Hey guys,
I am currently headed towards my junior year but am a bit worried about the course selection I currently have. My current schedule looks like this:
-AT Physics(This is equivalent to AP Physics C: Mech + E&M)
-AP Calculus BC
-AP Lang
-Chemistry Honors
-AP Comp Sci Principles
-AT Comp Sci(This comes after AP Comp Sci A at my school)
In addition to these courses, I do plan to spend a good amount of time on extracurriculars(1-1.5 hours/day), so I really wanted to know if taking such a rigorous schedule would be worth it for top colleges(I am planning on majoring in CS). In particular, I am quite worried about taking AT Physics, as it is regarded as one of the hardest courses in our school. I have heard, however, that most engineering schools do look for at least one AP science, and physics is really the only one that interests me. The main reason I would like to take this my junior year is that doing so will allow me to take computer science courses at Princeton University next year(these courses would take up half of my schedule, so I wouldn’t be able to do them if I take AT Physics next year). Additionally, most kids from my school applying to competitive colleges do take at least one AP science their junior year(although for most it’s Chem or Bio).
At the end of the day, however, I genuinely want to know if taking a course like this and potentially hurting my GPA will be worth it. Do you guys feel it’s worth taking on such a challenging course load this year to demonstrate rigor and potentially take CS classes at Princeton next year? Would it just be better to take it a bit easier this year but give up taking the Princeton classes next year?
Thank you.
Where are your history and foreign language classes? This looks very unbalanced to me.
Course rigor is important but you need to hit all your core classes and not try to specialize in HS.
@momofsenior1 I have finished World History Honors and American Studies Honors in the past two years and finished two years of Spanish before this. I also plan on taking APUSH next year. This would be the only year I don’t take a foreign language/history class.
The competition willl not stop at two years of history or foreign language. Nor will they stuff high school CS into their schedules, when it pushes out other cores. (As it is, hs CS is not universally rigorous, at all.) You need to be very careful that the Princeton classes don’t make you look lopsided. You aren’t the first from that area to have this issue and it’s risky to assume more CS means a better chance of an admit to a tippy top.
Depending on what types of colleges you are aiming for, you may want to rethink your courses. Regardless of intended major, most competitive schools expect to see 4 years of english, 4 years of math, 4 years of science (bio, chem, physics, and one of those as AP), 4 years of history, 3-4 years of foreign language.
I would push physics to senior year and put Spanish in its place.
I would also drop one of the CS courses for a history class.
@momofsenior1 @lookingforward If I go the Princeton route, I will have completed 4 years of math(upto Multivariable Calc), 4 years of English, 3 years of history(including APUSH) and 2 years of foreign language(but up to level 3). The only real class I would seem to be missing(in terms of a diverse course selection) is another year of Spanish. Just to clarify, my main concern with going the Princeton route was whether or not such a hard course load this year would be worth it(especially if it meant hurting my GPA). I agree with @lookingforward’s point that HS CS may not look that rigorous, which is why I am trying to do the Princeton classes in the first place(to potentially differentiate me from others).
Here’s my advice as someone who works as a software developer. It’s an ambitious schedule, but honestly it won’t really matter that much in the long run. CS is a highly employable degree and you can find a good entry level job from any university you go to. There’s really nothing to stress over. Just take classes that interest you and choose a college that’s a good fit for you.
AP CSP is generally considered easier than AP CSA. So if you are taking a class deemed harder than AP CSA, think about dropping AP CSP in favor of another year of history or Spanish. I really like the exposure AP CSP gives in a variety of programming languages, but you really do need to give colleges the cores they want and expect to see on your transcript.
Did you already take AP Physics 1? If not, what sciences did you take freshman and sophomore years that you need to take chemistry as a junior?
IMO, if AT Physics risks your GPA (both the class itself and the possible effect it may have on other classes) you are better off taking it senior year and replacing it with Spanish level 4 if you are shooting for HYPMS level schools which generally want to see level 4 FL. I am not sure how much the CS courses at Princeton senior year will boost you, especially if you already have good CS related EC’s/recognition.
@BKSquared Hey thanks for the insight. Ya, after talking to some people I myself don’t really know if the Princeton courses will be worth it, especially if it means harming my GPA. I do think my CS-related ECs are pretty decent(Hackathons, CS clubs, I founded a CS nonprofit), but the only real reason I even considered taking those courses was that maybe it would give me a bit more of an edge, but from what I’m reading I guess not. However, do you think it would reflect poorly on me not taking an AP science my junior year since many of my peers will be taking one this year(I’ll still take it next year though of course)?
@Groundwork2022 In order to position myself for taking AT Physics this year, I took Bio Honors freshman year and Physics Honors(and the AP Physics 1 test) last year(although most kids usually do Chem sophomore year). That’s why I’ll either have to do Chemistry this year or next.
The AP and AT Comp Sci courses should provide enough rigor. Alternatively, why not AP Chem if you are that worried about not having an AP core science? Generally, unless your CG will not check off “most rigorous”, which I doubt, you should be shooting for the combination (plus achieving level 4 FL) that you are most interested in which will give the best chance of maintaining your GPA.
@BKSquared Unfortunately I can’t do AP Chem this year since I have to do Chem Honors. However, I will definitely still have a core AP Science(AT Physics), just next year. I’ll also talk to my guidance counselor regarding what would be considered “most rigourous.” Thank you for your help!
“The only real class I would seem to be missing(in terms of a diverse course selection) is another year of Spanish.”
I’d add another year of Spanish so you have three years in hs, if it’s honors level you may not need AP Spanish for CS. I think that is probably your biggest concern wrt rigor. However as coolguy pointed out, you don’t need to attend a highly selective university for CS and go through all this stress for admission. But until we know some of the actual schools you’re targeting, it’s hard to answer the question better.
@theloniusmonk With regards to schools, I am mainly aiming for T20s for CS(CMU, Berkely, Georgia Tech, UPENN etc). While I know that going to one of these is obviously not necessary for a career in CS, it is still a goal for me and I would at least like to try my best to get into one of them. My main reason for considering the classes at Princeton was not because they would make or break my application in any way, but rather they are in a subject I genuinely enjoy and I thought it may give me some sort of edge when it comes time to apply. At the same time, however, I wouldn’t want to take on the risk of harder classes this year(in order to do the Princeton courses) if it won’t really help me much in the end, and especially if something like another year of Spanish is vital for any of these schools(I have completed up to Level 3 so far since I did Spanish in middle school as well).