What is the difference between AP and normal electives in high school?
I go to an American high school (outside of the US), it is my sophomore year. In our school, we don’t have Advanced Placement classes. We only have what we call normal electives which are Journalism, Logic and Speech, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Photography, and a few more. It is only mandatory to take two elective classes in your four years of high school. As these classes are not "advanced", does it actually make a difference for college application and admission? Are AP classes better for my GPA and will I have less chances of getting accepted if I have intermediate electives instead of APs? The rest of the classes like precalculus, calculus, economics, art history, language, and computer programming, are all required classes that we all take within our four years. Will this have any positive effect for college acceptance?
P.S. I am actually planning to study college in US.
Colleges like to see that you have challenged yourself by taking tough classes in high school. Advanced placement (AP) classes are more rigorous and are taught more at the college level. Students who do well in AP classes are better prepared for college. However, if your school doesn’t offer AP classes, then don’t worry about it. You can only take the courses that are offered at your school. Just do as well in your classes as you can.