Course Load for U Chicago

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>Okay- I know course rigor is super important for the UChicago, so I was just wondering if someone could help me make some final decisions about next year.
* indicates highest for someone in my grade
^ indicates required and no honors offered
R indicates Regents</p>

<p>Freshman
English 9 - H*
Global 9- H*
Math 10- H -R-MathA *except 1 girl in math 11 H
Biology^ R
Spanish 2- advanced, but no honors, about 10 girls went into span 3H
Religion 1^
Health^
Computer 1^
PE^
Orchestra!
No other courses except chorus possible here</p>

<p>Sophomore
English 10- H*
Global 2 - H R- didn't take AP Euro (offered)
Math 11 H- H R-Math B* see above
Chemistry- R^
Spanish 3 H-R see above
Religion 2^
Drawing and Painting ^
Theater (for fun!)
Orchestra
PE ^
Here I move up a little to 4 honors classes
Self Studies- European History- didn't take course but took exam (5)</p>

<p>Junior
Ap English Language- *
American History R ^- AP offered, doesn't work with my schedule
Precalculus H * see above
Physics ^
AP Chemistry *- My "elective" lol- about 9 girls doubled science with me
Spanish 4- H see above some here in 5 or AP at this point (majority in 3)
Religion 3 ^
Orchestra
PE^
Self Studies- American History _no score yet</p>

<p>Prospective Senior Schedule- this is where things get interesting
I hate Spanish, i don't want to continue it, but I also want to have a demanding courseload since I love to learn and be challenged. However, my GC doesn't really think you should take courses for your personal enjoyment but rather keep in her track (it doen's help that she teaches 5 and AP spanish). Anyway
AP English Literature *
Economics/ Law and Gov't ^
AP Calc AB *
Latin 1- for love of myths and the language
AP Biology *
Philosophy H* (1 semester)
Some other Religion course
PE
Orchestra
Photography
Advanced Drawing and Painting</p>

<p>Self Studies- will take Calc BC exam, Physics C, and both Economics hopefully
I might study over the summer so I can get into Latin 2</p>

<p>My passions are music and science, but art is a close third, and I need to enjoy myself at some point, right? Are the extra arts okay?</p>

<p>Wha about not having SPanish? I realized I was not enjoying that language and my major (Astrophysics) really doesn't havfe to do with it. I love latin and really want to take it. Is that okay?</p>

<p>My one other option for improving my courseload is to take AP Government, which I am kind of interested in but not as much as the others. APs at my school are pretty hard too. Should I take on the extra one or not? </p>

<p>All in all, I am not trying to trumpet my advanced courses or show off. I just want to know if doing what I ENJOY next year (def. not slacking off with three APS!) will hurt me at all, because I LOVE Chicago.</p>

2

<p>I'm having the same (or somewhat similar) dilemma!</p>

<p>I'm not much of a science/math person, so I was thinking about not taking an AP science class next year. Instead, I wanted to take two 1-semester classes pass/fail (World Lit & Film Studies and either Sociology or Urban Studies). But my counselor told me to stay away from taking regular classes.</p>

<p>I've been advised to do different things. The college counselors at my school have told me to go AP all across the board (so that's AP Eng, Bio, Comp Govt, Calc BC, & Econ), but some of my other teachers have told me to take classes that I'm most interested in.</p>

<p>Suggestions?</p>

3

<p>MSHP, I say definitely take what interests you rather than what looks best on paper. It'll reflect in your letters of recommendation and grades. Honors courses are often harder than AP ones. When your guidance counselor writes his letter of recommendation and describes what interests you, it'll be consistent if it matches with the courses you chose.</p>

4

<p>katia:</p>

<p>It saddens me a little that you are ditching Spanish. My Spanish Lit course for the AP was one of the courses I liked most, ever, and I have been reading Spanish literature for 35 years since. It seems sad to put in that much time with Spanish and to quit just when you get to the part that makes it worthwhile (at least IMO).</p>

<p>That said, of course you should take courses that interest you, and your desire to take Latin is great. I think it could be a good idea to try to get into Latin 2, though. Latin is traditionally taught very differently than modern languages -- much, much more systematic and grammar-based, as opposed to trying to teach you how to have an inane, 1st grade conversation. But if you have made it through four years of Spanish you probably have a decent idea of how verb forms are structured in Latin, especially the three regular classes, which are very similar to Spanish, and that's about 1/3 of what Latin I teaches. You will also find the vocabulary not so difficult -- between Spanish and English it's about 90% cognates. So Latin I could be awfully slow for you, especially if most of the students don't already know how a Romance language is structured. Jumping into Latin II is doable, and shows that you are pushing yourself a bit (and also probably gets you to the point where you can begin to read stuff you would like, like Ovid, by the end of the year).</p>

