Need advice to choose two out of these three, please. Planning to apply for an engineering major, probably chemical engineering, but could be biochemical, or another STEM, to competitive colleges.
Here is what I’m thinking, but please correct me if that’s not the case. Physics is more in line with an engineering program. Taking Physics will show interest (and is probably expected), and also prepare for the college courses better. Personal choice, not related to the discipline itself, would be to NOT take Physics, but if needed it could be ignored. AP Biology, on the other hand, will be useful only if the major really is biochemical engineering (not thinking about biology for major). At this point, biochemical is a possibility, but only a possibility. AP CS (I think) will be useful in any case. On the other hand, I hear AP CS is not that impressive on the transcript and doesn’t really prepare/replace college programming courses?
The other issue is, would it be too much to take both AP Biology and AP Physics? The other classes will be AP Calculus BC, AP foreign language (not a native speaker, and it’s not an European language) and honors English (AP is not offered). So taking both Physics and Biology might be challenging although Physics Honors in 9th grade was an A, and Biology Honors now is at ~90%/A-. If taking both, and the grades are not A/A-, is it still better than unrelated AP CS on the schedule?
Getting credits for AP is not the most important consideration, the question is more about how these courses will look on the applications.
Thank you!
Well, currently I’m taking AP Biology and AP Physics C without struggling too much. I also take AP Calc BC, AP Spanish, AP Eng as well so I suppose we’re similar. Got an A+ in Bio and A in Phys. Naturally school standards differ, but as long as you stay on top of work, it’s a doable challenge.
If you only want to take one, I’d say take Physics to keep it fresh. But really, you can’t go wrong.
I think any combination of the classes would be fine for Chem E. It really depends on your school and the teachers to know if AP Physics and AP Bio would be too much to take together. Talk to your guidance counselor or students currently enrolled in those classes. Remember you will also have the college application process to manage during your senior year. In our HS the hard science APs are super rigorous and the only student I know who took two hard science APs concurrently ended up going to CalTech.
Thank you, Nedcone, that sounds encouraging, and thank you happy1! It gave me an idea, the guidance counselor might know if any students in our HS are taking both Physics and Biology, and maybe even how they are doing, without the names of course. Meeting with her the day after tomorrow, but it would be better to have a plan before as the deadline for the selection is 3/15.
Forgot to say, taking AP Chemistry + Biology Honors now, so they will be on the transcript.
The dean says very often a B student in our AP class gets 5 on the AP exam, so the program must be rigorous enough.
CalTech is probably well aware of your HS curriculum
I would take Physics and CS. AP Physics is the most useful for any engineering major. If you didn’t take it, top colleges will wonder why, since your high school offers it. AP CS is also useful for most engineering majors.
