Hey all!
I’m going into my senior year of high school next fall and we’re currently doing scheduling in school. My aspiration is to apply to elite universities (the Ivies, like Penn, Rice, Northwestern etc.) so please keep that in mind as you help me out (which is much appreciated!).
The classes I signed up for are:
TV Broadcast (it’s a media broadcasting course that I did in 11th grade and really enjoy doing)
AP Biology
AP Physics
AP Computer Science
AP Literature
However, my counselor informed me that due to the hours that each class was given throughout the day, I cannot take both TV Broadcast and AP Physics, as they conflict on the schedule, so one has to go. Deep down I know I’d rather take TV Broadcast but considering the schools I want to apply to, AP Physics appears to be much more important. If I removed Physics from my schedule I could fit AP Spanish in there, so that’s something to consider.
My parents want me to take Physics and I think that’s more important to get into schools I want to get into, but it’s senior year and I also want to have one class I can really look forward to. Can you guys help? (Also, I could take both if I remove AP Biology but I’d rather not because it’s a possible major.)
Thanks!
Have you taken any physics (and biology and chemistry) before?
Which AP physics?
What math have you completed?
What about FL and history/social sciences? That’s a very science heavy schedule.
I finished AP Calc in 9th and AP Stats in 10th. I finished APUSH in 9th and AP World in 10th as well so history is out and typical math classes are out too.
And I’m finishing up AP Chem this year
Sorry for the long strings I keep forgetting to answer questions.
No, I’ve never taken a physics course before. I took Honors Bio in 9th and Honors Chem in 10th before taking AP Chem in 11th.
You should have the Holy Trinity of Sciences if you seriously want to pursue the more selective schools.
What about Economics and Government, the typical senior year social studies courses?
Is Ap Physics the only Physics option availalbe, or could you do Honors Physics instead?
What is your likely major once you do get to college?
Drop Bio, take Physics.
Are you saying you will have had no math junior or senior years, after getting to BC Calc as a 9th grader?
I agree, you have a really imbalanced schedule.
OP says that biology is a possible major. Biology majors have to take physics in college, competing for A grades against grade-conscious pre-meds (unless they choose to take the more math-intensive version of physics for physics majors). Going into college physics without having seen at least a high school level view of it is likely to be disadvantageous.
Your schedule is very unbalanced and will be a HUGE problem for the ivy league. They expect you to take English, math, social science, every year + bio, chem, physics + Foreign Language through level 4 or AP.
“I ran out of high school math in 9th grade” will NOT fly because it shows a sort of complacency toward academics that is antithetical to what they’re looking for.
If you completed AP calc as a 9th grader, ie ., 4 years ahead, your job was to show it wasn’t because your parents had pushed you but because you enjoyed math so much, and as such would do anything to continue with challenging math (discrete math, multivariate calculus, differential equations, linear algebra). Many kids who were very good at math and enjoy math will have found a way to take these classes. Is there a community college nearby? Is your school enrolled in some sort of online program? Can your parents afford any sort of fees?
Drop AP Bio. Although you’re considering it as a major, honors or Ap physics matter more.
Note that the ROI for bio majors is one of the worst right now, due to the oversupply of them on the job market, especially the many would be pre-meds who never made it into med school. So, reconsider it as a major, think more broadly: bioinformatics? Food science?
Keep tv broadcast. Add a social science class (it doesn’t need to be AP but it needs to be there) and take another social science over the summer to salvage your odds (dual enrollment preferably).
Take AP Spanish in addition to the above - 6 classes, with 5 core academic classes, is the minimum expected.
What did you take junior year?
The OP is unable to answer since this account was banned as a duplicate. I’ll keep the thread open in case s/he responds under the original user name.
I agree that Physics is important, so I’d drop Comp Sci.
Consider adding History (US or Euro), math (Calc MV, Stats) and/or foreign language.
Sorry, no broadcast fun course, if you were my kid. (In fact, my kid’s fun course was AP Comp Sci with his buddies – he was a Lit/history prospie; he had fun with his friends, even tho he struggled mightily. Fortunately, accepted ED so the B’s didn’t hurt.)
MODERATOR’S NOTE: Closing thread since OP started yet another account. He or she can see post #12 for the reason for the ban.