As getting accepted to The College of Your Dreams has become more and more competitive, students are looking for every possible way to give themselves a boost above other applicants. One option is taking on a more difficult class schedule in order to impress the schools.

“I think many students have a difficult schedule, overloading on too many honors or AP classes, not keeping in mind the class prerequisites,” Counselor Amanda Carlson said. “Because students are applying to very competitive schools, we do see students taking on a course load that might be too hard for them.”

Senior Hayley Parry said that in the past she has signed up for classes that she later found difficult, but stuck with to improve her resumé for college.

“Junior year Pre-Calc was difficult because math isn’t my strong suit and I wasn’t planning on taking Calc my senior year, but I didn’t want to give up,” Parry said.

Carlson said that many students don’t want to drop difficult classes for fear that their schedule will look less rigorous.

Factors that contribute to what is too hard for each student include “previous classes and grades, time available outside of school, whether or not they enjoy the subject, resiliency to stress, and what other activities and classes are they doing,” Carlson said.

In order to help students decide on what classes to take, Carlson said she asks students which classes they enjoy, what their goals are, what areas they want to explore more, and what could lead to a college major or career for them. She also makes sure students meet graduation requirements.

If a student is taking a too hard schedule load, Carlson tells students to “consider their activities outside school time, ask yourself if you enjoy the subjects you’re taking, see if you could move a more difficult class to senior year, and make sure you’re meeting the class prerequisites.”

For a too easy schedule load, Carlson makes sure students are meeting college admissions requirements and asks them “what their goals are after high school, if they have commitments outside of school that are keeping them from taking certain classes, and if they are meeting graduation requirements.”

“It’s good to challenge yourself in high school and see what you’re capable of. But don’t take a bunch of APs for the sake of taking APs, take APs in classes that you care about and you think you’ll do well in,” Parry said.

In order to choose whether it would be better to take an AP and get a B, or the regular course and get an A, Carlson said, “one has to take into account the whole schedule and what [a student’s] transcript looks like overall.  It will be different for each student. In the end, a student should take classes that they enjoy and that they are willing to put the effort and homework time into.”

Junior Ted Adams said he has taken an easier work load in high school because “it allows [him] to learn what is important but still make it possible to somewhat enjoy [his] childhood.”

However, Adams said that it’s important to take harder classes in order to show colleges that you work hard and challenge yourself. “But,” he added, “it’s not the end of the world if you don’t [push yourself in high school], it just gives you an edge on the other guys.”