Help with course selections for high school?

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm going to be a junior next year and I realize that's the most important year of high school, but I'm struggling with what classes I want to take. I want to major in science when I go to college so a guidance counselor told me to take AP Bio and AP Chem next year so I can take the sat subject tests. But the AP chem at my school is really hard because the teacher doesn't teach the concepts very well but gives extremely difficult tests. </p>

<p>I was originally taking:
ap bio, ap lit, honors pre-cal/trig, honors spanish 4, honors anatomy, us history, and graphic arts (5 weighted). </p>

<p>But after talking to the counselor, he recommended:
ap bio, ap chem, honors pre-cal/trig, honors spanish 4, english 11, us history, comp arts (4 weighted). </p>

<p>He also recommended getting an extra tutor for chem if I think I will struggle, but I still have doubts about taking the class next year. Should I keep my original schedule or go for the new one? Will colleges really care if I take ap chem or not? Should I take the classes that I think I will get a better grade in or take the hardest classes? Will they care if I take apush or ap lit if I'm not interested in those subjects? Should I just take the classes that will give me the best gpa? Chemistry is actually my favorite subject and I enjoy it, but I'm struggling with honors chem now and I will have to face the same teacher next year if I take ap chem. I got a flat A first semester of honors chem, but currently I'm stuck with a B...</p>

2

<p>Personally, I think you should take AP Chem, especially since you plan to major in science. You can always seek a tutor as your counselor suggested or get help from classmates. I was in a similar situation last year because my teacher really didn’t teach us. It was up to the students to learn the material on our own. Even if you get a B, I think it stills better than to get an A in a regular class. It shows you are challenging yourself and are not taking the ‘easy way out’, if you know that I mean. As for APUSH and AP Lit, if you think you can handle your schedule, I would take them. In my junior year, I took all the AP’s offered at my school. Good luck!</p>