I’m currently a junior in high school, and I’m planning for my senior schedule. So far I’ll be taking AP Calc BC, AP Physics C, AP Literature, AP Stats, one semester of American Government, and one semester of computer science next year. This only adds up to 5 classes each semester, and my school will start to have 8 periods instead of 6 next year.
Should I take elective classes just to fill up the schedule? I want to major in STEM, and I’ve already taken AP Bio and AP Chem for my science classes. I’ve also taken Intro to Engineering Design 1 and 2 as electives.
One option I’m considering is taking AP Computer Science A instead of the computer science elective but I don’t have any prior experience with computer science so it might be risking my GPA to take that class.
My school also offers Principles of Engineering 1 and 2 as electives but since I’ve already taken 2 engineering electives, and some of the materials covered in Principles of Engineering is already taught in AP Physics so it might be redundant. However, those electives are still an option.
Your transcript lists classes you take, not classes you don’t. It seems like your schedule is sufficiently rigorous and consistent with your prior years.
AP CS A- how difficult this is really depends on the kid. My daughter took it sophomore year with no prior programming experience found it very easy and got a 5.
I would take a full year of social science and a full year of electives. Have you reaxhed level 3 (or 4) in a Foreign language?
I think you should have six classes but you only have to take more even if your school now has eight periods a day.
My school doesn’t offer AP Psych and AP Econ is widely known at my school to be difficult and extremely boring so virtually no one takes that class anymore.
I’m bilingual, I was born and grew up learning in Vietnam until I was 8, so I’ll be taking the world language test for Vietnamese soon this year, and I’m pretty confident I’ll get at least above a level 2.
My school does offer APES so my two best options for a 5th AP class are APES and AP CS A. Should I take a 5th AP class and 3 electives to have a 7-period schedule or 4 AP classes and 5 electives for a 7-period schedule?
Are you interested in the content of APES or AP CS A?
At your school, is CSA taken by kids with programming experience (or who took a pre-req taught at the school, perhaps unweighted) or is it meant as a one-year introduction for beginners?
I think a 6-period schedule is sufficient if you take that many AP’s.
We don’t know if you can handle 4 AP, much less 5. Or your prior AP scores or gpa, or college targets. And if Vietnamese is your first language you’ll get more mileage out of a second FL. Have you been studying another? Did you check the requirements at your target colleges?
In my school, most kids don’t take the regular computer science class before taking AP CS A. Some of them are already very familiar with programming before taking CSA, and there are others, like me, who have no experience at all. Between APES and CSA, I can’t definitively say I’m more interested in one over the other, but I think CSA will benefit me more in the long run, both in my college application and my programming skills for my future career in STEM.
I’m currently taking 3 ap classes this year (AP Bio, AP LA, and AP Calc AB) along with 2 honors classes (US History and Physics), and so far, I’m doing well in all my classes. Since next year I’ll have one or two free periods, I can count on the free time to guarantee that I’ll handle 4 AP classes, which is why I’m deciding whether or not I should take CSA as a 5th AP.
As for world languages, I’ll probably be applying for UW, and they accept world language credits from tests. They also let their current students take world language tests to graduate instead of taking classes.