<p>I want to have a fair chance at Northwestern's HPME program. I am currently taking AP Chemistry (I am a Junior). I am planning on taking AP Bio, AP Calc BC, and Physics H senior year... and not AP English. Is this a mistake? I feel like AP English would be too much on top of all of these science and math classes. If it is truly necessary... I guess... I may go through it... with the taking AP English. </p>
<p>HPME wants an additional rec from the english teacher. You decide.</p>
<p>Are you talking about AP Lang? DS took it sophomore year, lit jr year, and a class after that senior year. And he is applying engineering. I would say you need to take AP Lang to be competitive.</p>
<p>My son, now at McCormick, took AP Eng Lang as a Jr.and scored a 5 - did not take AP Eng Lit as a Sr. He got in ED. </p>
<p>@texaspg What do you mean by rec?
@daddio3 I am not taking a language senior year. I’m taking spanish 4 honors this year and I haven’t learned anything. Taking AP Spanish would grant me the same experience; the language program at my school is not very good. I am contemplating either preparing for the AP Spanish test without the class (my mother is a native speaker and I can learn efficiently through reading an AP preparatory book) or taking the placement test at the university I’m going to and seeing where they think I belong. I am just focused on whether I should take AP English or English Literature: Beuwolf to Shakespeare. Advice on the said Spanish conflict would be appreciated as well :).
@nugraddad Congratulations to your son! I’m sorry for this question but: what is ED? Is it HPME [Northwestern] or GPPA [UIC]? Did your son take courses said in my original post while taking AP English? I don’t want to completely shoot my GPA and class rank in the foot senior year. My GPA and class rank have been improving every semester of my high school ‘career’ and I would hate for this to come to an end senior year.</p>
<p>Rec = recommendation.</p>
<p>Take the English class; shows you’re well-rounded.</p>
<p>@bodangles Oh, that’s good to know; thank you! But is getting a 4.0 (maybe lower) and having the AP English class better than having a 4.2-4.3 without? My school has a partially weighted GPA; regular courses are graded on a 4.0 scale and honors/AP courses are graded on a 5.0 scale. </p>
<p>AP Lang is AP English Language, not AP of a language. And ED is Early Decision (which is another major research topic for you unless you are not in need of any financial aid)</p>
<p>@daddio3 ohhh. I’m sorry! And if I go out of state then I need financial aid. I haven’t even thought of financial aid and all that.</p>
<p>BTW - What is Physics H?</p>
<p>Physics Honors. I should’ve taken that this year instead of AP Chem and Anatomy but I decided against it. @nugraddad</p>
<p>That would not have worked out well for HPME. AP Chem would be a requirement in order to do well in SAT2 chemistry which is REQUIRED for HPME. You also need SAT Math2.</p>
<p>Ok good. But is AP English necessary? i’m aiming for As on all my science and math classes and I feel like AP English would stop me from doing so. I also will think I’ll get burned out. @texaspg </p>
<p>Nothing is necessary if you consider HPME is a long shot.</p>
<p>English is considered very important in the HPME selection process since they need a letter from your english teacher. Whether you think AP english is important or not is upto you.</p>
<p>That’s true. I want a fair chance but at the same time I don’t want my other grades to suffer. @texaspg</p>
<p>bozillie - How did you do in English Language? Either AP or regular? If you did well in Language, I think you can get out of Lit. My son did it - and so can you!</p>
<p>@nugraddad I have always gotten an A but next year I’m taking more AP classes and double science. Well, I’m currently taking double science, but it’s AP Chem and Anatomy which (I think) is way easier than AP Bio and Physics H (which I will be taking next year).</p>