Hi everyone,
This is my first post on College Confidential, and I have a question regarding specific classes I should take next year.
I am currently a Junior in second semester and have a 4.0 UW GPA and 4.92 W GPA (I’ve been told that this is inflated, so take this value with a grain of salt).
Colleges I am thinking of applying to: Yale (Dream School), Brown (2nd), Harvard, UPenn, Amherst College, Cornell, Wesleyan University, UMich Ann Arbor, and USC (Safety). Please keep in mind that this is a tentative list (there are others that I have no listed) and I will have another safety school.
I am planning on double majoring in Psychology and Gender/Sexuality Studies, as these are my interests (I have absolutely no interest in an engineering, scientific, or major involving rigorous math).
I have taken all honors and AP classes except for one regular language course.
That being said, there are a couple of decisions I need to make about selecting courses next year. These courses are the ones that I will definitely be taking next year: AP English Lit, AP Econ/AP Am. Gov, AP Biology, AP Comparative Government, and AP Human Geography.
My school offers a calculus class above AP Calculus BC called Advanced Calculus, which I believe is multivariable calculus. I have been told by my friends in the class that the concepts are hard, and the teacher doesn’t really teach the class, but that it is likely an easy A and you basically do almost nothing the whole period. I am on track to take this class, and have been recommended for it, but I want to take AP Statistics. This is because I struggle with concepts in Calculus even though I received an A (even though I am ahead in math, my brain is definitely not a math brain), AP Stat is easier, and is more suited to what I want to pursue. Do you guys think that Advanced Calculus would show more rigor and be better on my transcript for these colleges even though I am pursuing the Liberal Arts and considering that I would likely struggle with the class?
My second question is regarding my last class. I heard that Yale likes to see applicants with strong writing skills and applicants who have worked with something regarding Yearbook, school magazine, or newspaper. However, I have been told that it is important to take more AP science classes. Thus, I am stuck between choosing to take Yearbook (the teacher likes me from being in her English class and I will ask her to write a letter of rec for me) and taking AP Physics 1. Science and math do not come to me naturally, and I especially do not understand physics that well. Our Physics teacher also is reported to have mood swings, and his class is incredibly hard (he regularly makes 75-85% an A in the class). Which one would be better to take college-wise? Or should I take them both and have an overloaded schedule with little sleep?
I understand that this is a long post, and I appreciate those who have made it here.
TL;DR: Advanced Calculus (above AP Calc BC) or AP Stat for a prospective liberal arts major who wants to go to Yale (first choice) or Brown (second choice). AP Physics 1 or Yearbook, or both? I am not a math or science minded person.