Hi! I’m a current sophomore trying to plan my class schedule for the next two years, but I’m struggling to decide what classes to take as my school only offers certain AP’s every year. For reference, I’m very interested in the humanities, specifically English, linguistics, and foreign language (as well as visual art).
freshman: (max of 4 honors [ math, elective, language, and/or science] no APs)
honors mandarin 2
honors painting 1 (half-year elective)
pe / health (grad. requirement, half-year)
accelerated geometry
honors physics
world history 1
english
sophomore (current): (can take all honors, no APs)
honors mandarin 3
honors drawing 2 (half-year elective)
pe / health (half-year)
honors english
honors world history 2
honors chem
accelerated algebra II
junior (plan as of now): (max 2 APs)
honors mandarin 4
honors english
APUSH
accelerated pre-calc
honors bio
AP Human Geo ? (I’d have to take it online since my school doesn’t offer it, and I don’t really want to take the other APs offered next year [chem, physics, euro, gov, econ, comp sci])
senior (plan as of now):
AP chinese (but there is a chance my school won’t offer it if the class size is too small since not many ppl take chinese)
AP English (my school combines Lit and Lang)
AP Psych
AP Calc AB ?
AP Studio Art 2D
environmental science (not offered as AP) or AP Bio (if I end up liking it next year, would probably drop down to accelerated calc then)
Basically, I’m wondering if this is a good track for me. Is there any harm in taking APHUG online? Is it bad if I never take an AP science/math? Thank you so much! <3
It really depends on what types of colleges you are targeting. Also depends on how your GC will “rate” your specific course of study-- would this constitute “most rigorous” available at your school? APHUG can be a great course for discussion-- you’d really miss out online. I would recommend AP Gov/Econ from what’s offered. And I would stick with AP Calc rather than AP Bio. But it really depends on what you want from your education and what college you are thinking of applying to.
@Techno13 I know online would be a lot different than taking it in person, but I figured it would be better than nothing (especially since I’m more passionate about anthropology and those fields than gov and/or econ).
I definitely want to try for more competitive colleges, but I’m not sure how my GC would rate my rigor. Generally, for my schedule to be considered “most rigorous”, do I need to take the highest possible level offered of every class every year? Or could my schedule still be considered rigorous despite being in an intermediate level of math each year? Also, is AP Calc still more important than an AP science even if I’m planning on going into the humanities?
Sorry for asking so many questions!
Rigor is a question for your guidance counselor as every school is different.
If you are planning on being competitive for top colleges, APHUG, psych, and env. sci are not going to look rigorous. Your competition will be coming in core (bio, chem, and physics) AP STEM courses in addition to the AP humanities.
Does your school not require math every year? Even if they don’t, colleges expect it. With Pre-Calc as a Junior, some type of Calc would be expected as a Senior - either AP AB or another version if offered.
Combines AP Lit and Lang? Your school teaches all the material in both AP curriculum and prepares students to take both tests in one year? This is very out of the ordinary and would seem to be extremely challenging. But if that’s they don’t offer one as a Junior, I guess that’s appropriate to take.
Are there electives that are align with your interests for Jr and Sr years? Psych and HG are OK, but on the easier side of APs. If there are courses that align and interest you, they would probably be as strong on your resume and may be of more interest to you.
@RichInPitt
My school does require math all four years. The reason I put a question mark next to it is that math is notoriously difficult in my school, and I’m unsure if I want to take it at the AP level (though my older brother has told me that I’ll be fine, so I probably will).
Yes, it supposedly does. Students who take AP English in my school are expected to take both Lit and Lang tests (though as far as their results go, I’m not sure how well they actually do). That’s honestly the main reason I’m struggling so much to decide my classes. If my school offered both English AP’s separately, I could just take 1 next year instead of APHUG and 1 senior year.
The only other electives that really interest me would be Honors Painting II and Creative Writing, but I don’t think those would be considered any more rigorous than HG or Psych. Plus, they’re both only half-year electives, so I’d still have an empty slot one year.
Would you be able to take APUSH junior year and AP Euro senior year? This would be the best combination for history/social science.
Based on your school’s progression, your junior schedule is fine.
