What Classes Should I Take In High School To Get Into An Ivy League?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What classes should I take in high school to get into an Ivy League? Consider taking courses in

English, mathematics, social science, laboratory science, and a foreign language

all four years of high school. This will show Ivy League officers that you have baseline knowledge in all these courses and that you are committed to your education.

What high school classes should I take to get into Harvard?

  • Four years of English with a strong writing component.
  • Four years of mathematics.
  • Four years of science, including biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course.
  • Three years of history, including European and U.S. history.

What do Ivy League colleges look for in high school students?

What AP classes do Ivy Leagues like?

How many AP classes should I take to get into an Ivy?

What is the easiest Ivy League school to get into?


Cornell

Admission Statistics

Cornell is considered the “easiest” Ivy League to get into because it has the highest Ivy League acceptance rate.

What high school classes should I take to get into Yale?

Does Yale require that applicants complete certain high school courses? No.

There are no specific high school courses required for admission

. There are also no specific high school courses required for applicants who express interest in any particular major.

Do Ivy Leagues look at 9th grade?

We get this question all the time, whether from a student who is excited about a top-notch start to his high school career, or a parent who is concerned about a rocky adjustment to a more rigorous curriculum. To put it bluntly,

yes, colleges do look at freshman year grades on your college application.

Is a GPA of 5.0 good?


If your school uses a 5- or 6-point GPA scale, you want to be closer to those values instead

. The average grade for high school students in the United States is around a B, which means the average high school GPA is a 3.0. So, if your GPA is higher than that, you're off to a good start!

How many AP classes should I take for Harvard?

Going up the selectivity chain, the average at Harvard is eight 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.

Do you need straight A's for Ivy League?

Realize that

you don't need straight “A” grades to get into the Ivy League

, but every “B” on your transcript is lessening your chance of admission. Most successful Ivy League applicants have unweighted GPAs that are up in the 3.7 range or higher (3.9 or 4.0 is more common).

How many AP classes should I take?

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 11 AP classes enough?

If you manage to take 11 AP classes throughout your high school stay,

that's enough (33 credits on average) to skip a whole year of college

. While that may too much, even a couple of classes can be enough to give you a semester ahead of your peers coming into college.

Is 6 AP classes too much?

Unless you're applying to the most selective universities,

4 to 5 AP courses over your high school years is more than enough

. For students applying to the most selective colleges, you might need 7–12. But even so, taking 4 AP courses in a year can be extremely challenging.

Is 3 AP classes enough for high school?

Take as many as you can handle without spreading yourself thin, and make sure you will have time to study for the ACT or SAT this year.

An Ivy League hopeful might take 3 to 5 AP classes

, while if you're aiming for less-selective schools, 2 to 4 would be enough.

Is 12 AP classes a lot?

If you're looking for a specific number of APs that you should take, it will depend on your school's offerings, but

a safe number for admission at Ivy League schools is usually between 7 and 12 AP classes throughout high school.

What AP classes are the easiest?

Is 2 AP classes enough?

What is the cheapest Ivy League?

What is the hardest Ivy?


Harvard University

It has always been known as the hardest Ivy League school to get into. For 2020, it has an acceptance rate of 5.2% only.

Is Yale or Harvard better?

What classes does Harvard look for?

  • English – 4 years (including writing-intensive courses)
  • Math – 4 years.
  • Science – 4 years (biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course in one of these subjects)
  • History & Social Science – 3 years (including American and European history)

Does Yale look at freshman grades?

Does Harvard look at middle school grades?

Will C's in middle school hurt my chances of getting into Harvard?

Colleges don't look at middle school grades

. Just work hard to bring your grades up in high school, and take the most advanced classes available to you.

Do colleges look at 7th grade grades?


No, colleges will not look at your grades from middle school

. Colleges focus on your grades from high school, which will be shown on your high school transcript. I hope this answers your question! Your counselors probably know more, but generally middle school grades don't impact your college application.

Do colleges look at 10th grade?


Colleges like to see one of two things from your academic career: either a strong performance that is maintained throughout, or an upward trend of doing better and better each year

. If you got really good grades in 9th and 10th grade, then nice job!

How do high schoolers prepare for Ivy League?

Is a 6.0 GPA possible?


GPAs can be based on a 4.0, 5.0 or 6.0 scale

.

Is a 7.0 GPA good?

Is a 4.7 GPA good?

What's the hardest AP class?

  1. AP Physics 1. Despite a reputation as one of the most difficult AP classes, Physics 1 is also one of the most popular—137,229 students took it in 2021. …
  2. AP U.S. History. AP U.S. history is one of the hardest AP classes in the humanities and in general. …
  3. AP Chemistry.

Is taking 7 AP classes too much?

Does Harvard look at AP classes?

Does Harvard Accept AP Credit.

Harvard does accept AP Credit for classes in which a student earned a 5 on the AP Exam

. These credits are accepted under a program called “Advanced Standing.” To qualify, students must earn a 5 on a minimum of 4 AP tests, transferring a total of 32 credits.

Can I get into Harvard with B's?

Does Harvard Accept B Students? Yes, just like I mentioned above,

it's completely possible to get admitted into Harvard University with B grades

. Admissions are not reserved only for straight-A students.

Is a 3.8 GPA good in high school?

Is a 3.8 GPA in high school considered good? The average GPA of graduating high schoolers is 3.0, making

3.8 a definitively good GPA

. It gives you a reasonable chance of acceptance at even competitive institutions, so reach as high as you can!

What is the lowest GPA to get into Ivy League?

Minimum GPA Required for Acceptance Into an Ivy League School: There is

no minimum GPA

to apply to any of the Ivy League schools. That said, in order to be a strong candidate for one of these competitive schools, you will almost always need to achieve a near-perfect GPA.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.