My D will take 5 AP classes next year so I’m not worried about the rigor. She just has to decide between AP Latin or AP physics. I mentioned all the info everything be here has mentioned and she seems to have taken it all in. She’ll have to decide soon because she will be picking classes for next year soon.
My D has basically decided on what school she wants to apply to and its ED, unless the 2 other schools we visit next month trump it. I’m quite relieved she has such a clear cut choice since I’m currently going through it with my D16. She applied to 10 schools and would be extremely happy at 7 of them.
The 2019 group isn’t really moving yet so I thought I’d see if folks here had insight as we plan out course load for S19
Current undergrad target is physics and then graduate programs in astro physics or theoretical. Current GPA is a 3.62 thanks to “someone” not turning in 2 assignments (in health of all things!). Weighted is obviously higher. I do not expect him to make that mistake again but it’s not the ideal way to have started freshman year! He should test extremely well and will be looking to be competitive.
Questions are specifically on the Core and STEM classes.
Current load is Honors English, Honors Bio, Algebra 2, World History 1, French 3
Planned load for next year is Honors Chem, AP World, Pre-Calc, Honors English, French 4
Given what we have available at our school, this is what we were thinking
Junior Year: AP Lang, AP Physics 1, AP Calc A/B, AP US
Senior Year: AP Lit, AP Physics 2, AP Calc B/C, Senior Civics (req)
He will have music all 4 years so between that and the PE required credits (we will ask for a waiver but at best may get 1 year waived out of the 1.5 and likely none) there isn’t much “extra” to work with.
In Junior Year he will have 1 available year long “extra” slot
In Senior Year it will be the same, unless he gets a waiver on PE.
The options he wants to consider are Theater Tech and Exploring Computer Science. Both are year long. I can’t see that either add a whole lot to his rigor though understand the appeal. The rest of the STEM classes offered are really low level and of little interest.
My question is, should he consider additional math or science classes instead? If he did, what would be the best choice for his area of interest?
Science options would be: AP Chem, AP Bio, AP Environmental Studies , Astronomy (which is of interest to him but regarded as extremely basic and easy), and Physical Geology. His school does not offer Physics C
Math option: AP Statistics.
Not much to choose from. Thoughts?
@SincererLove Georgetown offers nice need based financial aid besides being a wonderful school. American is a bit easier to get into but is known for finding kids great internships. Johns Hopkins is great to consider if your daughter decides on a more international bent. If she leans more towards the Economics side UChicago can’t be beat. They also give you full financial aid offer with EA acceptance which we loved.
@eandesmom I think a computer science class would be a valuable addition for someone targeting physics (astro or theory). There is a lot of computational physics in those fields, and better to get an idea if you have a taste for it. Is Exploring Computer Science the required prerequisite for AP Comp Sci? Might they be offering the new AP Computer Science Principles by then? It should be similar to Exploring Computer Science.
Are the following classes required prerequisites to the class that follows at your school: Honors Chem, AP Calc AB? Kids can skip regular chem (no honors available) at our school and take AP Chemistry as the first chem course. That would be really difficult at some schools, but it works fine at ours. For Calculus, some schools require the AB then BC sequence, and some allow you to choose to take Calc BC that covers all the ABC material in one year.
Are there any dual-enrollment options available?
@eandesmom Taking AP Chem can be a huge time saver for college as long as your son doesn’t plan on a major that is based on Chemistry. Most schools require some chemistry for college and getting out of that requirement saves having a heavy work load since that class usually has a lecture, long lab, and recitation session with the TA plus the lab reports are very time consuming in addition to studying the lecture content. My kids both took AP Stats as an elective. It is typically an easy class but they both take a lot of hard classes so it’s nice to have one that is easy and the concepts relate to many college classes. Don’t worry about the B in health. It really won’t matter.
Unfortunately they are pre-reqs. Honors chemistry before AP and AB before BC. All are year long. We don’t currently have AP computer science but it is possible it could show up by his senior year. If so they will almost certainly require the basic class first based on the current map.
However, while I doubt they’d let him skip Honors Chem and go into AP, it may be worth looking into. There is also a decent chance there won’t be honors Chemistry next year. This current year not enough kids registered for it to have the class so those kids ended up in regular chemistry as far as I know but it seems reasonable to petition if that is the case.
