So here’s the situation:
I signed up to take AP US History next year, and just received my summer assignment. It’s ridiculous, consisting of a DOZEN projects, useless busy work (for example, write a 5 page essay on Forrest Gump). This is also an indicator of what’s gonna happen next year in class.
So I want to switch out of it, to another AP class. But I have exhausted every AP class (other than Studio Art) that is offered at my school. I don’t wanna take a standard/honors class because I have a very slim lead in the valedictorian race for my class, and taking a non-AP class would probably eliminate that. This is more intrinsic motivation than anything
So I’m thinking of retaking AP Environmental Science instead of taking APUSH. I took it sophomore year, and enjoyed it… mostly because we do nothing most of the class (eg: spending a month constructing a Venus fly trap “garden”). I received As both semesters and passed the AP exam.
Would this negatively affect my application, or would it not matter? I have a feeling that colleges would view me as “do-anything for a high-gpa” type of student, which would hurt my app. Thanks!
Don’t retake the same class. Does your school even allow that?
@suzy100 Yea I have permission, it’s up to me at this point
That sounds like a huge waste of time. If college admissions don’t view it negatively, I’d be disappointed in them.
I guarantee college admissions would view it negatively. They will view you as a “do-anything-for-a-high-GPA” student, because by retaking the Environmental Science, that’s what you are! The whole reason you are unwilling to take APUSH is cause you are unwilling to put in the work. You may argue that its busy work, stupid, pointless, etc., but in the real world, even if you have a job you love, there will be dull aspects to it you have to push through. Although it may be allowed, that’s a really lame way of getting valedictorian, and from my perspective, is a cheap shortcut. If you had to cheat and use a shortcut, did you really earn it?
My advice? Suck it up and take APUSH.
It’ll look very very bad.
First, colleges don’t care whether you’re valedictorian or not, (that’s a trinket they give academic achievers but nowadays nobody cares in a world where college is widespread) and the fact you’d be willing, not only to skip a core class but repeat an AP class, would absolutely impact your admissions about anywhere except for minimally selective colleges that are thrilled to see students apply with 1-2AP classes. That way of thinking is the opposite of what good colleges are looking for. You’d probably be lucky if that isn’t reinforced in your letters of recommendation.
If you’ve taken all other AP 's, what about dual enrollment? What about asking if you can register for an online class that you’d do during a class period?
Do you have 4 levels/units of English, social science, science, plus math up to calculus and foreign language upbringing level4or AP? Do you have one art class? A class that reflects your personal interests outside the core classes or complements an EC?
I agree with the others…that would look really bad. I can’t even imagine why your school would allow it.
Isn’t US History a required course for you? If you don’t take APUSH won’t you have to take a regular history class?
You have to take US History to graduate in most states, so if you are GPA mad you should take the AP version for the grade bump.
My kid did not have room for US Gov in her schedule and had to take it online, which meant no honors/AP option, so no grade bump. I told her, no big deal. It’s required to graduate, take it, get an A and move on. Stressing about .05 in an already excellent GPA is pointless.
Ok point taken, I’ll suck it up with APUSH,
Wanna clarify a few things though:
-Already fulfilled my us history credit sophomore year, this is purely an elective
- So technically, I can take whatever I want. There are no “cheap shortcuts” @RoundGenius stop being so PC
-To the person who recommended dual-enrollment, I’ve actually already taken all dual-enrollment classes offered as well.
-And yes, I have all my credits (except the last English one), including 4 semesters of art…
-To be valedictorian is my own desire, nothing to do with college admissions
You took US History Sophomore year and plan to retake? Well that makes even less sense.Why not just take nothing at all its place then, if you have all credits needed to graduate.
Wanting to be val has nothing to do with intrinsic motivation, even if it has nothing to do with college admissions. It is still external validation. Intrinsic motivation is about really really wanting to learn history - or whatever it is you are taking instead.
PC? What does political correctness have to do with anything?
@VickiSoCal I took honors sophomore year, not AP. And unfortunately required to have a full schedule due to my school’s lackluster graduation rate.
@Tigerle It is intrisric. The valedictorian at my school does not get any validation (no speech, award, etc). I just want to finish #1 for self-pride’s sake
@bodangles You can figure that out by yourself, I don’t wanna have a debate on political correctness LOL
Taking APUSH after taking Honors US History two years ago will also look like grade-grubbing. Honestly can’t believe your school would even permit it.
Is there no elective you are actually interested in? A different foreign language than the one you’ve been studying? A public speaking class? A different type of history class? (e.g., my kids school offers Military History as an elective – not an AP, but interesting to kids who like history). A Business class like Intro Accounting?
Hard to “figure out” something with no logic behind it – that’s why I was asking. I know people use “PC” as code for “saying things I don’t like” but I didn’t know it had been extended to any kind of morals being PC/things I don’t like.
AP US History after honors in same subject would not be allowed here either.
There must be some class you can take to fill out your schedule that would not be a re-hash of what you’ve already done.
@LuckyCharms913 thank you for the comment. I really don’t want to sound stucked-up here but I go to one of the worst schools in the state, so those “interesting” electives contain kids that are barely passing high school, and the class is mostly behavior control rather than education. While I do have friends in these classes (mostly from my sport), I honestly hate spending 1.5 hours every other day in that kind of environment. I know this from experience. I am taking cooking next year for a semester, so that should be interesting!
The Cooking class sounds like fun.
Would your school be willing to let you fill the “free” period with something that might provide a little bit of office experience, like working in the Guidance Office or Attendance Office?
@LuckyCharms913 I know what you’re talking about, since I did it after my dual enrollment courses ended this year, but unfortunately no. I’m going to look at the course catalog again and see if I can find an honors course that seems interesting, and if not, APUSH it is.