As our guidance counselors are wonderfully nice, helpful in terms of scholarship information dissemination, etc… but fairly unable to guide on actual high school course selection (for selective college goals)… we could use some positive opinions on this page from those who’ve viewed college applications as part of admissions, been part of the guidance counselor world, etc…
It is end of junior year - my student has all As - here is the list taken thus far: (9th) Biology, PLTW Princ Engineering Design (considered IB or AP weight), WH Honors, Eng Honors, Geometry Honors, Comp Graphics, French 1; (10th) - switched schools and states to NC Math 2 Honors; NC Math 3 Honors, Chem Honors, AP HUG, French 2, Adobe Video, Astronomy, Eng Honors (10th) (4*4 block - 4 half year; 4 half year); (11th) switched schools - now overseas in DoDEA - AP Physics; AP Engl; PreCalc; Digital Phot (fine arts required); AP Seminar; AP US HIST; German 1 (new country and French 3 wasn’t offered)
Which is better for more selective schools for senior year: will be taking (for sure) AP Eng; AP Comp Science; AP Research; AP Calc - also taking Model UN; US Govt. Last two selections would likely be German 2 and then either AP Environ Science, AP Chem, AP Bio or he’d really like to take Human Anatomy/Physiology (as he is an athlete) and is a science (school only offers AP or regular credit after 10th grade) ----
Which AP courseload best for senior year to get into competitive schools like William and Mary; GWU; Villanova; Davidson; Emory - (acknowledging AP courses alone will not be a deciding factor and none of these may come to fruition regardless as well)… (it would make 9/10 AP courses - all with As)
Should also know that AP Gov which used to be an all year course is now going to be a semester course (first at our school - unsure of their ability to adapt teaching) and only offered first semester (with no real options for second) hence why my student is choosing Model UN/US regular govt semester courses and seeking full year AP course
AP chem will be the most helpful for an engineering major.
Be sure to have the GC address in their LOR about the switch in foreign language class as most colleges want to see through level 3 but you have an extenuating circumstances with the change in school and french 3 not being offered.
Does he have any ideas for his future major? He has done very well so far in terms of having all the cores and increasing the rigor, and that isn’t always easy when changing schools. It sounds like he is just deciding on a science class, and for that he should take the one most closely related to his future area of study, if he knows what that might be.
Most of the schools you listed don’t have engineering programs, at least not that are ABET accredited. The two that do, GW and Villanova, I’m sure are fine, but aren’t known as standout engineering programs. What does he want to do? Engineering?
No - he is a bit half liberal arts (Econ, prelaw) and half engineering - aerospace. He wants to take a “regular” course of Human Anatomy - or another AP “history” - but we’ve been counseled he’s “light” in language (but that’s due to moving) and light in AP Science. I wouldn’t think one course would matter but I hate to counsel him incorrectly - not that we’d have any way of knowing that was part of the reason or not, for acceptance or not.
Thank you for the clarification - he’s not sure which is why he is not seeking out specific highly competitive engineering programs. We know where those are - he’s also might pursue ROTC and that affects where he is looking as well. Thank you - we will keep the AP Chem advice in mind.
Engineering programs don’t have to be highly competitive to be good. In fact, after assessing many of them with our son, many of the highly selective big names seemed to have very significant shortcomings based on what he was specifically looking for.
Many schools that aren’t highly selective have good engineering programs, diverse majors besides engineering, and all three branches of ROTC. On the East coast that would include Penn State, NC State, South Carolina, Rutgers and Florida.
If your son unsure about engineering, he should definitely start in engineering because it’s easier to switch out of engineering than it is to switch into engineering. He should also look at schools where changing majors is not that difficult.
So he will be taking:
AP Eng;
AP Comp Science;
AP Research;
AP Calc -
Model UN;
US Govt.
German 2
If he wants to be ready for engineering, he should take AP Chem or another AP Physics.
If he ends up majoring in econ/law he will still need a science in college and if he does well on AP test. he can place out of that.
The ACT/SAT (1550) scores or other admissions considerations (comm service, sports, etc…) were not mentioned because I am only looking for counseling on which senior year AP Science course to take and not whether my student would be qualified to get into those schools or others (although appreciate comments on schools programs). We are aware that there are schools that do not have engineering and are liberal arts, etc… as he is focused on several roads of study. My question is merely whether his transcript is as strong as it should be while allowing him the possibility that he may not enter engineering. I actually intended this post to fall under High School Life and not specifically under engineering. CC fixed this… In terms of AP Research - that is a non-starter as there are unique opportunities here that he wants to pursue (but we did broach with him( - and the Model UN/US Gov are semester courses - he has room for one more AP course to add to the list (yes that is correct above). He would like to take Human Anatomy (a non AP course), other choices are the AP Chem, AP Bio (he’s not very interested) and AP Environ Science, or AP Psych.
@eyemgh - yes NC State is also one he considered - our largest challenge with many is that we are not residents anywhere and will be considered OOS for many - hence a lot of privates on the list (GI Bill if not ROTC)
@bopper - thank you - good advice. AP Physics advanced isn’t offered here - the ones listed are the ones left that he hasn’t taken or he wouldn’t take as they are just more AP History courses. We are at an overseas DoDEA school - some offerings are limited to him.
I would take AP Chem if possible…if he is Engineering it will prepare him for the chemistry he has to take/let him place out of it, and if he is not stem, then he can get credit for science if he gets a good AP score.
I would go with AP Chem then. However with many Aps, Anatomy might be a way to keep the schedule manageable. Final alternative, if there’s a semester-long Anatomy class he’d lke to take, that could be a second-semester class instead of Model UN?
@MYOS1634 - yes that was my concern too - I’m sure he could manage but I had considered encouraging an upperclass science (HA) that was not AP given the other four and varsity sports, etc…especially as the teacher is excellent! I just don’t know what college admissions considers a “need” or “want” - especially since so many will have the exact same stats anyway.
