My daughter will be a high school freshman (MA) this fall. She is planning to do the following courses in freshman year. Accelerated Earth Science(Hon), Intensive Geometry(Hon), World history, English and French. She is interested in a Biology major or premed program in college. What courses should she be taking in her Sophomore, Junior & Senior years? Her high school offers AP US history in Sophomore year. It is supposed to be a hard course & she is not sure if she should take that or 20th century US history (Hon) course. Also, her school will offer Accelerated Biology(Hon) in 10th grade and AP Bio in junior year only if there are free spots as that is offered to seniors first. AP Chemistry, AP Phy (Mechanics), AP Calc (AB/BC) are offered only in senior year. But isn’t that too late for college admissions? Would it make sense to take the Geometry this summer so that she gets to do the following track ?
Geo(Hon)summer->Alg II (Gr 9)->PreCalc/Trig(Gr 10)->AP Calc BC (Junior)
Also if she does the Biology (Hon) in summer before 10th grade, then does it makes sense to do the following track?
Accel Earth Sc(Hon)Gr9—>Biology C 9(summer)–>Accel Chem (Gr 10)---->AP Bio (junior)—>AP Phy or AP Chem (senior).
The school also offers Anatomy & Physiology (Hon) in senior year that may help for her premed admission for college. Appreciate any suggestions/ideas for my first born going to high school. Thanks.
Taking the usual well rounded high school course work, choosing the rigorous options, is generally what is expected.
Pre-med in college does not require a specific major; the pre-med course work can be taken with any undergraduate major. Whether colleges admit by major and whether her major is an impacted one depends on the college. But, as a high school frosh, it is far too early to be thinking about specific college majors, since students change their minds about majors and goals like becoming a physician.
About the only thing high school students who may do pre-med need to consider is that college courses taken in high school and their grades are included in college records when applying to medical school – good if A or A+ grades are earned, bad if B+ or lower grades are earned.
Geo(Hon)summer->Alg II (Gr 10)->PreCalc/Trig(Gr 11)->AP Calc BC (Gr 12) is fine. That’s what 2/3 Harvard admitted students have (with a certain percentage going up to precalculus only).
However this sequene:
Accel Earth Sc(Hon)Gr9—>Biology C 9(summer)–>Accel Chem (Gr 10)---->AP Bio (junior)—>AP Phy or AP Chem (senior)
is indeed better.
Anatomy&Physiology are more useful for future nursing majors. Premeds won’t have much that related to anatomy/physiology, they’ll have traditional biology, physics, chemistry, and math classes. A&P can be taken as an elective, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of “core” classes (ie., English, Math, Science, Social Science, Foreign Language) of which good colleges expect 4 years each.
I agree that good grades in the most difficult math and science courses offered should be the goal.
And I also agree that it is not too early to be thinking about this - so congrats on planning ahead. Good luck to your D - and you for helping.
“The school also offers Anatomy & Physiology (Hon) in senior year that may help for her premed admission for college".
There really is no such thing as a “premed admission”. Your D will be only trying to gain admission to a college. Where that will be dependent on how D does academically, cost, and possibly on non academic factors (ECs, PS, LORs) depending on college… D should consider taking hardest possible courses that she can take AND do well in. The AND is very important. You and D shouldn’t be viewing high school courses as actual prep for med school. Doing well in hard courses will hopefully allow time management skills and self confidence in handling challenging material to take root which should help D no matter what pathway she goes down.
“AP Chemistry, AP Phy (Mechanics), AP Calc (AB/BC) are offered only in senior year.But isn’t that too late for college admissions?”
No. College decisions may be based, in part, on academic performance only through third year as first semester senior grades are often not available. But D’s transcript would reflect her senior courses and when high school transcripts are submitted, a high school profile is typically attached which would, in part, tell college admission offices what was available/not available to the students at D’s high school…
Also keep in mind, D is in high school and she should try enjoying the time. Good luck.
Thank you very much for all the valuable suggestions. This has been extremely useful information for us to make the decisions going forward. Appreciate it.
Have fun in HS and college!! Grow personally, pursue many interests, widen horizon. Do not worry about Med. School. Way to early for that. Pursue some medically related ECs to seen how comfy the kid feels in medical environment(s). It is NOT for everybody, no matter what is academic status.