We are choosing our classes this week and this is the course load I have chosen so far next year:
AP English Lang
US History Honors
Honors Pre-Calc (deciding between this, CP Calc or Statistics)
1/2 year Forensics
Spanish 4 Honors
AP environmental science
Veterinary Science (my program I am in offers AP enviro and vet-sci so I’m waiting to see if I got those as my choices)
I really wanted to take AP bio but it’s a double period so I won’t have room in my schedule. My main goal of next year is to boost my GPA back up to an exceptional score…it’s a 3.2 right now because of my current math class, but I will get that up before the end of the year. My guidance counselor said I could take AP physics as well, but I’m poor at math so I don’t want to take that hit to my grades. So I think my best chance is either to take a full year of forensics, 2 half year science courses, or a full year of honors/cp physics.
So what would you recommend?
*** I would like to become a veterinarian, an anesthesiologist, go into business and marketing, or become a CSI(something in that field), but I’m still trying to figure out where I want to go. I would really like to go to a top 100 school so a challenging course load would certainly look amazing, however I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew.
Are you able to take honors/cp physics for senior year? Because you have several career plans in mind, I think forensics would be a good class to take. Do you know if that class is an elective, or does it count as a science class? Most of the time, colleges like to see science over an elective class. I see that you already have AP Environmental Science listed down, so I think taking two science classes might be challenging for you. I would take Physics as a senior, and take a full year of forensics. You already have 2 AP classes and Honors Spanish, which looks good.
I’d recommend either cp precalculus or honors precalculus, and cp physics.
(Cp physics only if you’ve not taken any physics).
based on all the fields you’re interested in, those would be the classes you’d most need.
I’m not sure if forensics counts as a science. I will have to check…it is placed in the science section of the class picking pamphlet but it is placed under the electives subsection. I’ll ask my counselor when I turn the schedule in. I think I may go with statistics or AP stats because my friend who is studying medicine said she uses stats way more than calculus so I may take that path next year. Our school isn’t allowing us to change our schedule around after the first day of school so I really have to be careful about what I choose.
If you’re a premed in college, you will be required to take one semester of calculus and one semester of biostats or statistics. This is the basic minimum to meet med school and MCAT requirements.
(you will also need 5 semesters of chemistry /biochemistry, 2 each of biology, physics, English, and one semester each of sociology, psychology, and preferably Neuroscience, a diversity -focused class…)
So, to prepare, you’d take pre-calculus as a junior and calculus as a senior. You’d also need all three from biology, chemistry, and physics (preferably honors, especially bio and chemistry), plus AP chemistry and/ or AP biology. Plus English and social science all four years.
APES or forensics are electives that you can add to this curriculum.
Can you take Pre-Calc and Stats junior year then Calc senior year? If math is more difficult for you, plan to spend extra time in both Pre-calc and Calc. Stats seems to be a love it or hate it type of course depending on the teacher and if the class is geared more online or on paper. Listen to what others know about the teachers for both classes. Focusing on a strong GPA is smart, but you also don’t want to be behind others in college if going the premed route.