<p>As of now son wants to skip 4th yr science and take APCS instead, counselor says ok.</p>
<p>He has taken Bio, Chem and AP Physics B (all 3 had labs) and is not keen on any more science AP's.</p>
<p>Not sure what APCS is, and I know you don’t live in Texas because 4 years of science is a State requirement here. I guess it all boils down to where he wants to go school. The best course of action is to go the websites of colleges he is interested in and see what the requirements are there. (All Texas state universities/colleges require 4 years) If his “dream school” has a 4 year science requirements and he discovers that next November after not taking a fourth science course, he can’t un-ring that bell. On a completely different note, he will have to take science in college. If he does not like now, he certainly won’t like it then. Better to dislike and be fully prepared, than to dislike and have no idea what is going on.</p>
<p>We had a similar discussion about dropping science with DD’s GC. She said to stick with 4 years if you are interested in most highly selected colleges. However, if APCS is computer science that is probably close enough. D is contemplating a geology elective instead of a second round in a lab science.</p>
<p>Yup, APCS=AP Computer Science which is quite difficult. The counselor says that it shows his interest in the Tech field will be justified by this course.</p>
<p>Son goes to an Int’l School in Asia it is an American School. Graduation requirement is 3 years of science.</p>
<p>He is also taking an elective in Bio Technology which falls under science I assume.</p>
<p>If he’s already done Bio, chem, and AP Physics B, he’s already demonstrated that he can handle a challenging science curriculum. He’s also probably prepared to work in those disciplines at the college level. Thats what admissions committees want to see. So sounds like there’s no downside to him doing APCS if he wants. Plus it’s also a science, even if not a lab.</p>
<p>S took Bio, Chem, Physics, and is now taking Psychology rather than a 4th year of science. This was not a problem in terms of admissions, but the most selective place he applied has a 36% acceptance rate, so I can’t speak to the more elite schools.</p>
<p>I had a look at the APCS curriculum. It appears that the AB version (full year CS) has been discontinued and that the one-semester equivalent remains. I don’t like the Java/OO approach for starting out - [The</a> Perils of JavaSchools - Joel on Software](<a href=“http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/ThePerilsofJavaSchools.html]The”>The Perils of JavaSchools – Joel on Software) but I would guess that colleges would probably be happy with APCS, especially if the student is interested in STEM.</p>
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<p>Depends on which college or university, since there is considerable variation in introductory CS courses for CS majors.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley, for example, gave one semester of CS course credit for AP CS AB when it existed, but gives nothing for AP CS A. Still, if a student interested in CS will attend a school like UC Berkeley with a relatively rigorous introductory CS sequence, an AP CS A course in high school may be well worth taking if s/he does not already have a strong (for a high school student) programming background, even if the AP CS A test is of no value for credit.</p>
<p>But check to see if any desired universities require four years of science in high school, and whether computer science counts for those that do.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the helpful replies! He is taking APCS just to see whether he has any liking for the programming aspect of a major or minor in a CS degree. </p>
<p>All this time he was saying he wanted to major in History but now he is enjoying his Math and Physics class way more than history, plus he has always been the ‘hardware/network’ guy in our house. Now he seems to be leaning a bit towards CS in college. Wants to be a tech teacher instead of history! Keeping options open.</p>
<p>Computer science is not a “lab science” course, and I can’t imagine any selective college viewing it as anything other than an elective course.</p>
<p>If your S’s goal is to get a feel for programming then a formal course is hardly necessary. Basic programming is one area where practice (and lot’s of practice!) is the key to progress. So a formal course isn’t necessary – rather a workbook, or an online tutorial, and lots of examples, and then problems (ideally self created).</p>
<p>A better option for selective colleges is to take that 4th year of a lab science course</p>
<p>Fogcity, I see your point. Basically, he will be applying to LMU, Santa Clara, Occidental and a few UC’s. The only reach as of now is USC. Will check their brochure. Have already checked LMU online and they only need 2-3 years of Science.</p>
<p>I also think the CS class should be viewed as an elective. Not that it may well be useful. Not too sure on that. I’m not sure there is a lot of value in the AP CS.</p>
<p>If he likes math and physics, he will likely like CS. My daughter started off in physics in college, then switched to CS after exposure through physics and math classes, and is in phD track program now. She was likely atypical for a CS major, not having come right to it as a freshman.</p>
<p>USC recco’s 3 yrs science, all labs, so he exceeds reqs and meets recommended.</p>
<p>I’m going to disagree with the majority here. </p>
<p>If your son is seriously interested in pursuing computer science in college, I think he would benefit from taking the AP computer science course, even if it does not enable him to place out of the first semester computer science course in college.</p>
<p>My son was a computer science major in college, and he and most of the other students in the major had extensive prior computer science coursework, including the higher-level AP course in most cases, before they took the college’s introductory course. They also had done a lot of programming on their own. Yet the introductory course was challenging for them. The computer science professors seemed to assume that the students in the introductory course for prospective majors had a significant amount of programming background, even though the course allegedly had no prerequisites except for a semester of calculus. And this was not an elite college; it was a state university.</p>
<p>So I think your son could benefit from a serious computer science course if he intends to go on in computer science in college – and I think that if he ever needs to justify not taking the fourth year of science, the desire for some background in computer science before taking courses in that field in college is a reasonable justification.</p>
<p>In Texas, 4 sciences are required for college entrance unless your HS counselor will sign a course waiver. Google Texas 4x4 requirements, if your kid is interested in entering a public Texas University as a freshman.</p>
<p>Did he take another physics course, perhaps in middle school, as prep for AP physics?</p>
<p>Taking AP Bio, Chem, and Physics should be more than enough for even the most selective colleges. Taking AP Computer Science will be fine, if you’re really keen on taking four years of science, just throw in AP Environmental Science. There really aren’t any other options, unless your school offers Physics C or an elective such as Biotechnology or Forensics.</p>
<p>Also, AP Computer Science is not considered an elective, it’s actually extremely difficult. It’s just not any bit relevant to “lab science” APs.</p>
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What does “elective” have to do with “difficulty”?</p>
<p>I guess Op should clarify, but I was under the impression that the biology and chemistry were not at the AP level, just the AP physics.</p>
<p>I have the same problem.
What kind of science class to take next year as a senior?
I took Hon Biology (9), AP Chem (10) and I’m taking now AP Physic C (11).
I dont want to take AP Biology.
I prefer to take APCS and Engineering.
I think it will be OK for MIT or CalTech.</p>
<p>Can you take both?</p>