<p>hey! i'm a sophomore, but we're starting our junior year course selections in a little while (i know, very early). I'm planning on applying to ivy league schools for college (my top choice is harvard). on the harvard website, it recommends taking one basic course in bio, chem, and physics and an ap course in one of these areas. however, it also says that, obviously, taking the most challenging course load is important. i'm in honors chem this year, and i want to know if i'd be better off taking ap chem junior year and ap bio senior year, or honors physics junior year and an ap class only senior year to round off my science ed. </p>
<p>While you can definitely make exceptions to the formula they listed on the Harvard website, you should probably take physics, simply because almost everyone who enters college has taken physics. Some people may tell you to pack in as many APs as you can, but that's just not as important to admissions officers as an education in everything they expect you to have.</p>
<p>You should look into ways of taking two AP sciences senior year. I myself dropped AP Spanish so I could take both AP Physics and AP Chemistry- that's not as big an issue.</p>
<p>I don't know. I think it depends on where your interests are. I took AP Biology instead of physics because I'm much more interested in bio and it's more related to my career path. If you love chemistry and think you could do a good job, then go for it.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice...the thing is that i want to major in english, so science has nothing to do with my career path, and it would not make much sense for me to take two science classes in one year</p>
<p>I have a similar question, though in my case the option is AP Biology or Physics. My major also has nothing to do with science (history, politics) however, I am interested in science nontheless, and of the two, Physics is much more interesting to me. However, the grade weighting in AP Bio could help, even if the grade will only count for one term (senior year). </p>
<p>Would you guys propose taking both? Even if you are not majoring in science? What about self studying and taking the SAT II physics, can that offset your lack of a physics class? How practical do you think that option is?</p>
<p>I do know people who take both, but they are usually interested in majoring in science. the question is, do you have the time to self study and would your self-studying be enough to get a high score on the sat II?</p>
<p>I've heard the "must take physics" adage multiple times, but it doesn't make sense to me! It might make taking physics harder if you're a premed or hard sci concentrator, but intro classes are taught assuming no prior knowledge.</p>
<p>And if you know you won't take physics in college, I see no benefit at all from taking it in high school.</p>
<p>To the OP, I'd go for whichever class has the better teacher. Chem + Phys are both lab based, and tough to learn on your own. Plus good teacher can mean a good rec down the road.</p>