He is one of only a handful of kids that tested into honors bio as freshmen (you has to test into regular bio as well as a freshman) so he’s got the precedent at least.
He has wanted to take AP physics 1 next year but was convinced by many that having pre calculus first would be a better path.
@dcplanner so would you suggest AP Chem as an elective then? Assuming he can’t waiver out of honors Chem into AP from the start.
@eandesmom At our school, it’s either AP calc AB or BC. No one takes both.
So for your son, usual math sequence would be Alg 2 – Pre-Calc – AP calc BC and then AP Stat. Our school has multivariate calc/differential equations (Calc 3) that is harder than Stat.
Dual enrolling for local college math is also an option.
I would also recommend AP Chem.
Some kids take PE and electives during summer (depending on district) to free up schedules for “doubling-up” in Science during school year. Extreme kids end up taking 6 or 7 sciences by doubling up. Each AP science has one yr prerequisite at our school, i.e. Honors Bio before AP Bio, Honors Chem before AP Chem, Honors Phys before AP Phys C. So to take all that, they double up (Honors Bio & H. Chem) freshman, (AP Chem, H. Phys) sopho, (AP Phys C & AP Bio) junior, etc.
This is crazy. I know.
I know a kid in UC Berkeley majoring in physics who did not double up sciences and took pre-calc in junior and AP calc AB in senior year because accelerating was not a common thing in his school.
DS17 did not double up during freshman & sophomore year (H. Bio and then H. Chem) This year, he is doing AP Chem and H. Phys. Senior year, he will do AP Phys C and AP environmental science (or CS or Stat).
Just echoing what @payn4ward says. My D to AP Calc BC…no Calc AB. And, instead of AP Stat will take Multivariable…even though I suggested Stats. Oh well.
Also, just be comfortable in your decision to take just the 2 years of language. I think it’s fine, but you need to get all the 2nd-guessing out of your system now (or, come junior year).
Since some of you mentioned this, DD is taking BC now which she has more than 100%. Our school doesn’t have any more math after BC, so GC asked if she’d like to take multivariable through college class or long distance… She said no, instead she will be taking Linear Algebra (honor). She will take 6 APs, including Computer Science, Environmental Science and Physics. She has 5 APs now, including stat.
Does that seem competitive and progressive course load for Senior year, especially since she doesn’t want to do multi cal?
P.S. DD is definitely in the driver seat. My role is advisory 
She has been a STEM girl, so she might apply Engineering or Quantitative Analysis besides Econ/ Pol Sci at some schools.
@SincererLove Holy Mackerel! I’d say that’s competitive. I’m not sure how Linear Algebra fits in…but I don’t get a lot of this stuff. 11 APs in two years is crazy-rigorous. My band kid is jealous.
I had to talk my kid out of APUSH this year, just so she could have a life. Just don’t forget that apps and essays take time…if you’re planning to apply to many schools.
@SincererLove – I asked my ‘math’ son who said that Linear Alg is an absolutely fine substitute for Multivariable. I think he wishes our HS offered it instead of multivariable (but I have no idea why he feels this way).
AP-CS and APES should not be too challenging, but of course, this can vary by school. It would be very difficult to fit two AP Science courses in at our school b/c of the additional lab sections.
Son will take multivariable and then AP Stats as an extra course. I was trying to discourage the idea of this extra course, but I don’t have any say in the matter!
@2muchquan – I started trying to talk my son out of AP-USH in 9th grade. (Only offered Jr year at our school, but I figured I needed time.) Lost that battle also. It has been OK, but truly consumes a lot of time. The only saving grace is that he was locked out of both AP Econ and AP Stats, forcing him to have a free instead of a seventh academic class (in a seven period day).
The honors classes and AP classes are really the same level of rigor in our HS. Very few AP options until 11th grade, and no AP English until 12th, but the same GPA bump is awarded to honors and AP. It is fascinating to read all the different approaches…and then they all do fine when they end up at college together, having come from different backgrounds.
I should really get off this site and try researching colleges!
Yeah, I don’t get any say in course choices either. As long as he can pass them and graduate… sigh.
