Hi I’m a high school junior and I am wondering whether a fourth year of science is a good idea for college admissions. I have a 98 or so weighted GPA, and including this year I have taken 7 AP classes. I am looking to apply to the top non-Ivy League schools, including Villanova, University of North Carolina, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Boston College, etc. Since I have already taken AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics I (this year), do I need a 4th year of science? I want to major in English, and then move on to Law School. Other AP classes I have taken are AP World History, AP US History (this year), AP Calculus AB (this year), and AP Language and Composition (this year).
Without a Science Class, my tentative schedule for next year is:
AP Literature and Composition
AP Economics
Theology (required for all 4 years)
Independent Science Research Honors (have all 4 years, and have had some recognition in national contests)
AP Statistics
AP Spanish
Thanks for all the help!
Look at the web sites for your schools of interest. If they don’t require four years of science (and I think most won’t) then you should be fine.
You do have the big three sciences, all at the advanced (AP) level, which is the strongest possible three years of science. And you will get the fourth year with that science research class that you are taking anyway.
Note that no specific major is required for pre law. If you want to go into patent law, a science or engineering major would be useful.
You have Bio, Chem, and Physics, not just “regular” but also AP, so you’re covered. Also, Independent research/science = a science. Don’t sweat it, you’re fine.
Unless a Math is required, I’d swap AP Stats for a “fun” elective - unless your idea of a “fun” elective is AP Stats of course. 
However, statistics, either now or in college, will be generally useful no matter what your major or professional goals are.
I agree that taking a statistics class in college is a very good idea (in part because, when listing “relevant classes” on your resume, you can always list statistics - whereas no one cares about the classes you took in HS).
In college may be preferable if you want to take a calculus based statistics course.
@MYOS1634 Unless a Math is required, I’d swap AP Stats for a “fun” elective
Villanova likes to see 4 yrs of math, so I would stick with a 4th yr of math. Have you taken any calc?
^OP has taken Calc AB. S/he has thus completed the 4th level of math (actually, above 4th level, since 4th level is precalculus. 4th level is counted as 1 year post Algebra2 - AP calc = level 5.). After Calc AB, students can take BC if their school sees AB-BC as a sequence (vs. AB OR BC as a level indication), but since OP wants to focus on humanities, that’d be a good area in which to take an extra class. Or, considering that college apps are like an extra class in themselves, taking a “fun” and “easy” class to lighten the work load.
Calc bc is offered, but if I want lighten my workload next year, I think I’d only take 1 math class. I’m leaning towards ap stat, bc I think having some sort of background in statistics would help more than another year of calculus. Thoughts?
As a future humanities major who’s taken calculus, you’re better off taking statistics or another Humanities class. Colleges don’t distinguish between AB and BC for admission purpose/curriculum rigor evaluation, unless we’re talking a future stem major at a highly selective college. You won’t need calculus BC for anything. You could take statistics, but do plan on taking it in college regardless, since it’s a very useful class to have and to be able to put on your resume under “relevant classes” (stats is always relevant). Note that a Statistics class in college fulfills the Quantitative requirement everywhere a Humanities major might want to go.