Hello.
I am a current Sophomore at a highly competitive HS. I am an all honors student, 3.8 unweighted gpa, and am interested in both computer science as well as international relations (I know, pretty polar opposites). I have taken Honors Bio, and this year honors Chem, and next year have options for science. My teacher does not believe I am ready for AP Physics, the standard course for a student of my caliber, and is recommending AP Bio. However, AP Bio is extremely difficult to get into because it is normally reserved for seniors, and I need a backup plan. I am thinking about taking APES + Mechanical and Electrical Engineering next year, and then I will hopefully get into AP Physics as a senior. Otherwise, I am able to take an “enriched” (in between AP and CP… their is no honors physics offered) level physics this year if I want to. What do you all think? Should I take the APES, or will that be detrimental and lessen my course rigor for colleges (keep in mind that I am interested in highly competitive schools)? Or, should I suck it up and take the enriched level physics?
This one. AP Physics, IMO, is not all it’s cracked up to be, and really only covers about half of what is needed for the Subject Test (if you’re thinking about that.) No college will expect a student to take every AP that’s offered, but top colleges will expect a year of bio/chem/physics plus an advanced class in one of those. Then you can take AP Bio as a senior.
But to answer the header question: AP ES does not look bad, but, IMO, should not take the place of one of the core sciences.
Thanks for your response. My only concern with taking enriched physics is that I will lose an honors/high level class, and as a result, I would only take two next year (History is not leveled, so I’d take Honors/AP English, Honors Spanish, Honors 1 (lower H level of Math, but nonetheless) Math. Especially if I am interested in the sciences, I feel like I should at least an AP next year (whether or not its useful or not), and then shoot for AP Physics senior year… it’ll be a crapshoot but hopefully God is on my side and will get me into AP Bio xD…
BTW… there are hardly any APs at my school offered, with no direct History courses (you can take the AP test individually, though), so I feel extra pressure to take an AP science…
Oh well, I think I sound ridiculous, and I know none of this will matter in the long run…
This post makes me realize just how different all high schools are. Most of our students take Bio as their freshman science so many will be taking AP Bio as freshman whereas at OPs school they take it as seniors.
Most college-bound students in the US do take bio as freshman, but most schools also require freshman bio (and sophomore chem) prior to taking AP Bio. Very very few schools allow freshman to take AP Bio with no prior bio preparation. Nor does the College Board recommend it.
IMO, taking one less AP will have a negligible effect on the 3.5 year GPA you present in your college applications. Obviously if you get into AP Bio as a junior, the whole conversation becomes moot.
If you think APES is useful and/or interesting, by all means take it. But if you’re considering it just because it’s an AP and may give a slight GPA bump, I think there are better ways to spend your time.
Yeah. I think I am just going to bite the bullet and take enriched physics as well as mechanical and electrical engineering next year. I want to do computer science, first and for most, and might as well get an A in enriched physics, as well as just get it over with, rather than F in AP (lol), and then I can get into AP Bio as a Senior.
Thanks for your help.
Actually, at my HS Earth science is the standard course for freshman, then bio, chem. and physics (or another science) as a senior.