I’ve talked to friends, family, teachers, even a vice principle…but I can’t decide. Generally,nobody had any strong opinions. I want to challenge myself, but not to the point where it sacrifices my GPA. In my school, max AP is 3 but it’s possible to take more.
Potential Plan for Junior year:
AP Chem-- Currently taking regular Chem but got a 99 in the class and am “qualified.” The teacher is also the AP teacher…she only warned me that it will be faster and harder, but didn’t discourage it either.
AP Physics 1-- juniors are required to take physics…and if so, I prefer AP than regular. Physical Science was a struggle for me in 8th grade (still got A) so I am a bit worried about physics. The teacher there has a pass rate around the 90s.
AP US History-- the next level after AP World Hist, which is currently a breeze to me and got 101 (weighted). I also took AP Human Geo which was soso. I got an A in that class and a 4 on the APHUG exam
AP English/Comp-- I’m taking regular English, but my teacher is also the AP and she recommends me to take AP. Personally, I think this will be a hard class, but she thinks I can pull it off…
And I’m also going to be taking pre-calc and there’s no option for me.
Current/Past APs I have:
AP World Hist.
AP Stat
AP Human Geo
Opinions please! If I drop one AP, it will most likely be AP Chem, which will be pushed back to my senior year maybe (but then I’ll take 5 APs…)
Will you have a study hall? Taking AP Chem and AP Physics will be very tough with APUSH and APLANG. (These AP’s are usually harder than your previous AP’s.) What are you interested in majoring in? If it isn’t science, I would hold on AP Chem if you have to take Physics junior year and you want it to be AP. Colleges will want a strong GPA through junior year. IMO I would speak with your guidance counselor. If she would still mark your transcript as most rigorous without AP Chem (not sure what you would be taking instead) then I would move it to senior year.
Thank you for your reply!
We don’t have study halls ;_;
The AP science teachers think it’s somewhat doable to double up (but only around 30 students double their sciences) and their main concern is APUSH and APLANG together since that will require more time with the readings and all. I don’t want to give up APUSH or APLANG though since my social studies are going well so far and my eng teacher wants me to do AP LANG.
My major is undecided (another problem lol), but I may go with a science major since I haven’t taken any technology classes…and that would look weird if I wrote that I want to pursue a tech field in my college app.
I talked to my guidance counselor, but she didn’t have any opinions 
she said as long as I knew what I was doing, with the amount of workload and such, I can go for it even though it will be risky.
I will have enough rigorous classes without AP Chem to meet our scholarship (if that’s what you mean?)
If I push it to my senior year, my potential schedule would look like this:
AP Chem
AP Calc
AP Physics C
AP Gov/Econ
AP Lit
So then would it be better to just not do AP Chem or AP Physics C??
I heard that colleges like AP Physics C though?
My school recommends taking AP Lit before AP Lang. Not sure if that’s an option for you, but that’s what they recommended for the highest chances of success.
:o that’s interesting. Sadly, this isn’t an option in my school. I have to take AP Lang first, then AP Lit.
Your school is in the minority. The vast majority recommend Lang before Lit.
Colleges have no preference of Physics C vs Chem. Regardless, make your schedule based upon what is right for you, not on what colleges might think.
Can you do 4 AP’s? I don’t know, can you? You (and maybe your parents/GC/teachers know that answer best. Many students are successful with 4 PA’s as a junior, but many also struggle with 1 or 2. Personally, I think it is doable, although it will be a lot of work. Good luck.
APUSH and AP Lang are quite easy (at least for me, currently doing 6 APs).
Your main worry should be doing Physics AP and Chem AP. Most of my AP’s are quite easy AP (Psychology, CompGov, Art Hist,) so I can take a lot of them.
I would probably sign up and maybe drop from AP Physics down to Honors or Regs if it gets too hard (you be the judge).
Lucky…I could never do 6 of them.
We have a policy that once we sign up, we can’t get out 
so I really do have to think about it. I don’t want to mess up my GPA
I literally am taking the exact schedule you want to take next year and yes, taking two sciences is hard, but it is doable and I got straight A’s last semester. So I would recommend taking the 4 APs.
You don’t need to take physics C, it’s hardcore and mostly for engineering serious stem students. Since you’re not sure what you want to major in, you can apply 'undecided ’ and you really don’t need to take physics C.
So, drop physics C from your senior schedule.
It means you could take AP chemistry junior or senior year.
What would you take if you didn’t double up in science junior year?
How would you replace physics C?
How are you with foreign languages? Most selective colleges will want 3 years and top colleges expect 4 or AP.
I see…
If I don’t double science AP, I might take AP Chemistry with regular physics in junior year. Then, if I feel comfortable, I might take AP Physics 1 and AP Bio during senior year.
I’m currently taking spanish 3. I also already did duel enrollment spanish 101 and 102.
