Junior Schedule (AP Physics 2)

Applying to College
1

Hello,
I was just wondering if anyone has any advice about how I should plan my junior year’s schedule. Because of schedule conflict, I have to choose between AP Physics 2 and AP Chinese. This is the rest of my schedule:

  1. AP Chem
  2. Calc BC
  3. AP Lang
  4. AP Psychology
  5. APUSH
  6. Band
  7. AP Chinese or AP Physics 2

I want to take AP Physics 2 because I am interested in STEM and most other students at my school are taking 2 sciences. However, I also want to take Chinese, because I like learning languages, and I am semi-fluent in Chinese, which is my third language. (Over all, I think I will be able to manage all these classes because some of these AP classes are not taught very strictly/hard at my school.)

Thanks in advance.

2

Can you take one of them junior year and one of them senior year?

Can you take AP psychology senior year so that you can take both?

3

Are you interested in taking Physics C during your senior year? If so, then I would take Chinese.

4

I am planning on taking AP Bio instead, and will not have room for Physics C my senior year

5

Take AP Chinese.

Be very careful with 2 AP science courses. Some are manageable at the same time, others are not. In general, IMO, taking 2 AP lab sciences concurrently is killer. In addition to the time commitment required by virtue of being AP’s, each requires a lot of time for labs and lab reports. For many schools, these classes are either double-periods, or require additional time before/after school. Maybe you are the 1% of the 1% who can handle these 2 together without your grades tanking, but that’s something for you and your GC to confirm. Even for a prospective STEM major, colleges would rather see a balanced schedule covering all core subjects.

6

If you don’t take physics this year, will you be able to get in a physics class before graduation? Most competitive schools want to see bio, chem, and physics and one of those in AP.

Anyway to drop AP psych and take both physics 2 and Chinese?

If you do need to double up on science, I would personally suggest doing it senior year, not junior year.

7

@momofsenior1 AP Physics 2 almost universally has AP Physics 1 as a prereq, and OP mentioned in another thread that s/he took AP Physics 1 last year.

8

I’d choose AP Chinese. See if you can also keep AP Psychology as an elective for senior year. You’re already taking AP Chem, which is a very difficult science class, no need to take a second unit of Physics after AP Physics 1.