Am I going to suffer with this courseload?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I’m going to be a sophomore next year; here is my courseload, but with a catch:

AP Calculus BC
AP Com Sci A
AP US History
AP Physics C Mech
AP Human Geo
Honors Spanish 3
Honors Sophomore English

I’m taking Calc, CSA, and HUG all online via FLVS. I don’t think this should be terrible; I took Calc AB this year, have learned a lot of programming so CSA should be a breeze, and for HUG, I came top ten in geography bee nationals last year and I also got the highest national qualifying score for the United States Geography Olympiad…

These courses, from what I’ve heard, should be easy As (other than Calc BC, but two years on AB and BC is a bit overkill).

For the AP exams, I don’t think it should be hard to get 5s as long as I get the review books. Standardized testing has always been a strength of mine.

The only two courses I worry about are US History and Physics C. US History is the only available AP to sophomores at my school; and next year is the first year they are offering any AP Physics course. I plan to review AP Physics 1 content before going into the class next year, but since I have the calculus down it shouldn’t be that bad, right?

2

Sounds like it will be a breeze for you.

Not sure what comments you are looking for besides “wow you must be the most amazing student”. Obviously that schedule is insane and I’m not sure how your parents or GC could think it’s a good idea. Also not sure how you would continue to challenge yourself for jr and at year as colleges like to see an increased rigor each year.

3

@MAmom111

I’m not sure if taking all these online courses will be good for me in the long run, especially Calc BC…this year, I’m not even getting an A in Calc AB (barely scraping away with a B+)…

My counselor is great, but maybe too nice? She agrees to almost every scheduling thing I ask her.

Also Physics C will me tough. I need some input on the course; I’ve never taken a ahysics class, and physics has never appealed to me. I’m not sure how hard I will need to work.

4

Of course, you are not sure. It looks crazy to me. Whose idea is it to do this? Are you doing anything else in terms if developing yourself— don’t see how you are going to have the time? Is this really what you want to do?

5

@cptofthehouse I realize that if I plainly took these courses at my school, I would truly suffer.

I’ve already outlined how three of the APs should be relatively easy, or at least I think they will be… (Two years for AB/BC, background CS knowledge, background geo knowledge). I’ve done research on those FLVS classes and people say they are easy, but still get a 5 without that much prep.

I would be inundated by homework if I took those courses at school (we don’t offer any of them). Online classes allow me to pace myself so that I do a lot more work when I have time. The other four classes that I’m actually taking at my school are regular classes for my grade; my current teacher says I will thrive in APUSH. It’s only Physics C that’s causing me some headaches.

6

To be honest, this is about your 7th humblebrag post along the lines of “Look how awesome my schedule is.” I’m not sure what more you want us to say.

Well, you complained when they would not let you in the class, and you decided to fight it with the GC against more experienced users advice. So again, not sure what there is new for us to say. Although since it is only mechanics and not E&M, it will be a little more manageable, but with no physics background, likely a ton of work especially if you need to keep up with students who have had an intro class before.

7

@skieurope Might seem like a humble brag on the surface, but it’s not really like that…I consider it normal (this why I came to this site in the first place)…looking at the “Chance Me” threads, there are people FAR better than me. I don’t believe that I’m smart; I survive only from hard work.

8

Why not just take what your HS offers? If they don’t offer AP courses till junior year (our HS doesn’t either) then colleges will not use that against you. As long as you are taking the highest rigor available at your HS you should be fine. Save some time to do some EC’s or maybe just have a little fun in high school.

9

Then why are you asking the question? If this is truly your passion to do, there would be no question. If it’s not, IMO, not a good use of time. If it’s such a piece of cake to do, that it frees you to do other things, great too. But it isn’t going to impress top school admissions that you spent your high school years glued to online courses to get as many upper level ones you can, at the expense of being an active interesting contributing member of a school community.

The most selective schools are not just looking for those with the top test scores, grades and courses, but looking for vibrant personalities that add to the college community. I’ve seen so many parents and kids frustrated that their top ranked student record did not get them into the top schools. There is a holistic aspect to the selection and someone spending all that time online courses is not a good catch. Maybe to an online school. If that’s your goal, yes, that’s great. Colleges want their students in their classroom “wasting “ their time in discussions, homework’s, arguments and just there.

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@cptofthehouse Alright, thanks a lot. I don’t really know what I want to achieve…but I’m just going to top CS schools (probably not considering Ivies)…I always thought they don’t care too much about community service and other stuff like that.

11

@squ1rrel Since you asked, I would hold off on Physics C until junior year. As you have no Physics background, why not take a regular Physics class or Honors? You said it has never appealed to you. So why take the hardest form of the class, especially given the fact that you currently are finding AB challenging.

Alternately, are there other science courses that you have not yet taken like Bio and Chem?

Of the remaining AP courses, BC and APUSH are likely to be time consuming. It sounds like HG and CS won’t be too difficult with your current background.

12

@mamaedefamilia I’m not really struggling in AB, but our teacher grades hard and is strict. I’m confident I can get a 5; generally, all I need to get is more than 50% right on the FRQ and 75% on multiple choice, right?

I was planning to review lots of physics over the summer, but that might not be viable now. I’m technically not allowed to take honors physics; for some reason, they will let me take Physics C but not honors. I have to take honors bio over the summer because our prerequisite system goes honors phys sci → honors bio → honors chem → pick one of ap chem, ap bio, ap physics c, or honors physics; we are quite behind in STEM.