One reason why I’m kinda getting obsessed over the physics stuff is because one of the top (affordable) college in my state is a tech college…does that change your opinion? I heard it’s competitive
If you’re talking Georgia Tech, I don’t think admissions will hinge on Physics C or anything specifically. It’s become totally unpredictable.
If you mean Clemson or Auburn or Colorado Mines or Purdue, Physics C is NOT necessary as long as you have AP Physics 1 (and calculus). BTW, AP Physics 1 is conceived as the first course in the physics sequence, so you don’t need to take a physics course before you take it, but of course you could take regular physics junior year and AP Physics 1 senior year.
It’s weird you’re in Spanish 3 after taking 101 and 102 (which would typically cover HS Spanish 1, 2, and 3).
…You’re right on the dot. It’s GA tech…
That’s great to hear about the other places too. I plan to take AP calc during senior year, so I’m glad I’ll meet at least that requirement .
I see! That makes me feel better about the AP physics 1 part, knowing that reg physics isn’t really needed to take the AP one. One of my relatives is freaking out because when she took it (at college), it was really hard for the concept to sink in. She’s afraid the same may happen to me.
yeah…Spanish is weird for me right now haha. I don’t know what I should do with it (continuing or not). I guess that depends on my schedule.
Spanish: If you can continue it through community college, it’ll go faster. For a lighter class, take it in high school. Try to reach Level 4.
Have you discussed costs and budgets with your parents?
If not, run the NPC on UGA, GATech, Purdue, Clemson, UAlabama, Cal Poly SLO, Lehigh, RPI, Rose Hulman, Northeastern, Lafayette, Northwestern. Show the results to your parents. Be ready for them to be in shock (when we went to college Harvard tuition was 15K and you could attend your instate public university for about $500 a semester.) See what they can afford and what they can’t, using their current income and their savings for your college.
Yes, I’ll try to continue the Spanish at the community college if possible. I’m attending a branch campus, so I don’t know if they go on above 102. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Um…embarrassingly, no I haven’t. To be honest, college is somewhat new to us. I’m the oldest sibling and my parents are from other places. I didn’t even know about the NPC until I looked it up. I just assumed out-of-state colleges were not within my reach because of the costs.
Out of state colleges:
1° private colleges often like students from OOS and those known as “national universities” and, especially “national LACs” even practice preferential packaging for OOS from more than 400 miles away.
2° some universities have merit scholarships competitions and some even have automatic scholarships (like UAlabama). This usually goes with Honors Colleges. USC Columbia has a great honors college, for instance. The higher your SAT/ACT score, the better. NMSF’s get even more choices (PSAT taken October junior year = giant scholarship competition).
3° Many OOS public universities see OOS applicants are cash cows.
4° Since you qualify for HOPE and Zell Miller, that’ll be the offer to beat. However you can’t count on getting into GeorgiaTech due to its becoming totally unpredictable and UGA is no one’s safety unless you’re valedictorian. That makes finding other colleges within your budget very important.
Do you know your EFC?
Many parents can’t afford their EFC (which itself is a misnommer: it’s typically the minimum amount a college will expect your family to contribute. Some will give you scholarships so that you end up having to pay that EFC… and others won’t, so that you have to pay even more!)
If you have a low EFC, 12K or less, applying to 100% need colleges would make sense. Those are colleges that calculate your financial need and promise to provide you with sufficient financial aid even if you need a lot of it. There are only about 80 of them out of 3,700 universities in the US…
If your parents can’t afford your EFC, then you need to look for merit aid - scholarships given to you so that you’re attracted to a specific college. In exchange you bring the college higher-than-typical test scores.
Don’t double up in ap sciences. They’re already hard enough for most people, and you’ll definitely regret it.
I saw GA Tech’s dropping admission rate…It seems tough, especially when I look at the posts on here (rejected people who have an excellent profile) , so I was expecting UGA to be a safety I guess I shouldn’t be too hopeful and look around some more.
I don’t know my EFC, but I’ll talk to my parents about this. Thank you so much!
Calculate your EFC
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/paying-your-share/expected-family-contribution-calculator
Ask your parents if they can pay that much.
If they can, look for a “meet need” college
http://www.thecollegesolution.com/schools-that-meet-100-of-financial-need-2/
If they can’t, you’ll need to hunt for merit aid and apply widely in GA (assuming it’s your home state).
UGA’s acceptance rate is 53%… so in order for your odds to be higher than one in two you’d need much higher than average stats.
UGA’s average GPA is 3.9 and their average ACT is 29. For selective majors you’d need an ACT of 31. On the other hand, with a 32 your odds are good at their honors college, which is very good.
Everyone, thank you very much for your comments! I read all of them, and after putting a lot of thought into it, I decided to do the 4 APs. This may be a bad decision… maybe not, but I will move forward. If I remember this thread, I will post my updates on how I am doing with these classes for those who are/will be in a similar situation as me.
Goodbye for now