Best HS science selection for a science major in college

Applying to College
1

Hello,
I have a rising Junior, and we’ve spent some time trying to allocate the remaining sciences in his schedule. I am wondering what is the best collection of science classes to take from the college admissions perspective. Son is interested in a science major.

This is his current science portfolio:
8th Grade: Earth Sci H (HS credit)
9th Grade: Bio H, Science Research (it’s project/research based class)
10th Grade: Chem H, Science Research

Our HS offers the following AP/College courses: AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics, and also College Anatomy and Physiology (through an affiliated college).

Our dilemma now is how to distribute these classes over a 2 year period. Our concerns are:

  1. A lot of posts say that one should have bio/chem/physics to have a competitive application. Does this suggestion imply AP level classes? Or any level?

  2. It was suggested to us by a HS college advisor to have the college application completed before the beginning of senior year, because a lot of colleges fill their quota before the official application deadline. If we do that, it means that the latest HS transcript that he submits will NOT cover the senior year courses. So, if my son pushes physics until senior year, it will not show up as a science on his college application…

  3. Because he’s taking AP Calc BC, which has an extra lab, he only has space for 3 out of 4 science classes. Potentially, he can take Calc AB instead of BC, and then would have space for all 4 sciences. Alternatively, he can skip College Anatomy and Physiology, and then take Calc BC and all 3 AP sciences.

Here are our options:

Option 1:
11th Grade: AP Calc BC, AP Bio OR AP Chem (because they’re easier than AP Phys?)
12th Grade: AP Physics, College anat and phys

Option 2:
11th Grade: AP Calc BC, AP Physics (so that colleges see physics by the time he applies)
12th Grade: AP Bio OR AP Chem, College Anat and phys

Option 3:
11th Grade: AP Calc BC, one of AP Physics
12th Grade: AP Bio AND AP Chem (skip college anat of phys)

Option 4:
11th Grade: AP Calc AB (downgrade from BC), AP Bio, AP Physics?
12th Grade: AP Chem, College anat and phys

Note: He will have a math in the senior year, but it’s 1 period class, so will not mess with the schedule like AP Calc BC does, so not a factor in the equation.

Thank you very much for your input!

2

Is he heading into a medical/vet field where A&P would be helpful? If not, there’s no reason to take it. If so, I’d leave it in, unless, perhaps, it gives college credit and he wants med school. Then I’d do more serious looking into whether that would hurt him applying to med school (having the college credit from a different college). Or is the college this course is associated with one he plans to attend?

Colleges see which courses a student is taking senior year. The only reason Physics might want to move up is if he plans to be a Physics or Engineering major and you want to college to see that score (presumably good).

Pending which field he is interested in within science, both AP Bio and AP Chem are worthwhile IMO. Likewise, AP Physics and A&P are only really needed if heading that direction. BC Calc is most desired if heading toward a math heavy major (Engineering, Physics, etc).

3

You are overthinking this.

Typical for competitive colleges is as you said: one each of bio/chem/physics & an AP (if APs are offered) in their fave as a Sr. Two science APs is not typical, and imo should only be done in the context of the specific school.

College won’t parse the exact sciences as much as you are doing. If the GC signs off that it is ‘most rigorous’ curriculum the only other element is his actual preferences, and the actual teachers in your school.

tl;dr- follow his actual interests first- the classes that he is most interested in.

1 Like
4

Thanks! But how do colleges see the transcript after the application? I know it’s required to update at some point, but that would be after the application is already submitted?

If he applies in August, would they be asking for the senior year schedule?

5

Well, while regular bio and chem are pre-requisites to AP, AP Physics doesn’t have that requirement - which is why he can take AP physics and one other AP science. I guess since colleges don’t care that much, he will be taking AP Physics to fulfill the physics requirement, and AP Bio since he likes it more than chem.

College A&P offers up to 8 college credits, which might (or might not) be beneficial. We figured it might just break up the battery of AP’s…

6

My D’s school had us do H Bio in 9th, H chem in 10th, H physics in 11th, and then one of those at the AP level senior year. No option of taking AP before honors.

D did AP physics C and AP chem as a senior but needed special permission to double up on AP sciences. It was not recommended to do both AP bio and chem in the same year because of lab time constraints (D’s school had extended period for classes with labs).

The common app asks for students to list their senior year courses and then RD schools are going to request mid term grades. I’ve never heard that you need to have all the college pre-reqs done by the end of junior year.

7

Thanks for clarifying. I’m not sure how application process actually works, as this is my first one. Glad to hear that they ask for the senior year schedule, that does take some pressure off.

Our school doesn’t have any limitations on the number or types of AP’s one can take simultaneously. So as long as everything fits with respect to labs - it’s allowed.

8

This would be for rolling admission schools. I don’t know if any highly selective schools that have RA. Even for highly selective schools, you are over thinking it But if I had to pick, it would be #3.

9

Any level. College introductory science courses often presume a high school level knowledge of the subject.

What science is he interested in?

  • If biological science (or pre-med), he will need to take all of biology, chemistry, and physics in college, although many colleges have easier physics and organic chemistry courses for biology majors than for physics and chemistry majors.
  • If physical science (or engineering), having at least high school chemistry and physics is helpful to prepare for college courses in those subject (of course, college physics for physics majors also requires calculus).
10

Colleges will get the high school record through the end of 11th grade, plus a list of planned or in-progress courses for 12th grade. Some colleges will want updated records from fall semester of 12th grade. All colleges want to be notified of any changes in planned or in-progress courses.

Admission offers in spring semester of 12th grade will be conditional on doing well enough in the listed planned or in-progress courses, to be verified with the final high school transcript. “Doing well enough” may be explicitly stated with grades and/or GPA (e.g. “at least a 3.0 GPA in 12th grade, no D or F grades”), or may be vaguely stated like “we expect you to maintain your previous high academic achievement”, which tends to lead to worried posts by students whose grades dropped in their last semester or year.

2 Likes
11

Thanks for explaining, makes sense

12

Personally I would suggest continuing math into senior year. The most rigorous option would be Calc BC then MVC (not AP stats). AP Physics C goes well with Calc BC, but you could wait until senior year if you want an easier load in junior year. Then just pick either Bio or Chem as the other AP science.

13

Actually, post-calculus-BC math does have multiple paths, depending on future college major. Multivariable calculus will be good for future math, physics, engineering, or pre-PhD economics majors. Linear algebra will be good for all of those majors plus computer science. Discrete math will be good for future computer science majors. Future biological science majors may find calculus-based statistics (not AP statistics) the most useful follow-on.

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14

Our HS offers MVC and AP Stats. We’ll be picking one of those.

I think we’ll probably keep AP

15

Thank you, that is very informative. Will keep in mind for the next year.

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16

Multivariable calculus will generally be seen as more rigorous than AP statistics, which emulates an introductory non-calculus-based statistics course in college that is commonly used to satisfy math requirements by students who want to take the least math possible.

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17

Are you talking about AP Physics 1 or Ap Physics C?

It’s not a good idea to combine AP Chem and another AP Science.

18

Our school offers both, but we were thinking of AP Physics 1

19

If he’s interested in Engineering, then his best path would be AP Physics 1-> AP Physics C.

If he want to be premed, his best path would be regular or honors Physics+ AP Bio → AP Chem.

20

He’s interested in biology, but not necessarily pre-med. He has space for only 1 science in the Junior year - Physics (AP or regular) OR AP Bio OR Ap Chem.

Right now he is scheduled for AP Bio, and then in the senior year he can chose 2/3 remaining sciences (AP Physics 1, AP Chem, College A&P).