Overall workload
In permitting or encouraging students to sign up for Honors or AP classes, teachers or departments have little knowledge of students' overall workloads. A critical part of the registration process is conversation about a student's total load in and out of the classroom. It is important to acknowledge that extensive extracurricular commitments have an impact on course schedules. It is also worth noting that the college search may demand a significant time commitment during the first semester of the senior year. The school encourages students to work toward a challenging but sane balance of curricular and extracurricular commitments. We want to stretch students, but we do not want to exhaust them.
In general, only the most ambitious and able students should take three or more Honors and AP classes in the same year.
Number of AP courses
In giving a student tentative approval to enroll in an Advanced Placement course, a teacher considers the ability, effort, and maturity the student demonstrates in the particular class. In doing so, the teacher does not take into account the student's overall workload. A student whom a teacher approves for an AP class may well be able to handle the work of that class—but not if he or she is enrolled in several other AP classes simultaneously. Therefore, it is critical that a student and his or her adviser and parents consider with great care the appropriate overall workload for that student.
There is a strong correlation between a student's PSAT Selection Index (total score) and the number of AP courses in which the student enrolls. The charts below indicate the approximate average Selection Index of Baylor students taking AP courses, and the school encourages anyone whose Selection Index is below the average to think carefully about enrolling in so many AP courses.
For example, a rising senior may be recommended for three different AP courses, but if the student's Selection Index is 175, the school recommends that the student enroll in only two of the courses. This recommendation is especially important if the student is involved in an extracurricular activity or activities that require a major time commitment.
| Number of senior AP courses |
Recommended junior PSAT selection index |
| 4 APs |
200 |
| 3 APs |
185 |
| 2 APs |
175 |
| 1 AP |
165 |
Similarly, a rising junior may be recommended for two different AP courses, but if the student's Selection Index is 160, the school recommends that the student enroll in only one of the courses. This recommendation is especially important if the student is involved in an extracurricular activity or activities that require a major time commitment.
| Number of junior AP courses |
Recommended Sophomore PSAT selection index |
| 4 APs |
205 |
| 3 APs |
185 |
| 2 APs |
170 |
| 1 AP |
155 |
Note that the school does not recommend that any student take five AP courses.
Six-Course Load
Most ninth graders take six courses, one of which is an art class that does not give homework. Since classes in a given course meet four days a week, students with six courses attend five classes a day and, on average, prepare homework for four of those classes. In addition, students taking six courses are required to attend two afternoon study halls a week if they meet the criteria mentioned below. Rising freshmen do not need permission to register for six courses.
Students in grades 10-12 who are interested in taking six courses should discuss their overall workload with parents and advisers. Number of honors and AP sections (if any), extracurricular commitments, homework demands of the courses requested are among the factors that deserve consideration as rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors determine their course of study, including whether to take five or six courses. Students who decide to take six courses should consult with their advisers and grade dean and must receive the dean’s approval.
Study Hall Requirements
Below is a link to the study hall requirements for students in each of the upper school grades.
Study hall requirements