...Is my schedule even rigorous enough for Princeton?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Princeton University
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<p>I was doing some research and just realized that I'm actually a little sketchy on the required Academic Preparation (<a href="http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/preparation/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/preparation/&lt;/a&gt;) - particularly 4 years of science, 2 years of history, and 4 years foreign language, which makes me really nervous.... Here have been my schedules so far for the past 3 years and currently:</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
-Honors Algebra 2 Trig
-Honors English 1
-Honors Biology
-AP Human Geography
-Chinese I
-Symphonic Winds (band)</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
-Honors Precalculus
-Honors English 2
-Honors Chemistry
-AP European History
-Chinese II
-Wind Symphony (band)</p>

<p>Summer between sophomore and junior year:
-U.S. History (2 semesters)</p>

<p>Junior Year:
-AP Calculus AB
-AP English 3
-AP Biology
-Honors Physics
-Chinese III
-Wind Ensemble (highest band)</p>

<p>Senior Year:
-AP Statistics
-AP English 4
-AP Government
-AP Macroeconomics + AP Microeconomics
-Drawing II + Drawing III
-Honors Wind Ensemble (highest band, "honors" designation for seniors only)</p>

<p>I have the recommended 4 years of math and English. (But is Calc AB not rigorous enough? It's not that BC isn't available at our school, it's just that math is definitely my weak point...)</p>

<p>However, I only have 3 years of a foreign language. I took a semester-long class at the local Chinese school to prepare for the AP test, which I took at the end of junior year and got a 4 on. Also, Honors Chinese 4 conflicted directly with band senior year. Another concern is that taking Chinese in the first place and getting a 4 on the AP test will hurt me - ethnically, I'm Chinese (was born in the US though), but I don't know how to read/write and we speak almost exclusively English at home (mixed family). 95% of the Chinese I know how to speak is what I learned as a young child, and it's approximately at the level of a kindergartener/1st grader in China, literally. </p>

<p>While I have 4 credits worth of science, it's not 4 years - I took one science in both freshman and sophomore years, and 2 junior year. Is that okay/does that count?</p>

<p>Also for history... I took only AP Euro in school, and 2 semesters of regular US History over the summer. Does that count? Does AP Human Geography and/or AP Gov count as well for fulfilling the history expectations? </p>

<p>Finally....will taking Drawing II and III senior year hurt me? (To explain: I didn't take it because I wanted a blow-off class, I took it because I actually like art a lot and haven't had the chance for the past 3 years...however, I'm not sure if I can convey that to the adcoms...) </p>

<p>Ahh sorry, I'm totally freaking out right now. Thanks in advance for any help/insight.</p>

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<p>Friend relax. Anyone “freaking out” about a school with below 10% admit rate has the wrong perspective. Your taking Drawing is not going to ruin your life.</p>

<p>Your schedule looks fine.</p>

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<p>haha, I guess you’re right. Thanks for the feedback and the perspective!</p>

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<p>I think your courses are quite challenging and it “looks” fine, actually, excellent (all Honors or AP except for electives)!!</p>

<p>Look, you have like 9 APs under your belt and the adcoms can figure out that you “took” – or rather “covered” 4 years of a foreign language if you have Chinese thru the AP level, which you do! if you want to feel more secure, use that "additional’ section of the Common App to write a quick note saying something like “Although it is not readily reflected on my transcript, i have covered 4 years of a FL thru the AP level in that i self-studied & took upper level Chinese classes outside of my HS. To that end, I received a 4 on the AP exam, so i hope you view this as a positive that i accelerated and studied on my own rather than as a negative.”</p>

<p>As to drawing, I feel it makes you look more interesting/dimensional and well rounded and I am happy you are enjoying your passion for it! I’m sure it’s yoru favroite class each day and that;s a good thing :slight_smile: Perhaps you’ll even have an art portfolio out of it to augment your app and that would be great!</p>

<p>As to Calc AB vs BC, i wouldn’t sweat it as you are still doing TWO APs in math and as you’re probably not going to apply as a Math major anyway as you said it’s your weakest subject, right? So highlight all your amazing super positive aspects and with some good SAT/ACT scores, essays & ECs, you’re going to have many, many terrific options!!</p>

<p>Good luck!!</p>