However senior year you should take:
AP English
AP History (Euro? Otherwise honors history classes or AP Gov/Econ)
AP Studio art
AP Stats
AP Chinese
Environmental science (regular)
“Our high school doesn’t pick classes until I think at least April.”
Our teachers’ placement recommendations are due tomorrow. The kids have to select their classes the week following Thanksgiving. Seniors may have already picked this week (they usually go a week early). Nothing is carved in stone, though. They don’t allow “convenience changes” until after the first day of next year’s classes, but if your academic performance this year changes, you can make adjustments to next year’s classes or levels.
@MYOS1634 Assuming there’s enough demand for my school to offer AP Euro my senior year, yes, I could take it. Would it reflect negatively on me to take AP Stats instead of AP Calc?
Well, AP Stats is less rigorous than Calculus, but if you’re sure you are applying for something else than Business, Economics, or STEM, then it’s more important for you to take AP Euro (one of the “most rigorous” social science APs with APUSH), AP Lang/Lit, AP foreign language, AP Art history or AP Art - and get A’s. And handling all 4+ calculus is a bit of an overkill, especially since you’ll be going from 1 rigorous AP (APUSH) and one easy AP (HUG), to 4 rigorous APs. You can afford for your 5th AP to be an easier one…
wrt science, you’re better off taking the trifecta of bio, chem, physics + environmental science, than taking non core science classes.
What colleges are you thinking of?
Are we talking Pomona/UCLA level or UWisconsin/St Olaf or ASU/St Edward’s?
@MYOS1634 Yes, I’m sure I’ll be applying to fields within the humanities (most likely English/creative writing). If my school doesn’t offer AP Euro when I’m a senior, what do you think would be the best course to take instead? Should I replace it with AP Gov or Psych and maybe switch into a higher level of science?
I think it’s frustrating because my school restricts APs even in junior year, so I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to take a lot of rigorous courses as a senior (especially since my school is very competitive in terms of academics).
Ideally, I’m shooting for Pomona/UCLA level (my absolute dream is Brown), thought it’s obviously impossible to judge how competitive I’ll be since I have yet to take any standardized tests.
Thank you so much for all of your help so far! I really appreciate it
Is there any way your school will allow you to dual enroll at a local college?
Dual enrollment: a history seminar (not a “survey course” preferably… but if that’s all there is, then that’s all there is), a philosophy class, a literature/comparative literature/writing/rhetoric class. But that’d be only if you can’t take Humanities APs.
Ideally, senior year you need maximum rigor in English, Foreign Language, History + math, science, and 1-2 Humanities/art elective(s). If you can’t have that, then you’ll need to take AP Calculus.
If you can’t take AP Euro, AP Art History is another possibility for a “hard” course, and AP Econ/Gov are also considered strong.
Now that I think about it, my school does have a partnership with an online school program where we’re allowed to take APs through there if they’re not offered at our school (which is how I plan on taking HUG). So if Euro’s not offered, I could take it or AP World online if need be.
As for dual enrollment, I’ve never heard of anyone in my school doing it or trying to do it, so I’m not sure that’s an option either.
We are in 2nd quarter of classes here and midterms are in January. For semester classes 2nd semester classes haven’t started yet. Teachers won’t make recommendations for anyone before midterms/2nd quarter/1st semester grades are in. Also 2nd semester teachers can’t make recommendations before classes have even started. It is usually the end of 3rd quarter/beginning of 4th that teachers make recommendations here.
"I think it’s frustrating because my school restricts APs even in junior year, so I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to take a lot of rigorous courses as a senior (especially since my school is very competitive in terms of academics).
Ideally, I’m shooting for Pomona/UCLA level (my absolute dream is Brown)"
Many schools restrict AP courses. Your school profile will go with your transcript to the colleges on your list so they will judge you in context of your particular school.
It’s not a race to have the most AP courses, but to take the most rigorous courses available to you.
That means yes to AP calc over stats. That means AP bio over environmental science, especially if you are going to gun for schools like Brown and Pomona.
Colleges do not expect you to specialize in HS. They want to see 4 years of english, 4 years of math (to calculus if offered), 4 years of science (bio, chem, physics, and then an AP in one of those areas), 3-4 years of history, 3-4 years of FL.
Do not sacrifice a core course to double up in another area.