I posted this on another forum and I’m going to see if I get more results here.
Help me decide if I should take AP Statistics or AP Chemistry my senior year please. I am currently a junior in high school and I took AP Calculus BC this year. My schedule for next year, as of now, is:
AP Physics B
AP Econ/Govnt
AP Spanish 4
<em>AP Statistics</em>
AP Literature
If I replace AP Stats with AP Chemistry… would it decrease my chances of admissions because it looks like I stopped taking math? To me it seems like AP Stats won’t really help me in pre-med (it also doesn’t look like very much fun - I would rather take AP Chem). Please help. Thanks in advance.
<p>what will you indicate on your college apps as your intended major in college? If you will put chemistry (and pre-med), for example, you should take AP Chem. Another quesiton to ask yourself is, what do you think you'll get the better grade in?
AP Chem probably "looks better" for a pre-med</p>
<p>I want to be a biology major (and pre-med). So are you implying that AP Statistics might help me for pre-med? Anyone else have other thoughts about this?</p>
<p>no, I think AP Chem would be better for a pre-med. Would you consider taking AP Stat instead of AP Econ? (so you get the additional year of math)</p>
<p>Just from the practical standpoint, you'll get more credit for AP Chem at most colleges. It's usually like eight hours of credit versus three hours for Stats.</p>
<p>Most colleges expect most high school students to have up to pre-calculus, let alone Calc BC before they graduate. I don't think it will affect you too much if you take AP Chem, which IMO is a lot harder than AP Statistics.</p>
<p>I'd go with Statistics, unless you really love Chemistry more (Chem is a lot harder, I tell you). Its good to have all those years of Math (4), so I'd just recommend dropping AP Physics B (which I think is stupid since you've already taken Calc and C would be a much better, more-credit, option, and Physics has less to do with Bio than Chem anyway) for Chem, and keeping Stat.</p>
<p>STAT is very important for BIO...I think it was 2 years ago on the AP Bio exam, one of the FR was on genetics and asked for a Chi square test (statistical comparison) of 2 different populations of animals or whatever on an island...(to see if one factor did affect growth, i.e. basically testing out animal adaptation to environ and such)...these questions that are linked with bio also appear on AP Stat exam. So if you're looking into Bio, especially Genetics, stat is very important...it comes in handy in actually all the sciences - chem, physics, bio, you name it. I took stat last year and loved it (but that's just me) and used in all my science classes. It has much more practical applications, and will help everywhere, esp. in science labs. </p>
<p>Colleges do give stat less credit, though. But I'd say both chem and stat are important to bio, and you'll have to take them in college anyway (both are reqs for pre-med)....so you have to choose. </p>
<p>If I were you, I'd ditch the AP Physics B and go for both Chem and Stat.</p>
<p>The thing is that I took honors chemistry my sophomore year but did not yet take any form of physics. So I would think that taking AP Physics would be more valuable. Also, my honors chemistry teacher was horrible and I really don't feel like I learned much (a factor I forgot to post earlier). </p>
<p>Thanks for your advice everyone. I think I'm leaning more toward AP Chemistry now. (1) for the 8 credit policy mentioned above, and (2) because I'm more interested in it than I am in statistics.</p>
<p>The thing is that I took honors chemistry my sophomore year but did not yet take any form of physics. So I would think that taking AP Physics would be more valuable. About replacing econ/govnt: my school requires that I take it senior year :(. Also, my honors chemistry teacher was horrible and I really don't feel like I learned much (a factor I forgot to post earlier). </p>
<p>Thanks for your advice everyone. I think I'm leaning more toward AP Chemistry now. (1) for the 8 credit policy mentioned above, and (2) because I'm more interested in it than I am in statistics.</p>
<p>I disagree with ebonytear's advice. Many med schools don't allow AP credit to count for premed requirements anyway, so it's very likely that you'll end up retaking chemistry, biology, or physics even with AP credit. The premed physics course as well as the physics on the MCAT are very similar to Physics B, while Physics C is intended for math, physical science, and engineering majors. As for Chemistry vs Stats, definitely go for Chemistry. Everyone knows that AP Stats is a huge joke. Yes, it's important in many fields, but the standard course in college is calculus based, not algebra based like in AP Stats.</p>
<p>Take AP Chem and do AP Stats Distance Learning or at a CC or at a nearby university...</p>
<p>AP Chem is a lab science... its worth much more..</p>