DS needs to fulfill Tech elective requirement somehow. I don’t know how, with 4 years of orchestra. They may take self-study projects.
It is sad that he won’t have taken any visual arts for 7 years. High school is weird.
@SincererLove Linear Alg is more than fine. Linear Algebra is conceptually harder but cleaner to work on problmes. Multivariate is conceptually easier but messy to work on problems.
“High School is weird”. Ha! Totally. Regarding language, D’s HS doesn’t have AP Chinese, so they are letting her take an independent study which will consist of self-studying for the AP test. I love that. It will let her take her first elective ever, in place of her language class.
I’ve never heard of Linear Algebra in HS. That’s very cool.
@payn4ward our school will not allow BC only, it’s simply not an option. AB is required, full year, to take BC., full year, the following Dual is actually not an option in our district, at least not in a way that is palatable to S19. Our eldest did it. If you go that route, you are required to withdraw completely from the HS, including all EC’s. For the eldest, that was absolutely the right thing. For the next 3, not at all. The only way you can continue with anything at the HS is if you did not test into something at the CC level. Which would not be the case for D19. It is not something he is remotely interested in as that would mean giving up XC, Track, Jazz, Wind Ensemble, Marching and Pep Band and other student leadership groups. Just not an option. We’ve lost a lot of great band kids over the years to that program and it is really frustrating that they can’t allow a hybrid option. We may look to see if there are ways to do summer CC classes that do not conflict but on the surface, it does not appear so. He is supposed to meet with the counselor this week or next to discuss that as well as PE. S17 is applying for a waiver in the spring, once we see how his goes we will have a better idea.
Unfortunately all the summer offerings through the school district are not honors or AP and the math stops at Algebra 2. He would take something if there was a fit.
I did discuss with him whether if they didn’t offer honors chem next year if he could do AP instead and they will not allow it. Apparently this year (last year there were enough kids and S19 thinks there will be enough his year) they were only short 3-5 kids for a class. All those kids had to take regular Chem.
I was incorrect though, in a good way. They did add AP CS Principles and AP CS A as options this year so he will take AP CS A as his junior year elective. The question will be for Sr Year. AP Chem or AP Stats are likely the best options given what we have to choose from but we will have to see how he feels when we get there and one never knows, the curriculum does change every year. Also, if S17 loves APES, he may try to talk little brother into it for senior year.
He is looking at a summer PE option. The school will not accept online but there is a marching band option that a couple of S17’s friends did summer after freshman year. This is really the only summer it would be an option for him but that would at least give him a .5 for something.
@2muchquan He will have 4 years of French, he had 2 in MS. We don’t plan to carry over the grades as he was very much in a “it’s MS, it doesn’t count” mind frame (B’s) so will have to speak to it on applications but one would hope seeing French 3 and French 4 on the transcript would be sufficient. We did discuss that one of the reasons he really “needed” to take French 4 was so that at least 2 years showed on the transcripts. He may do some of the AP work and take the test, it is a shared class for French 4 and AP, we do know one child who did it (though he didn’t pass so not a great comparison to use). I hear you on the band conflict. Neither my S17 or S19 are willing to give it up for other things. Which honestly makes me happy even if it can make the registration choices exceedingly limited. Darn PE credits.
My S17 sat out APUSH as well, didn’t see the value in it compared to other things and having a life. 2AP’s, Spanish 3 + PreCalc is enough for him. He is also sitting out AP Lit. S19 will take both. Just depends on the kid, what they want and can handle.
@SincererLove 11 in two years crazy, sounds plenty competitive to me! And stressful.
Our D17 is also loading up with APs. She took 2 sophomore year, 5 this year, and registered for 6 next year. This year is the toughest with AP Calc BC, AP Bio, AP Spanish Lang, APUSH, and AP Lang. According to the rumor mill, Pre calc and AP Bio are the toughest class. She also is ready for Spanish Lang to be done. No Spanish lit for her.
Next year it is AP chem, AP Lit, AP stats, AP Macro, AP gov, AP Psych, roughly in order of difficulty. She also got a PE waiver to take sociology and philosophy for “fun”. We tried to talk her out of this schedule but she has done fine this year with not too much stress.
