See how the difficulty of your academic courseload compares to other college applicants and get actionable feedback.
Describe your courses, including AP, honors, and electives.
The courses you take in high school are one of the most important signals you send to college admissions committees. Admissions officers don't just look at your GPA—they evaluate your GPA in the context of the most challenging courses available at your school. A 3.8 in all honors and AP courses will typically outweigh a 4.0 in all standard-level classes at a selective school. Our coursework evaluator benchmarks your academic load against real college applicants to give you honest, data-driven feedback.
Admissions officers evaluate your coursework by asking: did this student challenge themselves given the opportunities available at their school? A student at a school that offers 20 AP courses is expected to take more than a student whose school offers only 5. Context matters enormously. Colleges also look for upward trends—improving rigor from freshman to senior year signals genuine intellectual growth. Admissions offices often receive a school profile that outlines what courses are available, so they know exactly what you chose to take and what you didn't.
AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) courses are the most widely recognized indicators of academic rigor in the US college admissions process. AP courses are more common and have standardized exams scored 1–5; scores of 4 or 5 can earn college credit at many universities. IB programs are more holistic and internationally recognized. Honors courses hold some weight but are generally considered a step below AP/IB. Dual enrollment (taking actual college courses while in high school) is increasingly viewed very favorably by admissions committees.