<p>On the other hand -- self-studying for Physics C seems like a mistake to me. It's difficult, it won't do you a shred of good at the University of Chicago even if you get a 5, and it won't do anything on your application, either. Take the time and have some fun.</p>

<p>(What school do you go to? It looks like a Catholic girls school, but when I grew up in Buffalo there were no Catholic girls schools that were anywhere near as hardcore as you are describing.)</p>

5

<p>Physics C is difficult, sure, but rewarding in the long run (unless you absolutely despise the physical sciences). I don't know that it "won't do you a shred of good" if you get a 5, though...Do they not give credit for that? And even if you don't get, it still adds to your courseload--which, I must say, looks pretty darn rigorous to me!</p>

6

<p>You don't get "courseload" credit on your application for planning to take an AP test in the future without taking the course. If you write about it, maybe people will focus on it, but they may take it with a grain of salt, too.</p>

7

<p>Note that a '3' in the Spanish AP exam will fulfill your language proficiency (at least it did 2 years ago). Also, many observatories are in south america - Spanish would not be a bad second language to be fluent in.</p>

<p>What other colleges are on your list? Knowing that might make it easier to suggest a course load.</p>

8

<p>I'm not sure about Physics not doing a shread of good. . .
My proposed major is astroPHYSICs LOL</p>

<p>JHS- I know. I may have liked Spansh if I had teachers and a program that was good. And trust me, you don't want to have my GC for a teacher. People get like 30% on vocab quizzes (smart people). I don't want to have a year of struggling with something I don't even like really. And my teacher this year just made things even more unbearable and unmoving, and I can't express myself in SPanish well at all. It's horrible. We all get like 100 on the Regents but if I try to have a REAL conversation it really doesn't work out.</p>

<p>MSHP- We ony have like 11 APs- (2 of which I can't take because they are languages I never took- so 9 possible), I've done Euro, US (exams), Chem, Eng lang. Nexct year is Calc, Bio, Eng Lit. So I'll have 7 of 9 at my school. </p>

<p>I've pretty much listed all the courses at my school, except other electives (Chorus, Clayworks) some senior religion courses (no Honors), Marine/Environmental (regular senior science) and Advanced Bio </p>

<p>So I'm wondering how I look in my school basically.</p>

<p>I think I'll try to get into Latin 2.</p>

<p>What about Physics and Calc BC? I think they will be extremely helpful even if I end up taking them again.</p>

<p>Also, on Chicago's website, I hear ou can get some kind of advanced placement for Physics C.</p>

<p>As to my high school- there have been Catholic Girl's schools in Buffalo since the 1800s! If you want a hint, we are celebrating our 150th anniversary.
We were just voted best high school in WNY.
I'm afraid I said too much!</p>

<p>@ ohio_mom- The exam probably isn't bad, but the course at my school is INSANE. I'd rather spend my time on other subjects and do WELL. </p>

<p>Other colleges- Nothing crazy, maybe Cornell and Rice as my more selective ones, Carnegie Mellon, St. John's College (love that school!), Wellesley maybe, Colgate maybe, Columbia as a "yeah right" school, Chicago is #1 though I'd say.</p>

<p>More thoughts would be nice.<br>
Thanks for the help thus far!</p>

9

<p>I'm totally considering Wellesley too! But, Chicago is definitely my first choice at the moment.</p>

10

<p>Katia: Check the Chicago catalog carefully before you kill yourself self-studying for Physics C AP. The credit they give for it is pretty useless to a Physics major. Concentrate on the math -- that will determine your physics placement.</p>

11

<p>Thanks for all the tips! I've tried my best to show how my schedule fits in with my schools, and I think it is one of the hardest, even if I"m not two years ahead in language.</p>

<p>Should I pick up AP Gov't (only remaining AP bessides Span at my school)?<br>
I am kind of interested, but my three APs (Calc, Bio, and Eng) I care more about. </p>

<p>I am just wondering how my schedule will be looked at by UChicago, and I suppose other schools on my list (Wellesley, Cornell, Rice)</p>

12

<p>Oh and JHS- I might take up Spanish again. . . someday. Just not in high school.</p>

<p>Nice to hear from a fellow Buffalonian!</p>

<p>oh, and course selections were supposed to be final as of June 1st, I think I can add something possibly by the 8th. . . any other thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated.</p>

