<p>I have a quick question. I'm applying to the top Ivies next year, and I'm trying to finalize my senior year schedule. I'm interested in politics/polisci, so I'm not doing anything intensive in the sciences in college. This is my question - Should I take AP Environmental next year or regular physics? BTW-- Our school doesn't have an honors physics class besides AP, and in order to take AP, one needs to take the non-honors physics course. This is what my science course load has looked like the past few years. . .</p>
<p>9- Honors Biology
10- Honors Chemistry
11- AP Chemistry
12- AP Biology and Physics or AP Biology and AP Environmental</p>
<p>FYI- I've taken the most challenging courses offered at my school throughout my high school career. I'm leaning toward AP Environmental, but I'd really like some input. Thanks in advance! :)</p>
<p>From a usefulness standpoint. Environmental. Both are rather easy (your HS physics class probably only teaches basic mechanics anyways), but at least you might earn some college credit with environmental. </p>
<p>From my standpoint, it’s important for everybody to know some basic physics. That’s just my own opinion. Then I again, I found environmental quite boring.</p>
<p>Do you think the Ivies will look down on the fact that I didn’t take a physics course in HS? I’m not planning on majoring in a science, and I have taken the hardest science classes possible outside of physics. In fact, by the time I graduate, I would have taken all AP courses available at my school besides Physics and CompSci.</p>
<p>I would advise you to take physics. I think that top schools will look down on a person if they don’t take calculus/physics. I am taking Honors Physics with AP Bio next year because I did not want to deal with that issue. </p>
<p>Maybe you could take AP Env + AP Bio + Regular Physics (at least you are taking it)</p>
<p>I doubt they’ll look down on you. I never took a serious bio course (just zoology and crap like that) and I got into a selective college just fine.</p>
<p>But colleges do like people who go outside their comfort zones.</p>
<p>I don’t think physics is out of my comfort zone, per se. I would just rather take an AP course at my school instead of a regular class that has no honors option. I would take all three next year, but my schedule doesn’t permit it. Isn’t it better to take an AP course to supplement AP Biology (Environmental) than a regular physics course? </p>
<p>PS- I know every individual is different, but I know a girl who got into Yale with only regular physics, AP Bio, and AP Enviro - no calc, either. But yeah, IDK. I really need help in deciding what’s best for me! I have challenged myself with the sciences, and I don’t want no physics to royally f-ck me over.</p>
<p>Colleges like students who have a basis in each of the big three sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics), but colleges also like students who are trying to challenge themselves or pursue what they are passionate about. It’s totally up to you!</p>
<p>I would take AP physics, but I can’t. In order to take it, one has to take the regular physics course. I have no doubt in my mind that I could handle AP Physics. . . I have taken the hardest courses available at my school. I just feel like I’ll be wasting my time in a non-weighted, non-honors class when I could be in another AP.</p>
<p>Is it possible to simply take AP Biology?
Why take a second science class if it seems like neither of them are really exactly what you’re looking for, and you are not planning on being a science major in college?
If you are really nervous about having a blemish on your application, take AP Environmental. It seems like, in regards to choosing one over the other, you are leaning more in that direction anyways.</p>
<p>This is crap. Physics/calculus aren’t very useful for polisci students . . . why should schools care about whether the applicants to their polisci programs have taken physics or not?</p>
<p>I would fill the second science class with a more useful slot, but unfortunately, my school doesn’t offer a lot of AP classes. So I’d have to fill that with a pointless history elective, or something stupid. I’m not gonna lie, my school kinda blows. I’m not really leaning in one direction or another. I just want to show schools that I challenged myself in HS. . . and I’m worried that no physics= a big problem.</p>
<p>I imagine that history is pretty important in the study of political science.</p>
<p>You really don’t need to take a physics class if you aren’t going to be studying a science. You’ve already taken AP Bio and AP Chem! Physics is actually a pretty cool subject, but the little bit of mechanics you’ll learn in a high school class won’t be very useful if you don’t study the subject further. It sounds like AP Environmental will be useful–the environment is becoming more important in the eyes of policy makers nowadays.</p>
<p>Heh, I agree. But I don’t think you understand how BS our non-AP classes are at our school. Like if they were REALLY relevant or useful, I’d TOTALLY go for it. But most of them are known as the “easy senior classes,” for those who want to watch movies all class.</p>
<p>Maybe you can self-study a different AP during that period of the day? Something that relates more to what you are interested in pursuing in college?</p>
<p>I don’t really know exactly what the protocol is, but that sounds about right.
I think that if you are planning on majoring in political science, it will definitely work to your benefit.</p>
<p>Doesn’t your school have independent study? If not then maybe you can talk to your guidance counselor about taking AP Physics without general physics first. If you’ve proven that you’re qualified and past teachers can vouch for that then I don’t see why they wouldn’t let you. Or maybe you could study the general physics curriculum over the summer and place out.</p>
<p>But between general physics and APES, I think you should email admissions and ask which they’d prefer to see you take.</p>
<p>Im a rising senior and Ive taken bio honors, chem honors, and then ap chem but stopped my sciences after that so I havent taken science since sophomore year (since I got to private school I took the bio in 8th grade with the class of 09). Should I take physics, marine bio, ap bio,anatomy, or nothing.
heres my schedule from all of highschool</p>
<p>Also, I plan to major in something along the lines of international relations/pol sci
8th
Spanish I
H Bio
H World Geo
H Algebra I</p>
<p>9th
Spanish II
H English I
H Genetics/ Medical Terminology
H Geometry
H World History
H Chemistry
Comp App 1/2</p>
<p>10th
H English II
H Algebra II
Drawing I
H Amer. History
AP Chem
AP Chem Lab
H Math Competition</p>
<p>11th
AP English Lang + Comp
AP Psychology
H Spanish III
H Statistics
AP Gov/H Econ
Ceramics I
H Pathology
H Scientific Research
Pre-Calc (online)</p>
<p>12th (so far…)
Comp Graphics
AP Calc AB
AP Lit
AP Spanish
Yearbook
iLife</p>
<p>Unfortunately, my school doesn’t offer independent study. Will the fact that I didn’t take APWH hurt me - even though my school doesn’t offer it?</p>