I’m a sophomore taking Chem Honors and AP Calc BC. I plan to major in chemical engineering. Should I take AP Chemistry next year and then AP Physics C Senior year, or should I take AP Physics C next year and AP Chemistry Senior Year? I still haven’t taken SAT Chemistry yet, I take SAT Bio and SAT Math 2. I don’t know if I need to take the SAT Physics also. Do colleges like to see that you keep a sequence of chemistry going or do they not care. I am looking to apply to pretty competitive universities (Princeton, MIT, JHU, UC Berkeley).
Have you taken any physics course yet? Is the AP physics C course just mechanics, or mechanics and E&M?
As far as SAT subject tests go:
Chemistry: covers high school chemistry. AP chemistry may reinforce your knowledge.
Physics: covers high school physics (non-calculus). AP physics is poorly matched, since it is easy to have gaps if you take just one of the four possible AP physics courses.
You do want to have at least one each of biology, chemistry, and physics in high school. You may want to check various colleges’ web sites for (a) what SAT subject tests they want, and (b) what AP scores give subject credit.
If you want to take the SAT subject test in physics, you will need to self-study various other physics topics in order to cover those that will be on the test. However, if no college using SAT subject tests specifically requires physics, then you may be able to use chemistry and/or biology for that purpose.
I don’t really think i need to take the SAT physics test. I just wanted to know what order I should take the classes in. No college specifically requires the physics subject test.
Congratulations on the grades, scores and plans! Regarding your question on when to take AP Chem and AP Physics - IMHO it doesn’t really matter. My son the ChemE took both senior year, and daughter ChemE took AP Chem senior year with no AP Physics C.
Take the AP Physics senior year. It will be fresher in your mind. The General Physics classes for engineers are calculus based so most of the people taking it will be engineering majors. The Chemistry courses are usually required for a variety of majors so at many schools the curve could be to your advantage.
If you are accepted to any of the schools you mentioned all of the students will be very bright. If things don’t work our the way you hope then the engineering students may be a bit above students from other majors. Having the Physics be pretty fresh would be an advantage.