AP Physics or AP Chem?

<p>My junior took Honors Chem last year (SAT II 760) and is currently in AP Bio. Next year I think he should take either AP Physics or both AP Chem and AP Physics, but he wants to take AP Chem alone because the Physics teacher is notoriously lame and he likes the Chem teacher (and chemistry). Would not having taken Physics matter if he has taken four years of science, two of which were APs, plus AP Calc? He's not aiming at pre-med or a science/engineering major, if that matters. The science curriculum at our school has been changing, so that it was possible to go directly into AP Bio without taking regular Bio first, and will be possible to do the same with Physics next year, but wasn't possible with Chem. Will they think he's ducking physics or something? Am I being too obsessive? (Don't answer that! <g>)</g></p>

<p>"Am I being too obsessive?" If you have to ask...yes. This is ridiculous nit-picking IMHO. It doesn't matter. "They" won't "think" anything of any of those choices. Set the helicopter down and worry about something else.</p>

<p>I'm in both. AP Physics is ridiculous, they expect you to learn a ridiculous amount of material in a short period of time. It's doable, but not fun. AP Chem is known as a hard test, but if he'll enjoy it more, then that's the better bet.</p>

<p>But your junior should be picking his schedule not his mommy or daddy. Take a breather and let him live his own life.</p>

<p>It really depends on the teacher. I took AP Physics B in my junior year and AP Physics C in my senior year, and physics remains one of my absolute favorite subjects ever.</p>

<p>Take the class you enjoy! I took Honors Chem as a soph and found it really boring, which is why I opted for the second year of physics as opposed to AP Chem. It's important to pursue your interests!</p>

<p>Absolutely AP Physics. I learned/am learning more in Physics than I have in any other class in high school. I'm taking both AP Bio and Chem this year, btw. So I have a well-rounded POV.</p>

<p>He will be picking his own classes. That doesn't mean that his parents can't discuss the subject with him, or try to pick up some information to pass on. Our school has a guidance counselor ratio of something like 200 to 1. Possibly unlike your mommies and daddies, we can't afford to hire a college consultant (and probably wouldn't do so anyway). The reason this apparently nitpicking question was on my mind is that at one of the information sessions we attended recently at an Ivy, the speaker specifically said "Take Physics." But thanks for the parenting advice.</p>

<p>Take Both....</p>

<p>My D took AP Bio her freshman year because we were encouraged to do so. Wrong move, with regards to the teacher who'd never taught the course before and was coming out of middle school (no HS teaching experience). However, as I have a Master's in Bio Ed and an exremely bright, disciplined D, no problem. <g> Anyway, they encouraged us to go right to AP chem this year, but we went Honors first. She'll take AP chem her junior year. I was afraid of the same scenario ... me doing all the teaching and her not having the high school chem background. She's flying through Honors, probably could have taken the AP this time because exceptional teacher, who's also her honors teacher. She highly encouraged her to take the AP Physics next year, too. (again without high school physics). We declined on that; we want a reasonable background before jumping into what's supposed to be a college course. She'll already have AP Lang, AP Art history, APUSH, and the AP Chem. So, she's going with the honors physics, and we'll see who they have teaching the AP Physics and probably she'll take it senior year. It's a really weird thing, our high school pushes these AP classes SO MUCH, and without any of the prerequisite core classes (in the case of the sciences), and they wonder when the kids can't pass the exams or struggle so much in the classes. We're lucky; she scored a 5 on AP bio, but we worked very hard outside of class. Yet, even with this huge AP push, which they inform us is to "only help these kids compete for college," they mention nothing about SAT II's, or other admission criteria. </g></p>

<p>zebes</p>

<p><<so, she's="" going="" with="" the="" honors="" physics,="" and="" we'll="" see="" who="" they="" have="" teaching="" ap="" physics="" probably="" she'll="" take="" it="" senior="" year.="" it's="" a="" really="" weird="" thing,="" our="" high="" school="" pushes="" these="" classes="" so="" much,="" without="" any="" of="" prerequisite="" core="" (in="" case="" sciences),="" wonder="" when="" kids="" can't="" pass="" exams="" or="" struggle="" much="" in="" classes.="" we're="" lucky;="" she="" scored="" 5="" on="" bio,="" but="" we="" worked="" very="" hard="" outside="" class.="" yet,="" even="" this="" huge="" push,="" which="" inform="" us="" is="" to="" "only="" help="" compete="" for="" college,"="" mention="" nothing="" about="" sat="" ii's,="" other="" admission="" criteria.="">></so,></p>

<p>Well, don't forget that Newsweek or some similar magazine came out with a list of the [supposed] "Top 100 High Schools" a year or so ago, and their measure was pretty much how many students took AP/IB exams. (Not how they did on them, mind you...) There's probably pressure in many communities to make the list the next time. <g></g></p>

