Intended Major: Engineering, CS
Target schools: competitive and mid-tier UCs
APs taken so far: AP World, AP CSP
Science classes taken so far: Biology-honors, Chem-honors
Junior year plan:
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP US History
English III <---- (AP English Lit offered, but will not take, honors not available)
French IV honors
Art-animation <— replace this with Physics honors or PLTW-intro-engr for better rigor?
Can only take 3 APs in junior year due to school rules.
Senior year plan:
DE Calculus 3 + DE Discrete Math
Physics honors <---- (highest level at my school)
AP English Lang <---- (this is not offered in junior year)
Gov + Microecon
Will decide other senior electives later
UCs don’t see the senior year grades. For an engineering candidate, is it better to take Physics in Junior year?
It also opens up possibility for DE Calc-based physics classes in senior year.
Replacing AP Chem with Physics honors in junior year is a possibility, but don’t want to do that. I would like to maintain 3 rigorous APs in Junior year without taking AP English Literature (overkill for an engineering student?)
At least one year of Physics is “strongly” recommended, but the sequence is not really important. Paired with either AP Physics C or AP Chem is typically recommended.
AP Chem Junior year followed by H Physics should be fine.
Are you suggesting the following junior year schedule is good for engineering/CS at competitive UCs?
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP US History
English III (honors not available)
French IV honors
Art-animation
School has 3-AP limit per year, but still two non-honors classes for the junior year may be a little light in the competitive environment we are in?
Would a intro PLTW class instead of Art help to show more interest in engineering? (have interest in both)
Thanks again for your time.
Anyone else thinks doubling up science with Physics honors is the right thing to do to show enough junior year rigor for selective engineering schools?
You are fine. It is better to take AP Chem immediately after chem HN imo b/c then you don’t have a year’s memory gap. If you have an interest in art, go for it. You don’t need to show more rigor, the school report will explain you took the max APs you could. Your schedule is fine as is and very rigorous (BC, chem, and USH are considered harder APs). Obviously UC Berkeley will be competitive even for the 1% but I think this will be considered pretty competitive .
I would recommend holding off on the physics this year because you already have a pretty tough schedule. DO take it senior year though. It is required to apply to many engineering colleges (e.g. Cornell, Duke). Also, it’s very helpful if you are going into any STEM field.
Thanks All.
Based on your input, I will take AP Chem this year and will hold physics honors and AP English Lang for the senior year.
Any additional comments on the junior year elective in terms of rigor?
Junior year is considered as the most important year (especially since UCs don’t receive the senior year grades) and Art/animation classes are not considered as academic courses.
Instead of Art-animation series in 11th and 12th grade, other academic options I am considering are:
Due to the AP limit of my school, none of these classes are particularly rigorous. But at least PLTW classes may align better with my engineering/CS major targets.
Taking two non-honors classes in junior year (one non-academic Art) may look like a luxury for competitive UCs. That is the worry.
Junior Schedule:
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP US History
English III
French IV honors
Art-animation (or PLTW or CP-Psych)