Alumni Interview with Joshua: Smart Choices, Early Credits, and a Clear Path

Think Academy’s former student Joshua Zhao is starting college at the University of Washington this fall, majoring in Computer Science. Through thoughtful academic planning and a packed high school transcript, he’s beginning his first semester with an impressive 89 credits. We sat down with Joshua to learn how he built such a strong academic foundation, the key decisions that shaped his high school experience, and what ultimately guided his college choice.

TL;DR

• Joshua, a Think Academy alum, is entering the University of Washington with 89 college credits earned through early AP classes, strong test scores, and strategic planning.
• By accelerating in math and reading starting in middle school, he completed 15 APs, maintained a 3.95 GPA, scored 1570 on the SAT, and pursued extracurricular activities related to his intended major in Computer Science.
• His college choice was guided by academic fit and tuition value—positioning him to graduate in 2.5 to 3 years with minimal debt.
• His advice: start early, pace yourself, and make smart, cost-conscious decisions.

Maximizing College Credits Through AP Classes

In high school, Joshua loaded his schedule with AP classes. He took 15 AP classes in total:

Grade	AP Classes
9	AP World History, AP Chinese Language and Culture
10	AP English Language and Composition, AP Physics 1, AP United States History, AP Computer Science A
11	AP English Literature and Composition, AP Physics C, AP Calculus AB, AP United States Government and Politics
12	AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Physics 2, AP Statistics, AP Calculus BC

Some high schools do not allow students to take AP classes until Grade 10 or Grade 11, but Joshua said that his school offered AP classes to students of all grade levels. Taking 6 AP courses as an underclassman in Grades 9 and 10 put Joshua at a significant advantage both in earning as many credits as possible and in building a strong transcript for college applications.

When asked if he thought that students should try to take AP classes in Grade 9, Joshua stated the he “would encourage students to take at least 1 AP course just to get used to the rigor level that the rest of the high school years will have… I’d suggest balancing AP and regular classes in freshman year to get used to the workload. Then, based on how that goes, choose a challenging but manageable course load for sophomore and junior year to show growth without burning yourself out. Senior year, consider scaling back a bit on APs to make room for college essays—they really hit hard.”

Entering his freshman year of college with 89 credits wasn’t just a result of Joshua’s course selection, though: his performance on the end-of-year AP tests also mattered, as did his choice of college. Every college has its own policy regarding credits for AP classes. University of Washington, the school that Joshua chose to attend, is on the more generous side. UW not only grants credit for every one of the 15 AP classes that Joshua took, it also only requires an AP test score of 3 or higher to earn credit for most classes. Additionally, for certain AP classes, University of Washington grants an increasing number of credits for earning a higher score. For example, if Joshua scored a 3 on the AP Chinese Language and Culture exam, he would be granted 5 credits; if he scored a 4, he would be granted 10 credits, and if he scored a 5, he would be granted 15 credits.

The 89 credits would be enough for Joshua to graduate after only 2 years of college, but he plans to take a bit longer in order to get more out of his college experience: “I expect to graduate early, [but] most likely 2.5/3 years instead of 2 as I plan to study abroad,” Joshua said.

Getting Ahead Early in Middle School

Joshua’s course selection in middle school helped him prepare for the challenging AP classes he took in high school. Joshua opted for an accelerated Math track, tacking Algebra 1 in Grade 7 and Geometry in Grade 8. Most students on a standard Math track do not take these classes until high school. Because Joshua completed them in middle school, he was able to take Algebra 2 in Grade 9, Precalculus in Grade 10, AP Calculus AB in Grade 11, and both AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics in Grade 12. Joshua would not have had the prerequisite knowledge to take those three AP classes in Grades 11 and 12 had he not taken Algebra 1 and Geometry in middle school.

Grade Level	Joshua’s Accelerated Math Track	Standard Math Track
Grade 8	Geometry	Pre-Algebra
Grade 9	Algebra 2	Algebra 1
Grade 10	Precalculus	Geometry
Grade 11	AP Calculus AB	Algebra 2
Grade 12	AP Calculus BC & AP Statistics	Precalculus

Joshua also took Biology in Grade 8, a year earlier than most students, then followed it up by taking Chemistry in Grade 9 and AP Physics 1 in Grade 10. Taking AP Physics before Grade 11 wouldn’t be advisable for most students, but Joshua was prepared because of his accelerated Math and Science tracks. The class is heavily dependent on Algebra, which Joshua was already knowledgeable about, since he took Algebra 2 in Grade 9. Joshua then proceeded to take AP Physics C in Grade 11, a class that involves Calculus concepts and pairs well with AP Calculus, which Joshua took the same year.

Joshua also explained that he was “one year ahead in Reading” by the time he entered high school, which would explain how he was able to take AP English Language and Composition in Grade 10 and AP English Literature and Composition in Grade 11. These classes are typically recommended to Grade 11 and Grade 12 students, respectively. Joshua was able to take them early due to his advanced Reading track.

By the time he reached Grade 12, Joshua was free to take whichever AP classes he found most interesting, since he had already completed the most popular AP courses at earlier grade levels.

Choosing a College

When it came time to apply to colleges, Joshua had a very strong application. In addition to the AP classes that filled his transcript, Joshua also had a 3.95 GPA, and 1570 SAT score, and a variety of extracurricular activities, many of which related to his Computer Science major. Joshua had the credentials to target top-20 schools, but he went into college admissions with a different approach. “I just chose colleges with good Computer Science Programs,” Joshua explained, “and for [deciding] the college to attend I [looked at] CS rankings and tuition costs.”

Most of the colleges that Joshua applied to were state schools, and the college he chose—University of Washington—is located in his home state, allowing him to qualify for in-state tuition. “The cost of UW’s tuition being ¼ and sometimes even ⅙ of some other out-of-state colleges I was accepted into played a huge role in me choosing the University of Washington,” Joshua explained. When asked why tuition cost was such an important factor to him, Joshua replied “To save my family money as well [as] reduce the debt that future-me will have to deal with.“

Joshua wouldn’t discourage students from attending more expensive universities, but he does recommend that they “be mindful of the cost.” “Estimate your financial aid and determine if attending is feasible. Also, apply for scholarships to help cover expenses.”

Big congrats to Joshua! 🎉

Want more inspiring stories? Explore these Think Academy alumni blogs below.

• Alumni Interview with Ava: How Passion and Persistence Paid Off
• Alumni Interview with Ava: How Passion and Persistence Paid Off
• Alumni Interview with Julie: From Early Planning to Dream School Admission

About Think Academy

Think Academy, a leading K–12 math education provider wholly owned by TAL Education Group, is dedicated to helping students build strong mathematical foundations and critical thinking. Our structured curriculum provides multiple course levels designed to accommodate students with diverse academic goals and proficiency levels, ensuring targeted and effective learning experiences. Supported by advanced teaching methods, expert instructors, and innovative AI technology, Think Academy consistently demonstrates excellence, trustworthiness, and proven expertise in mathematics education.

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