my current junior year schedule:
AP english literature
AP calc BC
AP chemistry
art (metals/photo)
engineering (STEM)
I could either take AP environmental science (APES, people said it was easy at our school) or honors zoology (class i wanted to take originally but it has a heavy workload and focuses more on small organisms which is not what I had in mind)
Which one should I do? I dont want to completely overload myself but I also am wondering which one would look better on a transcript? I feel like I would be able to do better in APES but most top colleges don’t really look at it as an “AP class” from what people have been saying
After this year ends, I will have taken 6 AP tests (2 self study)
Also not quite sure how posting works on this website so I’m sorry in advance for probably screwing something up/posting this in the wrong place
1° Have you reached level 3 or 4 in a foreign language? If not, that should take precedence over an elective.
2° Your schedule is pretty full at the moment, so APES being lighter than other classes would be a plus in my opinion, plus it’s quite interesting and relates directly to many things you hear about in the news/world. But you already have 2 science classes, taking three might be a bit too much, especially since they’re both non-essential classes.
I have already taken an AP foreign language course
Are there any other interesting/possibly more relevant classes you would recommend taking instead?
You’re missing a social science so that should be your priority.
Selective colleges want to see 4+ units of English, Social Science, and Science, plus math up to precalculus or calculus, and foreign language up to level 4 or AP.
(This can be decreased by 1 for less selective colleges)
You should add a social science such as APUSH, AP Psych, AP Econ, or AP Gov.
I am taking AP Micro Macro and AP Gov this year, I tested out of the us history class at our school and I am taking AP Psych senior year. I already took AP world history as well freshman year.
Does that USH credit appear on your transcript, or did you just not have to take it for graduation requirements?
Top colleges want to see at least two years of history, so maybe add AP Euro? But if that’s too much work, APES should be OK too.
The fact you tested out won’t matter to top college, unless the class is on your transcript. Unlike math and foreign language (which are sequential so where level reached is a good proxy for how good you are in that subject), social science, like English or science, is cumulative in content and process, so that you need 4units of each, with history being considered the "core " subject, in order to demonstrate potential mastery at the secondary level.
The class is on my transcript and I received the credit for the US history class 
You should take APES since you’ll do better in it, it sounds like you’re more interested in it, and even though it’s a “lite” AP it still looks better than (or at worst, equal to) Honors Zoology.
I personally think you should take Honors Zoology. At my school it seems like a more interesting class than APES, and if you’re going into junior year then you’re going to want more time to study for the SATs.
You should come on the High School Class of 2018 thread to get a feel for what other kids our age are taking