Im the poster who introduced the “AP robot” concept upthread. I’ll try to detail this as much as possible so you can understand how it works.
It is not my invention but one used at highly selective colleges when they see a transcript that doesn’t make sense for the student’s purported goals, with lots of haphazardly placed AP classes.
Ap Chem (a senior class, capstone of sorts like Physics C) as a sophomore with self studied AP Bio would definitely raise eyebrows.
I understand that in TX or CA there’s pressure to take a lot of APs so if that’s where you live and your sole goal is to stay instate there or only apply to public flagships OOS, this will not matter as much for admissions although it will in terms of starting college on the right foot academically.
But even students from these states, when applying to highly selective private universities, need to demonstrate both breadth (=student isn’t eschewing difficulty or subject areas) and coherence (=classes taken reflect purported goals as well as academic progression).
As a result, a transcript that makes it past 1st cut will have 4 years in all 5 core subjects (exception senior year where outside of math&English that can be doubled up but not switched out, one subject could be switched for another one from the other categories), a jr/sr schedule that reflects progressively more rigorous course choices, and choices, especially sr year, that reflect their academic interests.
That’s why selective colleges want to see bio, chem, and physics at any level + if offered one AP science; in your case, you’ve already taken Biology in MS (and disliked it?) & you’re taking advanced chemistry, so most course progressions would have you take AP bio as a soph, then Physics then AP chem OR AP Physics next, probably AP physics1 (which is your best choice if premed and a solid pre-req for C if aiming for any major in a college of engineering). You could add AP Environmental Science, which is easier than AP Bio, if you want to add an extra science that isn’t AP Bio, sort of as a replacement for Medical terminology, *but that is neither expected nor necessary *.
As long as you’ve taken all 3 sciences, you don’t have to take AP Bio and you certainly don’t need to self study for it.
I would recommend “saving” AP Chem for sr year regardless of whether you intend to major in ChemE or Chemistry+premed or Neuroscience. This way you start your major with the information as fresh and as thoroughly-mastered as you possibly could.
As for AP physics, the choice depends on your goals: taking Physics 1+2 may be a better choice than C, or vice versa or Physics 1 then C…
A dilemma occurs if you take AP Bio in 10th, AP Physics1 in 11th, and in 12th are interested in both AP Chem and AP Physics C -taking these 2 courses together alongside (I assume) MVC+Calc-based Stats or Discrete Math, would be extremely difficult and time-consuming; it definitely would mean either AP Spanish or AP social science (or neither).
That problem is solved to a certain extent if you take AP Physics 1 as a sophomore, do not take AP Bio, then spread AP Chem&PhysicsC jr/sr year. Caveats would be AP chemistry would really be best in 12th for a senior who wants to major in ChemE or be premed, but Physics C is better taken with some calculus under your belt.
Does all of this make sense? Do you see the progression and coherence?
