<p>I'm planning to major in Economics to do business and I've gotten A+ grades in Chem H (freshman year), AP Biology- sophomore year, and AP Chem junior year. However this year I have to choose between AP Physics or AP environmental and I chose physics for about 2 weeks but I got a 55 on the test and don't understand/dislike physics. & environmental is easier and there's no physics H that can fit my schedule. So idk if it'd look bad to go to AP environmental instead of physics- and I'm doing early action to Harvard. My average in physics is in the 70s right now so I don't know what to do do.</p>
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<p>Talk to your physics teacher – some teachers un(intentionally) make the first test harder than others – and the class may get easier for you as the term progresses. Also speak with your guidance counselor, as they will not only have the inside track on your physics class, but they have to complete the Secondary School Report (SSR) on your behalf that rates the rigor of your program. If you switch classes, will your GC rate you the same? That could be a deciding factor for you. Whatever you do . . . as you are applying SCEA, Harvard will most likely decide to admit/defer/reject without seeing your first semester senior grades. So, from that perspective, relax. Rather than thinking which course would be easier, think which course would you really want to take. Do you have any real interest in Ap Environmental, or would you be choosing it because it’s easier?</p>
<p>See thing is, I dislike physics more than I dislike environmental. The only problem is figuring out if that would hurt my chances? Just a heads up- I have AP micro/Macro Economics , AP English 12, AP Government and politics, and AP Calculus BC. In addition I took 7 more APs throughout my high school career.</p>
<p>^^ Then you should be okay, but talk with your guidance counselor to make sure that switching classes will not hurt the rating you get in your SSR.</p>
<p>If you are a very strong student who has pretty much done everything right to this point, you (and everyone else like you who plans to apply) have a very small chance of getting admitted to Harvard. If you aren’t a very strong student who has pretty much done everything right, and you aren’t a recruited athlete or movie star or something like that, you have little or no chance of admission. No single this-course-or-that decision is going to change the odds much either way, for you or against you. (Gibby is right that if your counselor would say you haven’t taken the most rigorous curriculum solely because you aren’t taking AP Physics, that would be a bad thing. But it’s hard to believe that you would be downgraded because your 12th AP is the wrong one.)</p>
<p>Against that background, there is no decision less justifiable than an educational decision you distort by doing what you think will help you get into Harvard rather than what you think will make you a better, happier, more interesting and more engaged person. Under any circumstances, you are not likely to get into Harvard, and any sacrifice you make to get into Harvard is going to be a waste. What’s more, the only thing you can really do to improve your chances at Harvard is to make yourself the best, happiest, most interesting and engaged person you can, and making educational choices based on guessing what the Harvard admissions office might think is inconsistent with that.</p>
<p>Screw your head on straight. Make decisions for you, not for Harvard, because there’s a 100% chance you are going to live with your own decisions and a minuscule chance that anyone at Harvard will care.</p>
<p>^^ If CC had a “like” button, I would be pressing it!</p>
<p>Wow that was beautiful. Thanks man</p>