the most difficult classes they can, London said.
But, he added, "It’s important to know that most students aren’t applying to those schools."
