I’m thinking about going to a school such as NYU Stern. I have to choose my classes for next year. I would rather take a few hard classes and do okay than a bunch of honors and APs and fail.
I want to take AP Biology. However, I am having difficulty choosing between a few other classes. I can take AP Euro, Honors Algebra 2/Trig, and/or Honors Speech (Regular sophomore English and you learn how to give speeches and debate). The alternatives for each are regular Global History II, regular algebra 2, or regular sophomore English.
I understand business schools value math classes. At my school Honors Speech is a relatively easy class. I heard Honors Algebra 2 has a teacher that gives extremely difficult tests and people have low averages. Everyone in AP Euro in my school says it’s is a lot of work, takes a lot of their time, with tons of homework and you have to go to afterschool with your teacher twice a week because there is a lot of material and tests are extremely hard. Many sophomores told me to avoid AP Euro but said it was worth it.
I’m thinking either AP Euro and AP Bio and the rest regular, or AP Bio and Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Speech. For a business school which is more beneficial?
This year I have no APs, only honors geometry. I know APs are important, but so is math for business schools. Thank you!
AP Bio
Honors Algebra II
Honors Chemistry
English II regular
If graduation requirement:
Global History II
Add Honors Chemistry if not taken because you need to know Chemistry for AP Bio.
Thanks Waterbourne! I am taking chemistry now. If I take AP Euro, I still take the Global regents. The teacher would do a couple of weeks of Global review for the regents. Apparently Global II is a relatively easy class. In my grade there are about 20 classes so next year 8 take AP World II and 4 take AP Euro and the rest Global II.
You really do not need history as a STEM major because you will never use it again. I would highly recommend concentrating more on your other classes or extracurriculars rather than taking that or taking something else. I would suggest taking or self-studying AP Psych instead because it is more relevant to your major and counts towards History (for some stupid reason) in colleges.
What grade are you in? In some posts, you say that you are a freshman but in other you are a sophomore. Also, it is helpful if you clearly layout your current classes and your future options.
I’m a freshman but I don’t think I can edit that post. I am currently taking chemistry, French 2, freshman English, global 1, honors geometry, and my school requires an engineering/research class for freshman. Next year I can take
-sophomore English or honors speech
-honors or regular algebra 2
-global II or AP Euro
For science, I can take a lot of things but I need to cover my biology requirement so I would like to take AP Biology. For language, I would be taking regents french. For sophomores, there is a required coding/writing class.
For selective to highly selective colleges, one of the things they look at is course rigor. Generally, if given a choice between a regular and honors course, you should pick the honors track. Students that get into the higher level colleges are able to excel in all disciplines at the HS level (English, Math, Science, Social Science, etc). Are you able to take AP Bio? Normally it is a second year biology class. If you are getting strong A’s in freshman English and Global 1, you can consider AP Euro. Yes, it is going to be a lot of work. It is a college level class. I don’t think as a sophomore, you should be taking AP classes if you are not willing to take the honors level in the other subjects. Regular English/ AP History is too big of a spread.
@Eeyore123 Thanks for input! I took regents biology in middle school and I am doing well in chemistry so I can take AP Biology. I understand that students accepted to selective colleges often take all/many honors and APs in all subjects and I am not sure how I should go about this. I am leaning towards honors English but I am not sure about math or history because I want to take honors math but I have no APs. But anyways, thank you!
Well you need history credits to graduate from pretty much any college. Also, STEM majors need to learn from history’s mistakes just as much and arguably more than anyone else cough cough failed NASA launches cough cough
^And OP wants to go to a business school so moot point.
If you’re interested in top business schools, your schedule should include
- Honors English (Speech at your school)
- Honors Algebra 2/Trig
- AP Euro or Honors Global
- Regents French (3/3H)
- a science and an elective (or any graduation requirement)
Junior Year should follow the same pattern but include Precalculus Honors, AP English Language, APUSH and/or an AP Science with the other subject Honors, and French 4 plus (an) elective(s) or (a) graduation requirement(s).
It’s not the number of AP’s but which AP’s you choose.
In your case, the next science class in the sequence should be AP Physics 1 or Honors Physics. Then, junior and senior year, you take 2 from AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics C (sr year only and if you want to go into engineering), or APES (if you want to go into Social Sciences/Humanities). You could also take AP Bio and save AP Physics 1 or Honors Physics for Junior year.