Schedule for junior and senior year.

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I need some advice on my junior and senior year schedules. I have to decide how I want to arrange this now. if I want to take certain courses junior year instead of senior year, I will have to take the ACT by March.
Junior year schedule:
Honors pre calculus
Honors chemistry
AP English
AP Government
Comparative anatomy and physiology
French 3

Senior year:
AP chemistry
AP Physics
AP calculus
Economics
(Another history elective, not sure yet)
AP English
French 4

Are these schedules okay, or am I doing too much senior year? I want to apply to BS/MD programs, so I need to take AP physics and AP Chem. Should I take AP physics junior year? If I decide to take it junior year I’ll have to take the ACT; my school requires you to take the ACT to take AP chem or AP physics.

2

I’d take AP physics 1 instead of Anatomy, and take that senior year instead.
Everything else is good.

3

Why are you taking chemistry junior year? What did you take freshman/sophomore years?

If you are apply BS/MD, you would need an SAT >1400 and need to have volunteering and shadowing and/or research. WHat have you done in those areas?

4

Have you already taken honors physics? If not, take that instead of Anatomy. You’ll need it before AP Physics C. You also need calculus for AP physics so it makes sense to take it concurrently with AP calc senior year. FWIW, my daughter took AP Physics C, AP chem, and AP calc together senior year and while a lot of work, still very doable.

5

@bopper
I currently volunteer at a hospital. I have a doctor who said I could shadow her when I’m 16. I’m applying to research programs this year and next year but those aren’t guaranteed.
Freshman year I took honors physical science. This is required in my school. First semester is honors chemistry and second semester is honors physics. As a sophomore, im currently taking honors biology.

@momofsenior1
I took a semester of honors physics in my honors physical science course freshman year. We do not have any other physics classes except for AP physics.

6

Your transcript should list Physical Science: Honors chemistry and Physical Science: Honors Physics - because at most schools “physical science” is a watered down introduction to science for kids who didn’t take serious science/biology in middle school.

7

So you took Biology last year?

8

You could also take AP Biology instead of AP CHem senior year Either would be fine.

Your competitors for BS/MD programs will be taking similarly hard schedules…so talk to your GC and teachers to see if they think you can do that.

9

A lot of “assuming facts not in evidence” by users on this thread. So to assist the OP:

It’s not that the OP is in the slow lane; OP attends HS in a state with a mandated core. Physical science is the mandated 9th grade science class. Bio is the mandated 10th grade science class. All AOs should know that and, if they don’t, the school profile will clarify. The transcript will list the course as however the HS calls it.

I’m assuming the option is AP Physics 1, but the OP can clarify

10

@bopper I’m taking honors biology this year.

@skieurope yes, it’s AP Physics 1.

11

@skieurope Yeah, he’s right. In Ohio, my state, ALL students are required to take physical science either as an eighth grader or as a freshman. It’s actually quite normal. To say that it’s a class for people who didn’t take a “serious” science class in middle school is ridiculous. If you are at my school, they did not introduce the ability to take physical science as an eighth grader until I was a freshman, so I did not have a choice to take it. Most states don’t require physical science at all.

12

OK, got it, sorry.
“Physical Science” is not described like this in many states but if that’s part of your core curriculum yes it’d be clear to adcoms and there would be no problem about it.
(BTW, good for OH. The state I knew of that does something similar is NYS but they don’t call it Physical Science.)
[In many states, Physical Science isn’t a required class because it’s a “light” class for kids whose academics make taking “regular” classes too challenging. Most states mandate 2 years of lab science for HS graduation though - regardless of name.]