Considering GPA and Rigor of Courses (Worried that I'm in no shape to compete with other students).

Applying to College
1

Hi, I’m worried about my GPA currently and my schedule for the coming years. I was hoping that some of you could assess them in consideration of the colleges I hope to attend.

Freshman Year:
Biology, Geometry, Lit/Writ, Electronics 1, PE 9, Spanish 1, Art 1 4.0 GPA

Sophomore Year: (Current Year 2014 - 2015)
Chemistry, Dance, Spanish 2, World Core Literature, World Core History. For math, I was originally taking the advanced Alg 2/Trig course, but dropped down to Alg 2 due to a familial crisis that affected me more than I care to admit. I’m worried that I should have taken Chem Honors and Alg 2/Trig and stuck with them even if I got a B or lower in them. Is this correct in reasoning? 3.7 GPA 1st semester, probably looking at a 4.0 2nd semester

Junior Year: (Next Year’s Schedule, that I still have time to change)
Physics H (this class is considered to be changed to AP, and rarely do students get A’s), Math Analysis, Honors American Literature, Reg. U.S. History, Java, Spanish 3, and if I’m lucky in scheduling, I might get Engineering & Technology. I feel like this load will be challenging enough for me (I struggle every bit of the way in my classes). But, I’m worried that I should change Reg. U.S. History to APUSH and drop to Reg. American Lit. Only problem is, I genuinely like literature and it will be my most fun class. Is it worth it?

Senior Year:
Physics AP-C Mech., AP Calc AB, Spanish 4 H, AP Lit, Reg. Econ & Govt., AP Comp. Sci.
In total, I pretty much am only taking 4 AP classes in my whole high school career. My school is recognized as a competitive and academically rigorous school, but I wonder if that will matter much. Did I make a mistake from the beginning in scheduling?

I would like to be an engineer, focusing on Aerospace/Aeronautical engineering. Or, I would like to go towards physics. But because I dropped down to Alg 2/Trig, I am forced to take the route to Calc AB, which doesn’t cover enough calculus to start college with a physics/engineering major (or so I’m told).

I would like to go to MIT, CalTech, UC Berkeley, UofM-Ann Arbor, University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign. Would you say this schedule is what colleges would like?

Thank you in advance for your consideration and replies. I appreciate it.

2

A high enough score in calculus AB will usually allow you to start in calculus 2 instead of calculus 1 (at MIT, you could start in calculus 1.5, since MIT calculus 1 approximates most other schools’ calculus 1 and 2; at Caltech, you would not get advanced placement, since its “calculus” course is more like real analysis and assumes a previous high school or college calculus course). However, it is generally a good idea to try the college’s old final exams for calculus 1 before using your AP score to skip it. Remember, most schools design their curricula with the assumption that engineering majors are ready to start in calculus 1, so being able to start in calculus 2 or a higher math course is a bonus, but not strictly necessary. The ones that assume previous calculus course work (like Caltech) are small in number.

Remember to talk to your parents about what they can contribute before making your application list, and remember that out-of-state publics generally give no or little financial aid (though some may offer merit scholarships). And, when it comes time to make your application list, start with an affordable safety that you like.

3

Don’t change the English class if you want to keep it. If you want to have some more AP scores under your belt, you could always stay in the non-AP classes, get a practice book and study on your own, and still take the AP tests. But do keep the Physics and Calc at the very least, since Physics is the field you’re going into and Calc is needed for Engineering classes, even if you’re just doing AB right now

4

Does AP Testing affect college admissions since I’m taking it around the end of Senior Year? I imagine it matters only for the scholarships I apply for, and the classes I apply for at the college. Right?

5

No the scores you get have little affect on admissions.