I’m planning on going into a engineering major (Debating between Civil, Biomedical, and Computer) and am completely stuck between if I should take AP Chem or AP Physics C during my senior year. I am planning on applying to a few top 15 engineering school’s (Purdue, Illinois, Texas- Austin) and some more “less-advanced” schools (Iowa, Iowa State just to name a few).
Here are a few things I think would be useful in decision making:
I excelled in CP Chemistry with a grade close to a 98% (With many of my peerd struggling to receive a ‘B’)
I am currently doing very well in AP Physics 1 and 2 with a grade close to a 93% (My school combines the two courses into a one year course. Teacher states that 95% of kids get a 3 or higher with 40% of about 50 kids getting 5’s)
I am very strong in math, but I have not taken any calculus courses (Currently in Precalc).
I will be taking AP Calc AB next year.
My high school was ranked 80th in the nation in STEM education (Just a little brag.)
I want to say that engineering majors benefit more from taking Physics, but that’s due to my bias (I’m a physics major). Both Chemistry and Physics are important to certain engineering majors, so this can be a real dilemma. First of all, which Physics C class are you talking about, Mechanics or E&M?
AP Physics 1/2 are algebra based, as I understand it. Usually, the jump from Physics 1/2 to Physics C Mechanics (I’m assuming this is the one you’re talking about) can be overwhelming for some. However, the calculus in Physics C is usually not much farther than (in my opinion) basic calculus concepts you’ll probably learn in the first 2-3 months of Calculus AB. Still, be advised that if you’re having a bit of trouble with Physics 1/2, which you don’t seem to be, you might want to consider that Physics C may drop your GPA a bit. It does, in my opinion, look better on applications for most engineering majors.
Now, you seem to do better in chemistry than in physics, so you might want to consider taking AP Chem if you feel more confident about that class. As a physics major, my first foray into chemistry was problematic, so a bit of college level chem in HS may do you some good in preparing for the college classroom setting.
Teacher can’t make that claim. AP Physics 1/2 is new this year, and it’s more than just splitting Physics B into 2 tests. The new exams are more conceptual and less math plug-and-chug. As was seen with the redesigned AP Bio and Chem tests, the percentage of 5’s plummeted. Past performance does not predict future results.
This really depends on where you end up going, their stance on AP credit and whether or not you want to take more chemistry in college. Chemistry is the less germane of the two to engineering. A good AP score can mean no chemistry in college.
And I’m not concerned about my GPA at this point. Even with a ‘C’ in a AP class the class specific GPA is at a 3.0 (Also because its senior year :D). Just a little more info, I also plan on working 20hrs. /week (Including weekends), doing JSA and a couple of children mentoring clubs, along with playing Varsity lacrosse. Can someone describe the work loads they received in their AP Chem and AP Physics C classes? Maybe compare it to their experience in AP 1/2 or B?
I agree with eyemgh. My son took Anatomy and Phys in HS instead of AP Chem. He then had to take Chem in freshman year and it was much harder than his hs class would have been. He is not sorry he took A & P but had he not wanted to, he definitely would have taken the Chem to use AP credit and skip it in his first year.