3 Sciences Junior Year

I think your schedule is a recipe for disaster, especially with test prep and a history of depression. Why take AP Physics 1 and then Physics C? I would drop Physics and save it for sr year.

PS - my kid only did 3 years of a language and was accepted to colleges that recommended 4 including an ivy.

For almost every HS, AP Physics 1 (or physics H) is a prereq for AP Physics C.

If there’s an interest, yes. If it’s just to take another AP? No.

As someone with experience in both languages, depending on why you are struggling in Spanish, you may have even more of a struggle with Russian, albeit for different reasons. But I don’t think that not having 4 years of Spanish will be the reason you are rejected from any of these colleges, if that happens.

Getting ahead of ourselves a bit, but let me give you a heads-up. Depending on the college, scheduling will be an issue. Something may be forced to give.

Astrophysics?
Understand colleges like Stanford and Chicago will “stay true” to themselves, too, when choosing who fits. When matching yourself, you need to understand what they want. This isn’t about superficially “looking good,” but having the right background, experiences, and thinking. It’s like any contest. You follow the directions.

If you want to just be yourself, fine. But pick college targets that focus on grades, scores, and admit lots and lots of kids, 25-40% plus.

Your competition will have perfect grades for 4 years, highest rigor, experiences beyond the high school or a program. Plus more.

When you want the big league, you have to play at big league level.

Your choice.

@lookingforward I am sorry, but I do not understand how that applies to me. My siblings both got into UChicago by staying true with what they love. Actually, I do a bit more extracurriculars than they did and have leadership positions. We have similar grades too.
Your statement of targetting colleges that focus on grades is not what I’m looking for. My grades are the lowest part of my application, so I would rather that be weighted a bit less on the applications. I understand that top schools want a “perfect” application and I don’t due to my dip one semester, but so did my brother! He had 3 B’s one semester just like I did.
I am trying to get the experience I need. My ultimate goal is to be an astronaut and I am doing everything I can for the right background ie STEM major, Russian, pilot license, etc. Doing some Spanish class won’t give me the background for that.

The ultimate question of this thread was whether my schedule for next year is balanced enough and shows rigor with time to focus on extracurriculars, standardized testing, etc. I didn’t mean for this to go into the rest of my application. :frowning:

@suzyQ7 I have to take Physics 1 before Physics C. Frankly, I would fail Physics C if I skipped Physics 1. I actually just switched AP Bio to AP Micro/Macro, but that was because the class was full. I might switch APES to AP Biology if it does become available. :slight_smile:

@skieurope Thank you so much for your help and for clearing things up for me! I really appreciate it. :smiley:

We can’t compare you with your sibs when we know so little about you and nothing about them. It’s not just getting B grades but what courses.

I’m not fighting you. I want you to see the challenges with toppy tops and have the right balance of options. Also, to understand that you pick your targets, but they pick whom to admit. That’s based on what they want, not what the applicant wants. And that includes the right attitude.

Your choice how to proceed.

@lookingforward My B’s were in AP courses, I’m fine. And of course, colleges choose who they want, yet I still have to work hard and display my best self. I know I am not going to get into every school I apply to, but I am still going to try. I am not going to try to mold myself into something I’m not as if I get accepted to a college, it is because they believe I will be a good fit for their school. A fake persona isn’t going to cut it as I could end up miserable there. It is about what colleges I want to apply to as myself, not pretending to be someone else because that they want.

Take AP Physics and APES junior year, AP Physics C senior year.
No tripling in science.
AP Econ will be a good way to balance your schedule.
Your reasoning for dropping Spanish and taking Russian is sound, but depending on why you struggled with Spanish, Russian may prove a big challenge: you’ll find Russian much much harder. Completing Russian 2 at a college would meet the foreign language requirement (you’d actually have 2 “level 3” languages: Russian and Spanish.)

Is your school set up so that Physics 1 is a prerequisite for Physics C? I know that some schools have Physics C as a standalone class. If that’s the case with your school, then the teacher of that class will be prepared to teach physics to someone who’s never taken a physics class before. Just something to consider.

OP already said that " I have to take Physics 1 before Physics C."
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22298164/#Comment_22298164

which, BTW, is the norm. It’s seems only on CC where people just say to skip intro physics and go right to Physics C :smile:

Lol, this isn’t about a “fake persona.” Go ahead and choose realistic targets that want what you feel you are.

“It is about what colleges I want to apply to as myself, not pretending to be someone else because that they want.”

So, don’t fool yourself that schools like S and Chicago are a simple roll of the dice. They look for a type. If you have no sense what that is- or are resolute that you don’t want to meet those expectations- find the right matches that want kids like you. No magical thinking.

So what AP courses got B grades?

@skieurope I know, but I was wondering if that was mandated by her school or if she personally felt that she had to take AP physics one before AP physics c.

@MYOS1634 I didn’t know that 2 years of Russian would count as level 3. That sounds awesome! I will definitely take Russian 2 at a local college next year!

@nomood My school requires it. Also, I would fail Physics C if I didn’t take Physics 1. A vast majority of the people who took Physics 1 and are in Physics C now have a low B.

@lookingforward AP US History which I was fine with as it was my hardest class and I was able to learn a great work ethic second semester after overcoming my personal health issues. :smile:

AP Computer Science A. Technically, I had an A, a 91% at the end of the semester, but my teacher sucks. He dropped my grade to an 89.99 (took off points at a random spot) since “I was gone the first 7 days.” When I was gone I was attending an awesome fully funded culturally immersive computer science program across the world, so that experience was worth much more than getting a B. Still kind of sucks though as I do teach a Java class and won a Java competition.

Colleges would rather you take a reasonably challenging number of courses and do well than take 3 Ap sciences at once and do poorly.

I would recommned one of AP Bio/Chem/Physics and then AP Env Sci if you have an interest (not just because it is AP)

I ultimately decided to drop AP Env Sci and AP Music Theory, and take AP Statistics and AP Micro/Macro Economics. Thank you all so much for your help!