Columbia: High School Course Recommendations?

Applying to College
1

Hello! I am a current sophomore in high school. My public high school does not encourage APs in sophomore year and makes it so you’re taking honors/advanced courses and no APs in sophomore year. I plan on going into International Relations or Political Science at Columbia since my extracurriculars are strong in those fields.

Although my school is public, we are known to be rigorous and APs are decently difficult, with an average of 4.3 for all students on AP tests and a 98.9% AP test passing rate. 23 APs are offered and I will soon be making course selections and was wondering if anyone had any input/recommendations on the courses I am taking? I am confused about quite a few of these and not sure which to take in some cases. I have tried talking to my counselor but sadly she did not have much input to give.

Junior Year:
English H AND English elective (1 semester each)
APUSH
Analysis H or Pre Calc A
AP Chem or AP Physics 1
Jazz Band
AP Comp Sci and AP Stat or AP Seminar (choose 2)
Wind Ensemble

Senior Year:
AP Lit
(2) AP Econ and US Foreign Policy Honors
AP Calculus BC
AP Physics C
Jazz Band
Wind Ensemble

I’d appreciate any and all input!

2

Columbia prefers 3-4 years foreign language (as do many selective schools)…how many years of FL have you taken? What was the last FL class you had?

FL will be important for any applicant who wants to potentially major in IR.

3

@Mwfan1921 - I am currently completing AP German in my Sophomore year and have also completed 3 years of Spanish with an equivalent to Spanish 3 Honors.

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4

I don’t know Columbia’s policies but my daughter’s university won’t accept middle school FL (so she took another 3 in HS).

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