My son is a high school junior planning Engineering major at UF.
His STEM class schedule is:
Sophomore: Chemistry honors, Pre-calculus
Junior: Physics honors, AP Statistics
Senior: AP Physics 1, AP Calculus AB
He is planning for Dual Enrollment in summer after junior year.
What are recommended classes for him for Dual Enrollment?
Is Introductory Chemistry (CHM 1025/L) good?
Would it be too rigorous for 6 week summer schedule?
Why does he want to take DE classes? Is he looking to earn college credit or prep for his critical tracking classes in engineering?
These are the critical tracking classes (it varies a bit by major):
CHM 2045 or CHM 2095, EML 2023, MAC 2311, MAC 2312, MAC 2313, MAP 2302, PHY 2048, PHY 2049
Basically, Chem 1 (and 2 if a Chem Eng major) Calc 1, 2 and 3, and Physics 1 and 2.
For Stem classes, he either wants to take one of these classes (so the DE credits will count toward graduation and save him some $) or classes to prepare him for these classes.
I think he’s planned HS classes will do a fine job of “prepping” him for the critical tracking classes.
An Alternative is taking a DE class that will help satisfy UF’s Gen Ed requirements.
http://undergrad.aa.ufl.edu/general-education/gen-ed-program/program-requirements/
A class like ENC 1101 will help met the writing requirements, and still looks good in your app (DE classes count as “rigorous” courses, like AP classes). Something to think about.
If he’s taking AP English Language and Composition, then he doesn’t want to take DE ENC1101, as that AP course could give him credit for ENC 1101 (and 1102).
Review all of his planned HS classes, not just the STEM ones when picking a DE class.
Thank you for your valuable feedback.
Purpose is to prepare him for Critical Tracking classes in engineering and boost his high school GPA. He has not taken any DE class so far.
His other AP classes are: AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP US History, AP Psychology and AP English Lang.
Senior Year: AP English Lit, AP Macro, AP Micro.
Looking at his AP schedule he has college level classes in English, Social Studies, Math and Physics. He has taken Chemistry honors sophomore year but no slot in senior year schedule for AP Chemistry.
I would not recommend taking an engineering critical tracking course as a way to boost his high school GPA. Chem 1 and Calc 1 are very tough classes no matter where you take them. My daughter took Chem 1 at Santa Fe and a bunch of kids in her program got their butts handed to them. And the intro to chem class is far from an easy A. It may end up hurting him more than helping him. If he’s taking AP Calc and AP physics as senior, I believe that shows his strength and interest in STEM. Also, plenty of kids get into UF from schools that don’t offer any or maybe just a few APs. Be very careful of trading rigor for GPA.
Do most of the top students in his school do dual enrollment and you feel that he is behind?
Also curious about the sequence of some of his classes. Why take Stats in Jr year rather than Calc? Seems like it would be better to take Calc right after Pre Calc and have it completed before applying to UF. Maybe a scheduling conflict?
Does his school require him to take Physics Honors before AP Physics? Feels like a waste of a class to me. My son had the same science sequence except took AP Chem as Jr and AP Physics as Sr without having taken Physics before.
Why is he taking two economics classes in Sr year if he is on Engineering track? Wouldn’t it make sense to take AP Chem in place of those?
Please understand, I am not trying to be rude, just wonder what kind of advice he is getting at school.
His school advised to take Physics Honors class before AP Physics 1 class.
He cannot make changes to current junior year schedule but he is open to make changes to senior year schedule.
He can tone down his senior year schedule to include AP Chemistry class like AP English Lit to English 4 honors and two economics classes to one. AP Chemistry is a two period class in his school.
Is it advisable to take three harder STEM classes in senior year?
AP Physics 1
AP Calculus AB
AP Chemistry
That’s a murderer’s row of AP classes. Every kid is different but I would not recommend that lineup to my math and science loving senior son. Senioritis lurks…
Yes, every kid is different and you have to determine what makes sense for him. I doubt that whether he takes AP Chem or not is going to make or break him as it relates to UF admissions…