I am a freshman this year, I am not very advanced although I’m in the classes a basic freshman would be in like Biology, Algebra, Spanish(choice), and English. I want to take AP classes. I want to improve and be more advanced acedemically. I am kind of confused with how the system works, I know that the requirements for AP bio are an A in Biology and an A I’m Chemistry. I feel like I know everything in my bio class, it’s easy. I am wondering if I should take AP BIO + chemistry next year, or will that be too difficult ?
I don’t think you need to take a Biology class before taking AP Biology. Just like you don’t need previous knowledge on Physics to take AP physics. I think you need to look over those requirements and confirm them because that doesn’t seem right. You should be able to just take AP Bio and just take the Bio regents.
Taking two science classes in the same year can be really demanding, I would personally avoid it but you need to know yourself.
See with your guidance counselor whether you can switch to Honors Biology. Next year, take Honors Chemistry. Then, junior year, take AP Biology. Senior year, take Honors Physics or AP Physics 1 or AP Physics 2 (NOT AP Physics C, which requires at least one year of physics).
AP classes for freshmen/sophomores include: AP Psychology, AP Stats, AP Human Geography, AP Environmental Science + AP Foreign Language if you’ve reached Level 4 as a freshman (ie., are a native/heritage speaker). Some Sophomores take AP European History or AP World History but only if they were in an honors History class and got an A as freshmen.
Generally speaking, you need to have 4 years of English, Science, Social Science + Up to level 3, 4 or AP in a foreign language + Math up to Precalculus or Calculus. Among the science classes, you’d be expected to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics + 1 AP science if you’re aiming for a selective 4-year college. You’d also be expected to have one art class or something creative (Band, Choir…) and “personal choices” if your high school allows it.
At most schools, you do.
I feel it’s a little premature to announce a couple of days or weeks into the school year that you know “everything” in your bio class. If you are not in a honors sections, perhaps you can move up.
My daughter was also bored out of her mind in freshman biology class. If it stays easy for you and your school won’t let you switch to AP Bio this year, then I think AP Bio will certainly be manageable for you next year in combination with a basic Chemistry class. While the AP Bio is harder than the main level, it could come as a relief to you to actually learn something new in there.
@MYO S1634 The AP classes available to freshmen and sophomores vary by school. In some schools, like mine, AP’s aren’t available to freshmen, although there are very few exceptions. They become available to sophomores which is when certain AP classes became available. I’m a sophomore taking AP World History, so you don’t have to have taken Honor World History to take AP here. So, it really depends on the school you go to.
Yes, every school is different (it wasn’t until I was on this board that I had even heard of freshmen taking AP courses!)
Our high school has plenty of AP offerings. However, nothing is available for freshman, only 2 or 3 are available for sophomores. This is mostly due to the prerequisites required and room availability in their schedule. But by the time they are juniors and seniors the students could fill their entire schedule with APs! And,yes, at our HS you need to take regular Bio and regular Chem before you can take those APs.
OP - check with your GC to find out what is allowed. Assuming you are allowed to do AP Bio while doing Regular Chem and have room in your schedule, then sure…why not? Especially if you are finding regular bio very easy.
I asked my counselor and she said it was required I have an A in Chemistry and an A in Biology
@roymesac:it’s because some classes have a linear progression, whereby you need to master concepts taught in the previous class, such as needing precalculus to do well in calculus, Italian 3 to do well in Italian 4, Biology to do well in AP Bio; other classes have a conceptual/thematic/“process” progression, whereby you don’t need to know the exact information from the previous class but you need to master some concepts and processes (such as history: you wouldn’t need to know what happened in 6th century China to succeed in APUSH, but you DO need to know how to read and analyze a primary source, how to synthesize a historical notion, etc. and this is typically learned in a rigorous previous history class.) Therefore, you need to have Physics before you take Physics C, Bio and chem before you take AP bio, Spanish 3-4 before you take AP Spanish, but you don’t need a specific history class before you take AP history, you only need a rigorous history class.
@likoCA: sounds like. So, get an A in Biology this year. Ask to be in Honors chem next year and get an A, too. Then junior year, take AP biology.That’s the “normal” path. 
Few freshmen and sophomores take AP classes. After all, they’re equivalent to what you’d take as a first-semester COLLEGE student. If a high school offers AP classes to freshmen and sophomores at all, it wouldn’t be AP Bio. S don’t worry about it and work hard to get A’s in Biology and Chemistry, take all 5 core courses (English, Math, Science, Social Science, and Foreign Language) and get A’s in them, get involved in clubs, and try to enjoy high school.