<p>Hi! Planning out my senior schedule, debating between two options. Decent student, overall 3.7w, just junior year 4.2w, 4 honors and 1 AP this year, plan on applying to UPenn, UVA, Boston College, UNC, Bowdoin, Cornell, Richmond... I plan on studying business/economics, with a possible minor in psychology.</p>
<p>Do colleges know which courses are "notoriously hard" at specific high schools (spanish AP at mine)? Is it necessary to have 6 courses (out of 6 possible slots) or is 5 okay (for my interest schools)? Will I be able to handle the workload, or is it not worth it just for an addition to my transcript? </p>
<p>Option 1:
Micro/Macroeconomics AP
English 12 AP
Physics B AP (or Biology AP)
Calculus Honors
Spanish V AP</p>
<p>Option 2:
Micro/Macroeconomics AP
English 12 AP
Physics B AP (or Biology AP)
Calculus Honors
Spanish V Honors
Psychology AP</p>
<p>Option 3:
Micro/macroeconomics AP
English 12 AP
Physics B AP
Calculus AB AP (would have to take a summer course, currently in pre-calculus/trigonometry regular)
Spanish V Honors</p>
<p>Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>Shouldn’t precalculus / trigonometry prepare you for any calculus course? When I was in high school, all students completing precalculus / trigonometry (honors or regular) as juniors could take calculus – and the only calculus course offered was BC.</p>
<p>It looks like you will take the following courses:</p>
<ul>
<li>AP micro/macro economics</li>
<li>AP English 12</li>
</ul>
<p>With the following choices:</p>
<ul>
<li>AP physics B or AP biology (if you have not taken all three sciences, take the one you have not yet taken)</li>
<li>AP calculus AB or non-AP calculus (note that AB moves at a slower pace than college math, usually being counted as only a semester of college calculus; presumably the non-AP version is even slower paced)</li>
<li>AP Spanish 5 or non-AP Spanish 5</li>
<li>AP psychology or nothing (AP psychology is generally not considered that difficult; colleges which give subject credit for it typically give credit for only a semester long introductory course, which is typically not considered a difficult college course)</li>
</ul>
<p>You have at least 2 very selective colleges on your list.</p>
<p>Best is option 3 with one change. Since you’re planning to take Spanish V you might as well take the AP course. The point of taking such a course is to bring your fluency up a notch or two. It’s hard to imagine why taking a “easy” variant of Spanish V is in fact easier than taking the AP version. You’re likely to be around more dedicated Spanish students in the AP class than in the Honors class, and that should be helpful and motivating.</p>