Is a ‘B’ in an AP ‘Better Than’ an ‘A’ in Honors – How To Choose The Right HS Courses

Though we’re but one month into the New Year, it’s time for many of our teen readers (and the parents who love them) to pick NEXT YEAR’s classes. Yup, many high schools have already distributed 2025-26 ‘course cards’ and the rest will do so soon. Though often overlooked or done in haste, choosing the right high school classes (in the early years) is actually one of the most important steps in planning for the right post-high school experience for you/your child. 

Fact: the single most critical aspect of a student’s college application is their high school transcript. The first question every college admissions reader will wonder, of even the most celebrated student athlete or artist is, “How are your grades?” That said, grades comprise only half of the academic transcript – and are rarely considered independently from the other half, which is the rigor of the coursework undertaken by the student.

In my practice, we spend a lot of time helping high school students and their families find the right balance, the right level of academic rigor and success for their children. Each student is different, has unique skills, post-high school goals and scholarship needs. Thus each must seek their own academic equilibrium.

There is no magic number of advanced level courses that a student should take. Some high schools simply offer more AP-level courses than others, some schools have IB programs, or a comprehensive AICE (Cambridge) curriculum, so colleges have a challenging time comparing students from different schools where the offerings are grossly imbalanced. Colleges usually receive a profile of your high school along with your transcript, and they will evaluate rigor on a school by school basis. What’s important is to demonstrate that you are challenging yourself within the confines of your own system.

When it comes to rigor, the key question is, “how much?” This will certainly depend on the individual student, how much rigor s/he can handle, and the student’s higher ed goals. A great question I often hear from parents and students this time of year is,

“Is it better to get an A in an honors class or a B in an AP class?”

There is no simple answer to this question, but if you’re seeking entry to the Ivy League, Duke, Stanford, or other highly selective universities – including any of the flagship or ‘popular’ public universities, you’ll want to take the AP class…and get an A. If your high school offers a large number of advanced-level courses, and you are seeking admission to a highly selective university like those listed above, you’ll need to have a transcript that includes the most rigorous classes your high school offers. Period. Full stop.

Some other common questions I hear this time of year:

“Do AICE classes count for college credit?”

“What about Dual-Enrollment? Will these classes ‘look good’ on my transcript?”

“Do I need to take more than 2 years of Spanish (or other foreign language)?”

“Are colleges impressed with the IB Program?”

“Do I REALLY need to take Calculus?”

It’s annoying, but the answer to many of these questions is, “it depends”...on how much academic rigor your student can handle; on how your student performs on the AICE/AP/IB exams when determining college credit; on where your student wishes to enroll in college; on where his/her actual academic interests lie; and how selective the college might be. Otherwise, if s/he is eyeing a less selective college and can muster a B, then take the AP class…s/he’ll be awarded for the rigor and – who knows? – maybe s/he’ll be able to bring home an A (this is not always the case, but a rule of thumb as far as I’m concerned).

That said, I do want to take a moment to address one question in particular: Do you really need to take Calculus. The short answer for many here is ‘yes’. I’ve been tracking this amongst my students for years, but there is also evidence-backed data that supports the trends and anecdotal conclusions I’ve reached  – a recent joint study from NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) and Just Equations highlights the importance that admissions counselors place on calculus in their decisions to admit or deny applicants, especially for students interested in STEM or business. As one admissions dean from a selective, private university noted in the study, “Calculus is the gold standard that people in this business use as a shortcut,”  whether the student chooses a STEM major or not.

Obviously if a student is pursuing a major in engineering, chemistry, physics or math, then calculus is an important measure of a student’s ability to succeed, and admissions officers should look at calculus when making such admissions decisions. But it’s notable that calculus is considered by selective schools (see above) in their admissions decisions even if a student is pursuing other subjects like English, humanities, or political science. 

Candidly, for me this has presented a nuanced dilemma. For the academic purist, why do admissions offices continue this emphasis on calculus if it will have little impact on a student’s educational or career path? As a higher education planner and consultant, however, I cannot overlook the fact that taking calculus will boost one’s chances of admission, even if taking statistics is likely the more relevant course for most careers, and for life. Of course, I might prefer that students exclusively follow a passion and do what they love (or like), rather than subscribe to a set of high school activities based on a packaged formula. But I also know that for my students (and presumably yours as well), gaining admission to colleges they want to attend is the overriding goal… and for many, that will mean that they need to have calculus on their transcript (assuming it’s offered at their high school). 

Given that, it’s easy to see why course selection considerations are increasingly relevant as early as middle school. The course decisions that students make as early as 8th grade can determine whether they even be on track to take calculus by 12th grade. On this issue, I have mixed feelings as well. I’m not so sure it’s healthy for middle school kids to be worried about their college admissions prospects before they’ve set foot in high school. But as a pragmatic college higher ed consultant, I want all parents and students to understand that the decisions they will make in 8th and 9th grade will impact their standing (ability to take higher level classes) in 10th and 11th grade.

As a general rule, students who wish to be competitive candidates for admission should take the most rigorous curriculum they can handle, and then perform to the best of their ability. For many, calculus is a non-negotiable yes (as in you must take it if you’re applying to highly selective universities). But that’s not the case for all students, which further reinforces that college admissions is not a one-size-fits-all exercise.

As long as college admissions continue to be unprecedentedly competitive, and test scores remain optional at many schools, the academic transcript continues to take on added focus. In fact, if you’re considering the test-optional approach due to less than competitive test scores then the transcript will most certainly take on added focus.

If you have specific questions about selecting your courses for the next school year – and how those selections may affect your college choices later, a really good place to start is with your child’s high school guidance/college counselor. Of course not all students have access to a school counselor (especially earlier in high school). So, please feel free to reply to this email if you would like additional insight, are worried or concerned about your son or daughter’s high school choices or performance thus far, or want to get a more thorough assessment of how their current transcript may affect their college admissions prospects. I look forward to chatting with you.

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