Are there any preferences for AP classes that one would take in high school for college admissions? Especially with science and math, I’ve heard that colleges would rather see a student who took AP Chem than AP Bio for example; is this true? Also is there any way to take AP classes outside of my school schedule so I can do more like over the summer?
No, that’s not true at all especially “colleges would rather see a student who took AP Chem than AP Bio for example”. Not all schools offer APs, so they can’t prefer one specific AP class over another. APs are a way of showing course rigor- you should take the ones you’re interested in.
If you are interested in majoring in STEM and are targeting the top colleges, I would suggest looking at the following courses in particular (assuming your school offers them; if it doesn’t, you are not harmed for not taking them):
AP Calculus BC (as long as you can handle it over AP Calculus AB)
AP Physics C (as long as you can handle it over AP Physics 1/2)
AP Chemistry
AP Biology
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science A
If you are interested in the life sciences, AP Calculus BC along with AP Chemistry and AP Biology would be the best combination. If you are interested in the physical sciences, AP Calculus BC along with AP Physics C and AP Chemistry would be the best combination.
However, these are not hard and fast rules. I intend to major in Physics and took AP Physics C and AP Biology (I would have taken AP Chemistry except the course is not taught well at my school). In no whatsoever do you have to take ALL of the courses I listed even if your school offers them and even if you’re targeting the Ivy League or similarly selective colleges.
My advice is, if possible and if you are up to the challenge, to take at least the highest level math course and two of the highest level science courses offered at your school. AP Statistics and AP Computer Science A are considered more as electives, but definitely take them if they interest you. They will not harm your application and they are really awesome and fun courses.
There isn’t any handful of AP classes that colleges like “better” than other AP classes. Take classes you’re interested in/that connect to the major you’re interested in. You will almost always do better in them, and they demonstrate that you can do the work in the types of classes you’ll be taking once you get to college.
Well, actually, there are.
(A good way to see how much value a college thinks an AP class has, is to look at their credit policy. Not that you should take the class for credit, and in fact it’s highly recommended if you attend a top school, that you NOT skip the basic classes for your major, especially if they’re sequential.)
There is no difference between AP Chem and AP bio, though. Both are “core” science classes and equally valued.
For top schools, students should have “core” classes -English, Math, History, Foreign Language, Science- every year; taking APs from that group is “better” for college-preparation purpose than taking the “easy” APs from electives such as statistics, environmental science, human geography, and psychology. A combination of “core” APs and “elective” APs is fine, but if a high school offers 8+ APs and the student took none of the “core” Aps and only “elective” APs, then there’s a suspicion the student is avoiding hard classes. Note however that no one is impressed with a grade of C in an AP class, so you shouldn’t take it if you can’t get a B or more - ask your teacher. A B in Calc AB is better than a C in Calc BC (first of all, because it means you actually understand calculus better with that B in Calc AB.)
@MYOS1634 If someone is planning on majoring in Psychology and had to choose between AP Psychology and AP English for their schedule, I imagine a college would greatly prefer them to take psych over English if they had to choose.
@Qwerty568 Most colleges do not admit by major, so a potential psych major would still be better served taking AP English. Plus, writing well is an invaluable life skill.
AP psychology is considered a “light” AP course, being worth at most a one semester introductory course that is not usually a difficult course. The AP English courses are generally considered more substantial (of course, there may be exceptions at specific high schools and colleges). Although many colleges do admit by major, that is less likely for “arts and sciences” majors, and English composition tends to be more commonly required or applicable to all majors.
To skip or not skip is better determined by trying the college’s old final exams of the course that you are allowed to skip. You do not want to advance too far and get in over your head, but you also do not want to waste time and tuition repeating what you already know well.
For general college preparation, particularly if you are considering a science or engineering major, it is generally advisable to take in high school:
- Math to the highest level available to you (minimum precalculus, definitely take calculus if you complete precalculus 11th grade or earlier and calculus is available).
- All three of biology, chemistry, and physics (not necessarily AP or advanced in all of them); if offered as AP or advanced level courses, take them according to your interest.
- English composition -- four years, AP or advanced based on your interest.
- History and social studies -- three or four years, AP or advanced based on your interest.
- Foreign language -- the higher the level completed the better.
- Art and/or music.
AP statistics, environmental science, and computer science should be considered as electives of lower priority than the above. The same can apply to AP psychology, economics, or human geography, although they may be usable in the social studies category.
Some top colleges in US don’t seem to think AP Biology is credit worthy. I have not looked at all of them but MIT and Stanford have no credit for AP Bio. You are expected to know English VERY well but no credit for that either.
For whatever reason, both Physics B and C were being credit quite liberally for a an AP 5.
Hey! If I may ask, I have a question… I noticed that for the Foreign Language, you stated that “the higher the level, the better.” Let’s say that I took four years of Spanish (Native). Freshman year I took Spanish 1 and sophomore year I jumped straight to Spanish 3. Then AP Spanish Lang. and I’m currently taking AP Spanish Lit. Gotten A’s in all and a 5 on the Language exam. Would that seem great or average for someone seeking to pursue a degree in Spanish at a university like USC? I’m well rounded in other areas (3.77 UW GPA), but foreign language is the only department where I’ve never gotten less than an A.
That would be considered a very high level of achievement in Spanish if you are not a native or heritage speaker. It may be less unusual if you are a native or heritage speaker (although still good, since many heritage speakers do not read or write anywhere near as well as they listen or speak). Of course, there are lots of heritage speakers of Spanish in the US, and Spanish is probably the most common non-heritage foreign language taken in schools in the US, so Spanish knowledge is not especially unusual (though there should be plenty of people to practice using Spanish with).
So would regular Calculus look better than AP Statistics because AP statistics is seen as an elective, or is it better because it is an AP? My school’s AP Stats class is notorious for being an easy blow off class, so I chose calculus over it, but I don’t know if that’s a bad decision for college admissions. If it changes anything, I’m taking the AP Calculus AB test, because that’s pretty much what our class studies for, it just isn’t technically an AP.
@chubwagon as far as I know, Calculus (especially BC) is a much more “respected” math class than statistics because it is 1) harder and 2) more of a pure, fundamental, essential math than stats. For most colleges it’s probably preferable so you made a good choice ^^
In terms of rigor, usually calculus BC > calculus AB > statistics.