I am a junior at a trimester-based high school, so we are nearing the end of our first trimester. I am realizing that I signed up last year for AP Lang for the next two trimesters. It seemed like a good idea then, but it doesn’t make sense to me now.
I am a pre-med hopeful (potential biochem or neuroscience major), and I love (and am good at) my science classes. I just don’t see the potential benefit. I am taking 5 APs (we have 5 classes per trimester) and don’t want to take a class I am not going to need. On the other hand, I like being in classes with good students because often the students in regular classes don’t care as much.
Will taking AP Lang and getting a 4 or 5 on the AP waive any curriculum requirements at schools like CWRU ( @bopper ), University of Michigan, or Northwestern University?
How much will it hurt my chances if I don’t do great in the class if I want to go into a STEM major at a top pre-med school?
Any other positives on this situation would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you all in advance
Here’s one key positive: AP Lang will teach/reinforce writing skills which, aside from being a life skill for everybody, will be invaluable when it comes time to writing college application essays. Your short term focus should be getting into a college like the ones you’ve listed. Your pre-med ambitions are secondary.
You can look up on college web sites. For example:
https://case.edu/admission/apply/ap-ib-college-credit
https://admissions.umich.edu/apply/freshmen-applicants/ap-ib-credit
https://www.weinberg.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/first-year-transfer/first-year/placement-and-credit/ap-and-ib-exams/
But note that, as a pre-med, if you attend a college which allows AP credit to count for subject credit and advanced placement for pre-med courses, medical schools will expect you to take a similar number of more advanced courses in the same subject area.
As long as you do the work to get a good grade/score I see no harm at all. The writing skills you will learn/keep/enhance will never go away making everything down the line easier, including papers in college. English/writing is used in almost everything.
If you don’t do the work for this class due to not feeling the love, it makes me wonder how you will handle being a successful pre-med candidate in college. Not everything you study in college will be your enjoyable first choice. Chances are it will be similar in med school.
If you were asking about whether you should keep a photography class (or other similar elective) because you weren’t feeling the love, I’d respond differently.
@Creekland Thank you for your insight. It is not that I am not feeling the love regarding AP Lang. I was just concerned that I was dedicating a large portion of my time to something that is not directly related to what I am interested in. However, after reading @skieurope 's response, as well as yours, I feel better about my decision. Thank you both.
Improving your language skills help you for the rest of your life, no matter what you do.
25% of MCAT is reasoning and another 25% is psychology and sociology which needs more language skills of interpretation.
Whether you take GRE, GMAT or LSAT in future, having better skills will help. Any job you take in future, better skills will help. So as Skieurope says - it is a better skill for life.
Get used to it.
That said, improving your writing skills can only help you.