I want to take these classes next year, but I’m not necessarily headed for the Ivy League… I just want to get the college credit I am interested in all of them, but I’m unsure whether I should think realistically and only take APs in subjects I need to graduate. I need to take one more year of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies, and AP Research is listed because it follows AP Seminar. I have AP Chemistry listed here because I’m taking Honors Chemistry and the exam gives out a lot of college credit, but I wouldn’t mind taking Physics in its place. I’m interested in pursuing a major in Computer Science.
Senior year schedule:
AP Research
AP Lit
AP Calc
AP Chem
AP Euro
AP Stats
Environmental Science
Microelectronics or Robotics
I am taking these classes this year and I can handle it. The balance is not bad since I only have two AP classes a day:
AP Seminar
AP Lang and Comp
Honors Chemistry
AP Spanish
AP Computer Science
World Geography/Economics
Pre-calc
As a current senior, I think that you should look at your overall schedule for your upcoming school year (sports, work, clubs, honor societies, volunteering, extracurriculars, and etc) because you have to keep in mind that you will have college applications as well and it can be hard at times to juggle everything at once. It definitely seems that you have a strong work ethic and drive to take these courseload of classes, go for it! You could also take dual enrollment classes of you feel as if there are too many APs in your schedule. Think it over, you are not in senior year yet!
AP Euro was the most difficult A- that I have ever witnessed in my life. I would recommend that you take it only if you really love history, and if you are capable of reading an enormous amount quickly while retaining a lot of details. You will also be reading a lot for AP Lit.
If you got solid A’s in algebra, trigonometry, and precalculus, then AP calc should be fine.
If you like math, and intend to major in CS, then personally I would take physics rather than chemistry.
Remember that senior year you will have a task that is pretty much the equivalent of another AP course: This is the effort required to research schools, visit schools, apply to schools, and hopefully decide between multiple offers (which in our case involved additional visits). As such, dropping one or two APs might not be a bad idea.
AP research and AP statistics are least likely to be useful for a CS major (CS majors may be required to take calculus-based statistics).
AP chemistry may be useful in a CS major that is part of an engineering division, but may not be otherwise. Similar with AP physics C (not physics 1 or 2).
AP English and AP history may be useful for general education requirements, depending on the college.
AP calculus would be generally useful for a CS major.
I would counsel too many APs Senior year, and this is why.
In the fall, you are in college application season. You may be taking the SAT again. You may want to visit some more colleges. You have to write college- specific essays (hopefully you already wrote your common app essay over the summer.). You have to fill out your Common App and get recommendations.
Also you may be in marching band or Sports or be a leader of a club. College Apps is like another timesucking EC on top of that.
Then in the spring, you may have senioritis. You are been accepted to college and are looking toward the finish line. You have to study for the AP tests…it will be difficult to study for too many at once.
I think a lot of colleges will give credit for either AP Lang or AP Lit but won’t give you credits for both (check this policy out at the schools you are most interested in, though). So that’s one you could drop down to an easier class if you’d want to take ‘regular’ English next year instead. Maybe ask current seniors at your school as well to see which teachers are especially good vs just okay and base your decision on that as well. If the AP Lit teacher is amazing and the AP Euro teacher is just meh, go with AP Lit and just do regular social studies.
I agree that this is too many, especially on top of doing college applications.
I will also caution you that depending on where you go to college, not all accept AP courses, even with 5s on the exam. IMO, that shouldn’t be your driving force in decision making.
I am interested in all of them, but I’m unsure whether I should think realistically and only take APs in subjects I need to graduate. I need to take one more year of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies, and AP Research is listed because it follows AP Seminar. I have AP Chemistry listed here because I’m taking Honors Chemistry and the exam gives out a lot of college credit, but I wouldn’t mind taking Physics in its place. I’m interested in pursuing a major in Computer Science.