If I want to major in Computer Science or Data Science, and am looking at colleges such as UCI, UCSB, Cal Poly SLO what APs should I take junior year?
AP Comp Sci or AP Psychology
AP Statistics
AP Biology
Does it look better to take more challenging courses or get better grades?
Also, is it necessary to take AP Calculus to get into a good computer science program?
AP Comp sci principles and A, AP physics 1, AP calculus should be on your schedule junior or senior year.
You should be learning languages on your own, coding, programming, etc (Minecraft, app, etc)
What’s your full proposed schedule junior and senior year?
Comp sci is EXTREMELY competitive you need the highest possible grades in
@MYOS1634 Minecraft???
Yup. Creating objects to sell, etc. (Obviously not ‘being a Minecraft player’).
A lot of people get into coding this way.
What matters is being engaged in one or many aspects of CS outside of class.
AP CSP may activate interest but AP CSA won’t, so one shouldn’t wait for that class late in one’s HS career to prepare for a CS major.
Practice makes perfect.
I would try to take AP calculus if you can …your peers will be taking it.
Certainly take it if yuo have a choice vs Ap Stats
I agree with taking AP calc for a CS major as well.
As far as what to take Junior year, it’s hard to advise without knowing what you’ve taken so far and your plans for senior year. In general for STEM majors, colleges want to see a year of bio, chem, physics, and at least one AP in those fields; and math through calc if it’s offered at your school.