Know Your Goals

You academic preparation should also reflect your goals. What kind of school do you want to go to? If you are eyeing for highly selective colleges, then you should take as many AP classes as you can; again, without harming your grades or extra curricular activities. At the Ivy Leagues and their cousins, you'd probably need all the As you can get from AP classes to have a shot. These academic behemoths are so competitive that a B might not read (I said might because it will still ultimately depend on your overall application strength) in your favor.

“What if my school does not offer AP courses?”

Don't fret. Designing the curriculum is the responsibility of your school; your job is to take the most challenging ones available. If your school doesn't offer AP English, and every senior takes regular English classes, then yes, that is the most rigorous one. If you come from a really competitive high school, you will be evaluated based on the school’s curriculum. Even if you rank near the bottom, there are some schools who will love to take you in since you come from a ‘strong’ school.

But if your high school isn't so tough, then it may be more important for you to rank near the top. A really good way to stand out in a selective pool is to go beyond what your school has to offer. This means doing things that are otherwise not offered in your school. If you've studied all the physics courses in school, try taking up advanced courses at a local college. If you love maths and finished calculus in junior year, work with a professor to do research into multivariable equations.

These actions show ADCOMs that you are intellectually curious and always ready to learn new things – a plus point in the admissions process.

Are there exceptions or alternatives?  

Yes. Large state universities use a different rule. These schools attract tens of thousands of applications each year and so they often rely on grades and test scores to make decisions. Here GPA would be more important than the level of courses. In other words, how tough your course selection is isn't necessary, as long as they are college preparatory.