I am a rising Junior, and I am struggling between these two courses. This year, I loved AP physics 1 and it was a fairly easy course for me, and I took Honors Biology Freshman year. My school is rather competitive, and I have heard that AP Chem is difficult in terms of the quality of teacher and the amount of material, while AP Bio is a “killer” with loads of home-bookwork. I was horrible with Chemistry in middle school, but I’m good with memorization (pro-Bio). I’d like to take a class with an exam that is doable(as in a 5 is POSSIBLE). My physics teacher is encouraging me to show “well-roundedness” within my science course load, but I’m not sure if 2 years of bio and 2 years of physics is a variety!
Oh and also, I personally would enjoy AP Bio concepts more than Chem, but the teacher is extremely… dull. Thanks for any advice you can give me.
Do you have any type of chemistry class on your official transcript? If you took it in middle school, I’m assuming that it did not count towards your HS transcript. In that case, I’d go with AP Chem. Colleges like to see at least one year of biology, physics, and chemistry.
If it helps anyone, I decided to take both simultaneously. You know, to make sure colleges know that I have a knowledge of both when I walk through their doors.
Do not take both concurrently because those classes are heavy on reading and absorbing lots of new content (and writing-based) and it is better to take one and do well on one than to fail both. Colleges would also like to see that you passed/understood it than “just to take it just because”. BTW, I would recommend AP Chem because AP Bio is so daunting with the readings and for me personally I am taking it Senior year when my schedule is lighter.
Oh if you hate Chem, just take AP Bio (you being about to memorize terms/vocab will help you greatly because you will need to understand the terms to make connections with concepts).