I’m a sophomore in high school, and my prospective schedule next year will be:
English 11 Honors
AP Calc BC
APUSH
AP Physics 1
Leadership (required for ASB officers)
...
I’m having trouble deciding between AP Bio and AP French. AP Bio at my school is pretty hard, but nothing I wouldn’t be able to handle if I really tried (though my other classes might affect my performance). I’ve already had 3 years of French, 2 in high school, but I don’t know how critical a 4th year would be to colleges. The thing is my French teacher is HORRIBLE, both as a teacher and a person. No one has ever gotten a 5 on the AP test going through his class, and there have been maybe 2-3 4s (he’s been teaching for 5 years).
Which class should I choose? (btw I’m planning on double majoring in math and physics)
AP French would be a better choice for your junior year since you already have an appointment science class. (Not to mention that French is an important language for grad school in math).
For physics, taking physics C senior year would be more important than bio in any case.
So, in terms of coordination with future major and adcom’ s perspective, French would win out.
The wrench thrown into this is the fact the teacher isn’t good.
From the single opinion provided. Regardless, if any of the colleges on your list suggest 4 years of a foreign language, then you should take 4 years of a foreign language. The quality of instruction will be considered as a valid excuse by nobody.
You should not double up at the expense of a core subject. You can take AP Bio as a senior, or as @MYOS1634 suggests, AP Physics C, if offered.
Agree generally that French is more important for various reasons based on your intended academic path.
However, the apparent low AP score distribution associated with that teacher / course is not a good sign. What does the rest of the AP score distribution (how many 3, 2, 1 scores?) look like?
Thanks for the replies! I’m definitely taking Physics C senior year since that’s what I plan on continuing in college. My school doesn’t offer French 4, just AP. I’m also thinking about maybe doing premed in college, which is why I’m considering doing AP Bio. I hate my French teacher with a passion (he is truly a horrible person who does not deserve to be a teacher in a high school, let alone one teaching an AP course), and I don’t know if I can handle another year with him. Would taking SAT French this year make up for not taking the class?
Standardized tests do not “make up” for not taking a class.
I suggest you take some time and check the common data set to see the required/recommended HS classes for colleges you plan to apply to. Just google "common data set " and look at section C. For the most competitive colleges you should strive to meet or exceed the required/recommended HS courses.
If schools you are interested in recommend/require 4 years then perhaps you could consider other ways to get that fourth year of French – maybe taking a semester at a CC or taking an accredited online class.
An alternative for you would be to participate in a summer intensive program in French or enroll in a dual enrollment class (if you completed HS 3, you could enroll in college 3+4, or if your teacher is that bad, college 2+3, or perhaps College French 3).
Hey, I would do AP Bio. It’ll be more rewarding in terms of experience. You said your French teacher is not very good which is significant since it can definitely affect your performance. Also take into consideration that you’re going to most likely have to take the AP French Test, so unless you plan on self-studying or getting outside help, I would go AP Bio. You don’t want to beat yourself up studying for a class you’re not having fun in. I’m taking AP Chemistry right now, and it’s the first class I’ve ever struggled with and had to prepare for, and while I had a multitude of downfalls, I’ve learned some pretty valuable lessons from the whole experience. AP Bio will teach you a lot about studying and preparation not to mention the actual content. Only thing I would be careful of is that you’re taking APUSH, which will take a lot of time from you, and yeah, if you can take AP Physics C, take that instead if you’ve already had experience with basic physics courses. Also, just out of curiosity, how long are your school’s AP science classes? At my school, we have 2 periods of AP Science the first semester than just 1 the second semester, so it ends up being a year and a half worth of classes.
I’m mostly targeting the UCs, especially Berkeley. I know the a-g requirements recommend 3 years, which is also part of why I’m considering taking bio, since I already have French at level 3. @RadQuaint we just have one period of AP science per semester, so it only takes up a year in our schedule. Thanks for everyone’s replies, they’ve been really helpful!
Can you take French through dual enrollment/over the summer, and take AP Bio during the year?
Having just the recommended minimum is not optimal.
Perhaps taking the class as dual enrollment during the summer (where it’ll be super compressed) or during the year (twice the ace of a HS course) would allow to get to the level you need and take AP Bio. Be aware that if you completed HS French 3, you’d be taking college FR3 (1003,201…) for one semester then college French 4 (202… ). These aren’t always offered over the summer or even at all community colleges.
If you want engineering, AP physics C is important. If you want pre-med, AP chem is more important.
That depends on the college’s French placement procedures. In some cases, third year high school French recommends placement into second semester college French. And if the OP’s high school French courses are as low quality as s/he describes, s/he may not even be ready for second semester college French.