13

<p>I think you're fine, Katia, just don't kill yourself with the self-study. We're just nagging you about the spanish because you have to be proficient in a language - and you can fulfill that with a 3 in an AP course. My son had to take a quarter of spanish (no AP) and he liked his instructor, but did work hard. He didn't take the oral exam before winter break ... so we watched a LOT of Telemundo over vacation to try and keep his language lodged in his brain.</p>

<p>Also - lots of 'scopes in south america ....</p>

14

<p>Thanks ohio_mom. I def. won't kill myself with the self-study- I'll see how well I'm understanding the Physics by the end of the summer- trust me, I probably won't spend <em>too</em>much time on it. Latin shouldn't be bad. And that's about it.</p>

15

<p>Ohio Mom:</p>

<p>My daughter didn't get out of language proficiency with a 3 on the AP. She still had to take two quarters of a language at a high-intermediate level.</p>

<p>Katia:</p>

<p>I won't do the whole rant here, but I hate hate hate the way languages are taught these days. I know so many kids who get turned off by their third or fourth year (my daughter among them -- she has taken intermediate French for three years, including her AP course, and she is practically allergic to it now). I loved learning languages (and still do, to some extent), but I never did more than two years of vocab-and-grammar in anything.</p>

<p>Latin is generally much better, because (a) it is taught much more systematically, so you get to a higher level faster, and (b) there isn't any reason to learn inane stuff. Years ago, I started Spanish and Latin at the same time. At the end of the first week, in Spanish we could say "John and Mary buy milk and a pen." In Latin, the equivalent was "Marcus Manlius invades Gaul and carries off the women." Latin was a lot more fun.</p>

16

<p>Spanish -
this is from the most recent course catalog:</p>

<p>AP Credit:
Spanish language 4 SPAN 10100-10200-10300
Spanish language 5 SPAN 10100-10200-10300-20100
Spanish literature 4 or 5 SPAN 10100-10200-10300-20100</p>

<p>I believe that you also have to prove yourself proficient in a spoken language - if it is a living language.</p>

17

<p>Katie, you need a 3 on the AP test to satisfy the college language requirement- see below:
AP in any language: A score of 3 meets the College language competency requirement; however, no credit is granted.</p>

18

<p>So. . . last questions.</p>

<p>Ap Gov or no AP Gov?</p>

<p>Doing all of above- but no self studies will be on transcript</p>

<p>Attempting to get into Latin2</p>

<p>How rigorous or competitive does my courseload look? Will it help/hurt my application? Anything else (except Spanish) that I can do to enjoy my senior year and STILL ge tinto U Chicago (I know GPA and SATs and essays make a difference, just asking about courses). </p>

<p>I have been stressing so much about Chicago since my GC is not very nice to me and my GPA is going down like a point (100 point scale). However, I think my essays and interview will help.</p>

<p>So how's the final product looking? </p>

<p>Sorry, I'm beating this thread to death! I just want to learn what I enjoy (self studies) but my GC is really intense and stresses me out.</p>

19

<p>Katia, just reread you SR schedule- you aren't taking an AP Physics class because??? Can you take that instead of AP Spanish, especialy since your interest is in Astrophysics? That would make a stronger course load, IMO, and get you out of Spanish. I like that you are taking Latin.</p>

20

<p>Our school has no AP Physics. Only AP Chem and Ap Bio for science. I wish there was some way to get it on my transcript. Anyone know any good online courses? I just want to do MIT's OCW, but that isn't a course where you get graded. This is so complicated! </p>

<p>Possible Schedule:
AP Bio
AP Calc AB (taking BC exam maybe)
AP English Lit
PE
Orchestra
Latin 2 (hopefully- i need to pass a placement test)
Philosophy H/Church History (Religion)
Law and Government/ Economics
Advanced Drawing and Painting/ Photography</p>

<p>Self Studies- AP Physics C (both)- not on transcript unfortunately</p>

<p>Other than more electives, the only possible way to boost my schedule is AP US Gov. </p>

<p>Max recommended APs at my school is 3- I know like 2 girls taking 4.
Our school has 11 APs, 9 that "apply" to me- my current schedule covers 7 </p>

<p>I really want this to help my app since my GPA (96-97 W) is only decent and my GC says that someone at my school got rejected (can you tell she freaks me out?). Luckily my essays and interview will be good (not to mention I'm flying from Buffalo for an on-campus interview).</p>

<p>P.S. Thank you far ALL of your help, everyone!</p>