We have to pick our classes for next year by the end of January(my school is weird) and I don’t know if I should take AP Calc AB or BC. I’m going into my senior year, and I ended my first semester of honors pre calc with a 97.52 but all we did was algebra 2 review and trig ratios, so nothing too hard. I got a B+ in honors algebra 2 (I switched from a really easy school freshman year to an intensive prep school sophomore year, so it’s pretty normal for students to struggle, but I did well in all my other classes), so I studied all the algebra 2 concepts over the summer to make sure I did well, so this is really the 3rd time I see them, obviously I will do well. What do y’all think? I want to take impressive classes but I also don’t want to get a bad grade on the last transcript colleges will see.
Which class do your current math teacher and guidance counselor recommend you take?
What do you plan to study in college?
What types of colleges do you plan to apply to?
My teacher recommends BC. I’m for my other classes I’m taking AP Lit, AP Physics 2, AP French, AP Macro and AP Bio, but if I do BC I might drop Bio
Do you think it would be better to take AB and Bio or BC?
Unless you are an absolute science whiz I would not take two AP science classes in the same year.
I wouldn’t call myself I science whiz, but I’m taking AP Chem and AP Physics 1 right now; I got an 97.03 in chem and a 96.18 in physics, although I like those subjects while I’m not really interested in bio. Regardless, would you recommend BC then?
I’d probably take BC as long as you have had a HS biology class. Most colleges like to see a sequence of bio, chem, and physics taken in HS. Again the answer will also depend on what you plan to study in college and the type of colleges you plan to apply to.
Thanks for your help!
The answer is “it depends.” You really need to answer the questions previously posed to get better feedback:“What do you plan to study in college? What types of colleges do you plan to apply to?”
Personally, I would take BC and Bio and drop physics, if something had to give.
I would probably want to study chem in college. My top choice is Duke, but I’m also applying to William and Mary, UVA and chapel hill. You recommend dropping physics and not bio, would it look worse to take BC and physics 2 than BC and Bio?
Unless it’s a graduation requirement, I would drop AP Macro, although your senior year classload is extremely rigorous/daunting.
If you are interested in a potential Engineering major, then BC is the course to take. If you have already taken Biology in a non-AP version, then there is no need to take AP Bio. Plus Physics 2 is more E/M so that might be helpful in the future.
Also a valid option. It’s six of one, one half dozen of the other.
I know AP French will be a total joke, I’ve had the teacher for 2 years now and we do nothing on his class. I’m in honors 4 rn and it’s an easy 100, the AP students say the same, although I’m sure I will fail the exam. I want to take AP macro to add a humanities so my transcript looks more balenced, but if I had to choose should I take bio or macro?
I’m a firm believer that one should not double up at the expense of another core subject. Additionally, econ is a life skill, valuable regardless of future career plans.
The best (and by far the hardest) combo is if you can take Calc BC and Physics C if it is offered, if you’re going for impressive. AP Physics 1 and 2 are fairly “lightweight” since they are Algebra-based courses.
Let’s not rehash the “Which is better - Physics 2 or Physics C” discussion again. The OP has that covered elsewhere.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/2095020-is-my-grade-12-schedule-realistic.html#latest
As I said there (and elsewhere), a HS student should not select a schedule to “impress” because nobody will be. Rather s/he should select that which more closely aligns with future plans, IMO.
My school doesn’t offer physics C, does AP 2 still look good?
Replace “impress” with “look good” in my earlier post, and the meaning would remain identical. In the grand scheme of things it won’t matter. But here’s some other things to consider:
AP Bio is generally regarded as more rigorous than AP Physics 2. However, if taking AP Physics 2 vs AP Bio earns you a “most demanding” courseload designation from your GC, it does not really matter. There is no “super duper demanding” or “most demanding plus plus” option.
A top score on the AP Bio exam is likely to earn more college credit than a top score on AP Physics 2.
If your major won’t have you doing bio as a main subject, then go for BC instead. Math is the most important class (coursewise and what majors need to fulfill reqs, not on how much I actually like it), and will help u skip calc class in college. All depends on ur intended major
if you do not need the science class (bio), then go for BC. Otherwise AB if you decide to do both. Nevertheless, you have a demanding schedule ahead of you. Good luck