Getting into prestigious universities without AP courses at school?

The significance of AP courses in college admissions is overblown. For one thing, many colleges have stopped caring about AP courses. It's more important to do the best you can do and reach your potential in the courses you do choose to take. I've always said that AP courses should be for people who really have a passion for the subject and want to learn more. I've had too many friends who have overloaded their schedules with AP courses because they thought it would help them get into college. In reality, this was a bad thing, because they didn't really care about the subject itself. They took a course that was harder and more rigorous in a subject they cared less about. As a result, they were not motivated in a course where you're supposed to have more motivation. They learned less. The AP course didn't teach them anything, while the standard/honors course would have taught them more. Above all, colleges really want to see that you're passionate about something. It looks like you've accomplished a lot during high school. But what have you been the most passionate about, whether it's an extracurricular activity, or a class? In what area have you been working consistently towards your potential? What activity/course have you been in because you were excited about it, not because you were required to, or because you thought it would help you get into college? That's what AP courses are about. If that's what you talk about in your short answers, essays, and interviews, then it doesn't matter whether or not you have taken an AP course.

what have you done that sets you apart from every other applicant who has a great gpa and test scores? im not asking to be mean, im just saying thats what theyre going to ask when they get your application. you still need to set yourself apart i think. maybe not ivy league, but possibly a smaller prestigious liberal art school, or like vanderbilt or something.

Onemorey is right on target. Branding yourself, setting yourself apart means REALLY setting yourself apart. State and national awards or something similar. I can't tell what your passion is. That's what the Ivies want to see, an expert, someone who has a passion that shows in their extracurriculars -- they must have depth and focus. They don't want to see scattered. About 85% of Ivy applicants are qualified, but only about 7% are admitted. Last year there were 3000+ perfect SAT scores for each test. I don't know how many applicants had 2400. (But my dh interviewed quite a few just in our area.) Here are some students that were highly regarded by the Ivies and were offered spots, very brief descriptions of amazing kids. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090317233957AA72VT6&show=7 The colleges know the curriculum of every high school, where it ranks, and they understand that you can't control your school, so they just want you to take the most rigorous courses available. My son's private school doesn't have many AP classes, although the kids score high on the AP tests from non-AP classes, their curriculum is more difficult. You don't have to take an AP class to take the AP test. (About 50% of the seniors at my son's school are national merit recognized, half go on to be finalists. So of course, a high percentage are Ivy accepted.) http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090317233957AA72VT6&show=7 My dh does admissions interviews for local applicants to his Ivy alma mater. Good luck!

Yes. Your guidance counselor writes a letter to the university explaining how rigorous your schedule was in comparison to what classes they offer. In this l