I was told today that our school wouldn’t be offering calculus-based physics next year, my senior year, and would only be offering algebra-based physics (AP Physics 2). If I am looking to major in mechanical / aerospace engineering, should I just take AP Physics 2 next year, or should I independently study AP Physics C Mechanics? Would there seriously be any benefit? I’ll also be taking AP Calculus BC next year.
Look up the engineering schools you are going to apply to find out. There is no generalized answer as AP credit policy varies a lot from school to school.
What’s your question?
If you are asking for admissions purposes, if a class is not offered, a class is not offered. Colleges understand that and there is no expectation from any college that you need to self study a subject because your school does not offer it. If you are asking from a course reduction perspective for your college diploma, as @billcsho says, credit policies will vary by college.
Having said all that, it is unlikely you would get major credit for AP Physics 2. However, if you’ve had no previous exposure to E&M/optics through a previous physics class, then this class will give you a nice foundation for the future.
If you’re currently taking AP Physics 1, it’s really not a lot of effort to self-study for the Physics C mechanics exam.
Completing AP physics 1 and 2 will give you a good high school level overview of the topics of frosh/soph general physics. You will be well prepared for calculus based physics with that, when you have sufficient math background, of course.
AP physics 1 and 2 will not give useful subject credit for an engineering major. AP physics C mechanics may (E&M less likely), but not all colleges consider it equivalent to their own calculus based physics courses, since students who take calculus based physics in college usually start it concurrently with calculus 2, rather than the equivalent of calculus 1 in high school that is assumed by AP physics C.
In other words, AP physics 2 is perfectly fine for a physics course next year. Be sure to do well on in AP calculus BC and on the associated AP exam, since that is much more likely to let you have subject credit and advanced placement in college. However, it is best to try the college’s old final exams for calculus 1 and 2 before skipping them with AP credit, just to make sure that you know the material well from the college’s point of view.