@MAmom111 thus you can see that if I don’t challenge myself with STEM classes, I will suffer in college even if I get into the ones I desire.

13

Have you taken any AP tests and gotten the results yet? Or early PSAT and precursor ACT tests?

If CS is your passion and going this route allows you to spend more time in coding and doing other things you enjoy, go to it. Also, if you are aiming for pure CS achievement and not interested in the schools that look more at the whole picture, fine too. Though even they will certainly acknowledge true sterling achievements going this path. I have no idea where you are in the scheme of things.

That you consider this something to suffer, is what concerns me. Also if you don’t pull this off as you are hoping. I’ve seen kids bite off too much with online courses and get dinged for it. They’d have done much better and been happier for it, had they spent more time as they pleased.

My niece is in a very rigorous high school that focuses a bit too much on grads getting into top name schools. They are very very heavy into online resources. Probably the best in country in that. But they also are very conscientious about hands on activities and showing development of one’s self as well.

14

@cptofthehouse I took the PSAT this year and got a 1300/1440 which was 99th percentile (1300 seems weak, I didn’t study). I took a practice SAT test last year and got ~1400 :frowning: I think the ACT might be better for me. I took the SSAT last year and got a 2300/2400 (98th percentile).

I still have three years left. I will certainly try to find some more “wholesome” activities. Where I’m strong in classes, I lack in ECs.

15

No, you’re not, as I told you on one of your other threads. That is a typical progression. Kids on this site that post atypical schedules are the exception, not the rule, even for those accepted to top CS schools.

No, you won’t, and you’re too early in your HS career to even think that.

I hope you don’t plan to use all of your summers like this. Nothing screams “one-dimensional” to an AO than the application of the kid who spent every summer taking classes.

16

OP - You have not listened to any of the advice given to you on your other threads. You are NOT setting yourself to be successful for college admission. It’s not a race to get the most STEM courses. That is simply not what HS is about or what colleges are looking for. Do not rush through your foundational classes.

Re-read what @skieurope posted: “Nothing screams “one-dimensional” to an AO than the kid who spent every summer taking classes.”

You NEED ECs . You NEED volunteer hours. You NEED leadership roles and activities. Take the courses offered to you in your high school. Do not pile on online courses. They are unnecessary.

17

@momofsenior1 @skieurope I agree I do need to find leadership roles and volunteer more, but I disagree that I am one-dimensional. Sports were my priority in all of elementary and middle school. Soccer, although it doesn’t pose as important of a role in my life now, is still my number one EC. I have spent far more time on the sport than any other activity in my life. It was my conundrum of whether I should go into the recruiting process that was the topic of my most viewed thread.

If I captain on a varsity sport, is that considered a good EC?

18

It sounds like you have taken one AP this year and you are getting a B in it. Which is fine as you are only a freshman and probably should have taken a prerequisite before you took it. But you are saying it is because the teacher grades hard. It’s an AP class, the teacher should grade hard. It sounds like you are trying to take these courses online so that you can avoid another hard teacher.

If you are not doing great in one AP, why would taking 5 AP’s and 2 honors next year make any sense at all? Slow down. You have 3 more years ahead of you. Take regular physics and then take AP physics junior or senior year. You are smart, probably even brilliant but you need to slow down and start learning, not just rushing through everything and racking up credits. Play HS soccer for fun and find some activities you ENJOY doing. Do you have any friends that you relax and spend time with or is your whole life just worrying about college?

19

Colleges don’t care what you did in elementary and in middle school. They care about what you are doing in HS. Absolutely if you are continuing playing soccer through HS that is a good thing. Even better if you are good enough to be recruitable.

I also thing taking AP physics mechanics as a sophomore is a mistake.

20

Without knowing what you are like, most of us cannot applaud your choice as a great one because for most kids, it is not. Until you take the APs, there is no telling what you will get. You aren’t a nth degree test whiz with those numbers you just gave, I can tell you. That you are questioning your choice is also a sign that this is not pure passion driving you this way.

I knew a brilliant young man who just could not stand high school. He regarded it a waste of time. His teachers annoyed him and didn’t respect him as the genius he was, making him go through all the steps that his classmates had to do. He didn’t get along with the classmates either. In fact, school was pure torture to him, and the decision to let him stay home, do an online homeschool, take AP and advanced courses was more to take the social stress of school off of him than to accelerate his curriculum, though that was achieved as well.

He was accepted early to the local state school but not, to everyone’s surprise and disappointment, to the local top 25 private college with the Highly rated CS dept. A number of those classmates he felt was holding him back were accepted to that vet program much to his parents’ and his outrage.

Imo, the damage of a stressful highschool experience was mitigated by their move and si it was a successful one. I don’t believe subjecting anyone to bullying and derision is a good thing. It does not build the type of character I would want to see built. But the other expectations were unreasonable.

So, in your case, if it’s so unbearable for you to work with your classmates at school, and you really are hungry to do these courses at home, go to it. But do not expect to get a step up from the move in terms of college opportunities.

If your school is truly behind in courses to prepare you for top colleges in your sights, what you are doing is fantastic. If you are doing this because you can’t work with the system, it shows a problem with you. If you are doing this because you want to spend time on some other tremendous thing, impressive! If you are spending all your time to do this, …sad. I’m trying to give you a feel for the nuances of what you are doing and how it will likely be viewed.