<p>In my kid's case, they revamped the science tracks so that some kids in his class could take Honors Chem as sophomores and go straight into AP Bio. The AP Bio teacher was skeptical, but now says that this particular group of kids is doing very well. They are moving towards making more science APs more directly accessible to more kids, without taking the regular class first. (In previous years, they didn't have enough kids who were interested and/or qualified to offer AP Chem, for example.) Now, if only they would get a qualified teacher for AP Physics! It's too bad that kids who are actually interested in the subject are avoiding it because of the grossly inadequate teaching.</p>

<p>Check out collegeboard.com's descriptions of the courses. There are two physics AP courses and the prerequisites (calculus study) differ. Some schools only offer the first physics course, and in our school you don't have to have prior physics study to take that. In APBio and APChem, students are expected to have taken a h.s. course already (at our h.s.).</p>

<p>Let him do what he wants...AP Chem alone is plenty challenging. There's really no reason to double-up; it'll put undue stress on him senior year when he's trying to juggle college apps and ECs along with the courseload.</p>

<p>Consolation, it seems to me like you need to take a step back in your kid's life. My parents allowed me to pick my own courses, I've taken 7 AP classes (All 5s) and I have 6 more this year. The only thing they ever pushed for, was for me to get a private Princeton Review tutor, though I already had an unstudied 2210 on the SATs. You seem much too involved. I don't go to a private school, I attend a nice public high school, and my parents barely know the names of some of the teachers that teach me. They don't need to know any of that, unless you have a kid that won't do anything without nudging from you, in which case, he or she will probably not do too well in a cut-throat environment without the "mommy" factor. </p>

<p>Just lay back and let her make her own decisions, unless his or her grades start to slip or something drastic like that. From what it sounds like you are really trying hard to be a good parent, and I applaud that, but just take a step back.</p>

<p>BTW: I took AP Physics C Mechanics, AP Physics C E&M, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, and AP Calculus BC as my AP Math/Science courseload. The two AP Physics Cs I had to self-teach as they weren't taught at my school. I personally liked AP Chemistry a lot more than AP Physics B, but that was because the Phyiscs B material is kind of stupid. They don't allow calculus (which would definitely be allowed in a college setting) and it requires you to do calculations and solve problems in ways that are 3x more time-consuming than would be using calculus. I would recommend taking both, but if I had to choose, I'd choose AP Chemistry.</p>

<p>Also, I may biased in that recommendation as Chemistry/Mathematics are my strong suit (800 SAT Math, 800 IIC, 800 Chem, as well as 800 Phyics (but I had to study for it)).</p>

<p>Consolation-</p>

<p>As a rising junior in the heat of course registration, I think that your concern is reasonable. I actually am curious about the same thing (top-tier schools wanting physics in HS). Is the AP Physics course in question at level B or C?</p>

<p>It is true that top-tier colleges expect at least some biology, chemistry, and physics in high school. Maybe he should consider taking AP Chem and non-AP Physics? He could take the class he loves while also taking a less-difficult class that colleges somewhat expect.</p>

<p>AP Physics C makes AP Chem look like a Sundae with a big fat cherry on top.</p>

<p>I'd say AP Chemistry, but I've always favored that over physics. In the long run, I don't think it'll make a difference as long as your child does well in the class and on the AP test.</p>

<p>If he plans to have one of the AP teachers write a college recommendation letter though, he should choose the subject that he really enjoys. From what I understand, teachers can definitely tell when a student actually likes learning the subject, and it'll show in the rec letters.</p>

<p>I don't think it matters which one he takes, if it's Yale he's applying to and not, say, MIT. Schools like MIT really care about the physics thing, or so I gathered during my tour of MIT, but as long as he's got some science...</p>

<p>Besides, if he likes the subject, and he likes the teacher, well, it stands to reason that he will probably do better in chem than physics. It's his decision to make, but I'd go with AP Chem. Actually, I thought the chem exam wasn't too bad... I was pleasantly surprised during the test. :) Maybe it was just last year's exam?</p>

<p>It's not that he doesn't like physics, or that he's afraid it will be too hard. He likes physics. The problem is that the person who teaches AP Physics is so excruciatingly bad that last year I heard that there was actually somewhat of a revolt during the fall conferences: something that is unheard of. Unfortunately, I doubt that taking Honors Physics instead of AP to avoid this teacher is a very good strategy for a person trying to get into Yale. All they'll see is that he could have taken the course at a higher level, and didn't...not helpful. Maybe a miracle will occur and they'll hire a new teacher.</p>

<p>Consolation-</p>

<p>My son faced a similar dilemma in course choice. Here's the thread on which I sought input:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=265351%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=265351&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>FWIW, after a few more months of hearing negative things about the physics teacher, he's decided on AP Bio for next year.</p>

<p>I've always been told that AP Biology is the most "impressive" on transcripts. It's the most time-consuming and also covers the most material. Whether or not it's actually the most DIFFICULT to comprehend/learn is a different matter altogether. </p>

<p>I'll be a senior next year and have signed up for both AP Physics and AP Chemistry (I'm taking AP Biology this year). This is only because I'm going for pre-med; otherwise I would probably just take AP Physics and take a different course in place of AP Chem. Since your son is not going for pre-med, I don't see any harm in NOT taking both, provided that he's already taken regular physics and chem.</p>