Hi I’m currently a sophomore taking AP Chemistry and I want to know whether AP Chemistry or AP Physics 1 looks better on my transcript. I took Honors Physics last year and I want to know which one is the better choice for colleges and which student has the better edge in college admissions, a student taking AP Chem or AP Physics 1
Thank You Very Much
To answer your header question: no.
To answer your text question: I don’t think that is uniformly quantifiable. Colleges want to see that you’ve challenged yourself appropriately. That means taking the hardest courses you can do well in. If your high schools offers APs and Honors then taking either looks good on your transcript as long as you do well in the class and on the AP exam.
The number of credits depend on the high school.
Some classes are “second class after the honors introductory class”, like AP chem, AP physics C, AP Spanish AP French, AP calculus.
Some are a harder version of the honors clzssw like ap physics 1, AP English language, APES, AP econ.
Colleges want to see one each of bio, chem, physics. Therefore (assuming you took biology in middle school) your next choice depends on what you plan to major in: engineering? Take AP physics c. Pre-med? Take AP Bio. A Humanities or social science? Apes (or AP Bio if you’re good at bio, but your focus should be AP humanities/social science).
This is what you should have:
You might be confusing AP Chem with AP Physics C, which actually does consist of 2 separate classes for the full year.
@MYOS1634 has given you a good outline, but your guidance office can tailor that for your school and intended major/studies.
Thank you for your answer, I just have another question. Comparing myself who is not taking AP Physics right now and another person who is, will colleges consider me and the other person equal if I just write the AP Exam in May without taking the class regardless of GPA with the other person who took the class and had a final grade in the class while I didn’t but still had a 5 on the exam, or do they care about both GPA in the class and score on the AP Exam?
In general, admissions is not concerned with AP scores.Certainly a bunch of 5’s is viewed better than a bunch of 3’s, but AP scores are really most important for possible credit/placement at the college you will be attending. Colleges are not impressed with people who just self study the topic and take the exam.; they’d rather you take the course. That said, one course is likely not to make a difference in the admissions process.
One other thing that I’m surprised nobody mentioned; AP Physics 1 is designed as a first physics course. Since you have already had honors physics, there is really no point to take AP Physics 1
You’re taking AP Chemistry right now. Take the AP exam.
If you want to study Engineering, considering you’ve already taken Honors Physics, your next class would be Physics C. However, if your school requires Honors Physics before AP Physics 1/2 and/or doesn’t offer Physics C, that’d be another possibility.
However, it’d be pointless to self study and take the AP Physics 1 exam since you already took Honors Physics.
Hi Thank You for your answer. I have been asking a lot of people and they say that AP Chemistry does count as 2 AP classes GPA wise, Could you please verify if this is correct? Thank You Very Much
If that’s the case, it’s a HS policy.
It often is a two-period class, that’s true.
Selective colleges remove the weights anyway.
In our high school AP Chemistry only counts as one class, credit-wise and in GPA calculations. If you have reason to believe it is different in your school, your safest bet is to check with your guidance department or your high school course catalog should tell you.
How your HS calculates your GPA is up to them. Ask your GC. FWIW, at my HS, it was counted once.
OP, I don’t see what colleges you may target. You’re a soph and have a lot to learn from the colleges, themselves. If you’ll aim high, it doesn’t matter whether your own hs counts something as x or y credits. It’s the material and the level of rigor.
If you want a stem future- and a top college- I’d suggest both AP chem and AP physics. And I’d think twice (if not more than that) about trying to self study. That’s not as impressive, no matter the score. You can’t take shortcuts. You want the coursework and discussion over time, not just a test score on a line in the application.
I don’t know what that means? GPA calculations are school specific and would be a question for your guidance counselor.
For colleges, If there is one AP test, it is one class. The only AP class that I know of that can count for two classes is AP physics C because there are two tests - one for mechanics and one for E&M.
And econ - micro/macro
------ I think I read too fast but yes each school has its own credit and gpa system therefore you need to check your own school policies for that