@logosoverpathosm, at most schools Pre-AP Bio I is taken in 9th grade and Pre-AP Chemistry I is taken in 10th grade before heading off into the AP version of those courses. AP courses are then generally taken in the 11th and 12th grades.
AP scores are looked at AFTER you’ve been admitted. I would recommend taking AP Chemistry in the 11th grade for several reasons – it builds off Pre-AP Chem from 10th grade the year before, and you are able to take the SAT Subject Exam for those BS/MDs that require subject tests by the end of that year, as many of those programs require one of them to be in Chem.
@logosoverpathosm, I would take AP Bio/Chem early which should help you with SAT II Bio/Chem tests; and leave AP Physics to senior year. You can also consider Physics 1 (previously hornor physics) instead of Physics C.
@Roentgen considering the fact that I am currently taking bio and chemistry, I believe that I will take AP Bio next year (there seems to be consensus that this should be the next course). However, would it be better to take AP Chem prior to that so that the material would be fresh in my mind, or would that be outweighed by the fact that by the time I enter college, 2 years would have passed since I covered chemistry? Thanks!
@logosoverpathosm, so I thought Pre-AP Chemistry was pretty integral to AP Chemistry. So taking AP Chemistry the next year after Pre-AP Chemistry will help, as you will not have forgotten a lot of the minutiae that tends to get forgotten, but is integral to solving AP Chem problems.
With AP Biology, yes, it builds on Pre-AP Biology, but it’s just the same topics, but much more detailed and the course tends to emphasize more rote memorization of factoids anyways. As @APScholar18 mentioned, the usual order is AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics B or C (I took B and C, but I believe AP Physics B, no longer exists, and is now split into AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, which are each full year courses.
@Roentgen@APScholar18, if our school offers ~15 AP courses, what you think is a minimum number a student needs to be considered having a challenging academic course work for a combined BS/MD program? Would you pick AP Science(s) over AP English or AP History? Thanks much!
@biomeds
Interestingly enough, my school does not even offer AP courses at all, and I have gotten four BSMD interviews thus far! I’ve certainly been taking the highest level courses at my school…but it looks like the actual label of “AP” and the tests that come with it may not be the most important thing.
Though…definitely, if AP level courses are the most challenging level ones at your school, I would say it’s a very good idea to take them!!
It seems what matter most is you’ve been taking the most challenging courses in your school! Did you try to take AP test on your own (based your school course + self-study)?
I am new to CC board. do you mind sharing which BS/MD programs you had/will have interviews? Thanks
I definitely agree with @agirlinasweater
my school only offers 2 AP Exams , so I took both of them but for the rest of my classes I took the highest level avaliable and so far i’ve had 5 medical school interviews. God i’m so nervous to hear back from them … i hate the wait!
@biomeds, assuming you have 7 periods a day with a Fall Semester from August to December and Spring Semester from January to May, in each grade level you usually have the 4 core subjects that you have to take each year: English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Math. So none of those requirements should conflict where you have to make a choice between taking AP US History and say AP Biology. Almost all high schools that I know of require 4 years of English, which is non-negotiable, thus an example of this in each grade from 9-12 is: Pre-AP English I, Pre-AP English II, AP English Language, AP English Literature.
I would take as many as you can handle and which you can do well in. Obviously with the CC crowd, people pretty much pack it to capacity in that 7 period schedule, in terms of number of APs. But it’s not like more of them, guarantees anything. As @agirlinasweater mentioned, it’s taking the most rigorous curriculum offered at your school. But it’s not like a huge differentiation is made between someone who takes 15 vs. 13 for the purposes of a Bachelor/MD program.
As mentioned by everyone else, the key is to take the most challenging and/or rigorous curriculum that is available to you at your high school that you happen to attend and try to do well in them – i.e. A/B grades.
Gym is mandatory all 4 years and we only get 2 electives freshman and sophomore years! Maximum amount of APs that can be taken is 16 (if you take care of grad requirements out side of school)
Drexel / Drexel BS/MD 02/22/16 Interview Update.
13 students for this day.
All of them were asked to write an essay 30 minutes & 1 page (generic same topic, nothing to do with medical, more on how do you handle any real life situation in school or office)
Joined a real class and attended a lecture.
Split in to 4 groups for an interview (1 on 1) supposedly 30 minutes.
But the actual duration varied depending on who the interviewer (15 minutes to 60 minutes)
My D had interview with admissions director (since the Cardiologist was pulled for a patient emergency) and it lasted only 17 minutes.
Offered lunch only for students (Pizza)
Current MD students took them for a campus tour for 30 minutes.
There was no program for parents, so 7 of the parents we sat and had a good chat from 8.30 am to 1.30 am.
BS/MD admission director stated that they have 115 students invited for Drexel/Drexel and offers will go for 60 students and they expect 30 students will join the program. There are no wait list. All will get notification by end of march with admission or rejection.
She stated, each program is handled distinctly (D/D, Villanova/D, Lehigh/D, etc) and each decision is independent. Basically, there is a possibility some student may be rejected for all the program invited, or could be offered for all the programs, or could get rejection for one and admission for one.
@GoldenRock, so write an essay on the spot, is this ad hoc and new this year? does Drexel ask this to every group of prospective students during on-site interview?
@biomeds Yes, every invited student need to write on the spot essay. Have no idea if this is introduced only this year or it is part of their process in all the previous year.
