Requesting Guidance for APs for Junior Year

Hello All,

I am currently a sophomore taking 1 AP (Chem) and 1 Honors (Pre-Calc). Going into my junior year, I want to take no more than 4 APs, due to other time constraints and responsibilities. I know that I will be taking AP Calc BC and AP Comp. Sci. However, I don’t know what to do for the other two APs. I am considering APLAC, APUSH, AP Spanish, and AP Physics. I eventually want to take AP Spanish, but I can also take it in senior year. I have heard that APLAC and APUSH are great classes, but since I am most likely interested going into a STEM field, I don’t know how useful they are to my own application. Obviously, AP Physics would look great, and if I could take AP Bio or APES senior year, then I would have 3 AP sciences completed. However, I have not taken Physics Honors, and I don’t have the capacity to take it over the summer, due to volunteering and summer programs. I hope that you can provide some insight for me, especially if you have taken the classes, and have opinions on their value.

Honors Physics has priority in terms of science.
Aplac is the most useful since you’ll need to write clearly to get into college and to succeed in college then in your career.

Which AP Physics? If AP Physics C, then you need honors physics first. Even if the school allows you to take, you may find yourself in competition with students with a physics background and find yourself struggling in comparison. If AP Physics 1, honors physics is not needed. Regardless, no one AP class looks more “great” than another, particularly if the grades don’t support it.

Unless all 3 align with future plans, there is no expectation that any student take 3 AP sciences; admissions will not give double brownie points for doing so.

APLAC I would suggest as a definite. Effective writing is a life skill, and the class will be invaluable when it comes time to write application essays

APUSH is extremely time consuming.

It really depends no the teacher for each class. I would ask current juniors about their experiences. I think APLAC is a great class and would recommend you take it over APUSH since it really teaches you how to write well. Like skieurope said, for AP Physics it really depends on which one. If it’s AP Physics 1, I would take that and do another year of Spanish (spanish 4?) which will also make AP Spanish easier senior year.