Currently, she wants to study occupational therapy, so I not sure she will even credit for all of these. I don’t know if pre-OT is like pre-med or not (a thread for later).
My son (now a college freshman) took 2 APs sophomore year, 5 junior year (and self studied for another) and 7 his senior year (all AP and pass/fail government class with no lunch). Total of 17 exams. That is what he wanted to do. We tried to talk him out of it. He struggled a little to find motivation his last quarter or two as senioritis set in. But he made it across the finish line.
Daughter who is a junior this year likely will not take that same AP load (and will definitely eat lunch).
ok, I must ask Sailakeerie, where did your son go to college with his 17 AP exams?
I think we are over programming these kids. Way too many AP’s. My S has straight A’s. Takes Honors, took two AP’s Soph, Two this year, and three next year. I think that is way more than enough. Only one B+ once. He is done with SAT. He will apply to schools Ranked in top 20. He is in the middle 50 percentile for all these schools. If he doesn’t get in, he will get in to many other good schools. In the end, they end up where they belong, and the difference in outcome is not worth what is done to these kids. I think we need to let these kids have a full life, that goes beyond college prep. I think the new Harvard study makes sense. These kids should experience more than the classroom. Work, hobbies, fun, hooking up(sort of kidding), making foolish mistakes that you will remember for years. These course loads being discussed are taking away the fun…Too much pressure…Just saying.
@Dave_N I’m amazed at 6 AP’s in a year for a 7 period schedule. That would be physically impossible at our school unless you gave up music. I can appreciate the competitiveness and if that is what the child wants then I guess it’s a good thing.
@saillakeerie 17 AP classes. Wow. We only have 22 possible and some of them are electives that just wouldn’t make sense for many so pulling of 17 is impressive and shows some creative scheduling to be sure. I am glad to hear your D will eat lunch. I hear that complaint from some IB friends, one with a schedule that literally doesn’t have a lunch in it. I don’t know how that can be legal.
@BigPapiofthree I agree. That said, for some kids, that is the fun. At the end of the day for me, it’s whatever my child really wants to do. I’ll counsel and offer advice but it’s up to them. S17 is opting out of AP Lit for Senior year. Do I think he could get an A in it? Sure. Do I want him to feel stressed about it? No. For what he wants to do and where he wants to go, 2 AP’s his senior year is just fine. I don’t see that choice making a huge difference in his value to the schools he is looking at and a greater loss in his enjoyment of his other classes and that last year of school. My S19 is a different bird, he is likely to have 5 his junior year compared to his brothers 2, his older sisters 1 and the oldest brother took a big fat zero AP classes his junior year, (or at all). That is what he wants and what will work for him. But if he changes his mind, that’s fine too. And you know what, the kid who didn’t take a single AP or Honors class graduated from a good college last spring, on time. There is something for everyone.
@payn4ward High School is weird. I’m a bit surprised you can’t get a waiver for the 4 years of orchestra. We get an occupational waiver, which is a full year requirement if you take all 4 years of music, any music. It absolutely kills me that they get penalized for that…they’d have to give up playing music…to fit in AP music theory.
“Normal” accelerated path at our school on the math would have Pre-Calc Jr Year and AB Senior, full year. The only kids ahead of that were in a separate program in elementary (DS19 was in it) which puts them a year ahead on the math track. Very small group. I know a few kids DS17’s year that were not in that program that did double up on math freshman year so that they would be able to get BC for Senior year. DSD15 had to double up to get AB in (different HS), she was not on the higher track freshman year so ended up taking both Geometry and Calc AB her Senior year. Only a few AP’s and didn’t even take the test on any of them (her district didn’t require they test, ours does). Hasn’t seemed to hurt her (Sophomore at Cal Poly). Will she need more Math or Chem as a result to graduate than some of her classmates? Probably or even certainly. But she had a great HS experience and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.
So there is a balance out there somewhere I think and it’s different for each kid. And to that end, if S19 really wants to take Astronomy his senior year (which at least is a U of Wa College option…although not sure how valuable 5 credits of Astronomy 101 are) I will certainly support him. I just know for him, with sights set at the moment on Cal Tech and Berkeley, I want to make sure he is supported with the information he wants to help him decide. Either way, he will decide, I just provide data.