<p>Hey! Next year, I'll be applying to Princeton SCEA and have a small question on scheduling. I'll be taking AP Literature, AP US History, AP Spanish, AP Calculus AB, Crafts (my required art elective), Gym/P.E., and Lunch. This is one of the hardest/the hardest schedule in my school, but I do have the option of switching Lunch with AP Chem. </p>
<p>Will Princeton care that I've never taken an AP science course? I don't intend on majoring in anything engineering/science related, so I'm not sure if taking AP Chem would be worth all of the accompanying work. Will they think I'm avoiding work?</p>
<p>If you choose to take an extra class rather than LUNCH to get into a college, chances are they’ll reject on the bounds of college admission OBSESSION. That’s honestly disgusting. Skipping lunch just for some misguided attempt at bettering your chance at a college that accepts barely anyone? Ridiculous!</p>
<p>Alright, let’s calm down. I was just concerned that I’ve never taken an AP science course (aside from AP environmental science which is, ya know, AP environmental science) and here I am giving up an opportunity to take one. Furthermore, I was more hoping for advice from a student with more experience in college admissions, not people in my grade level (or below) so, for future reference, perhaps consider toning down the hostility. I am fully aware of Princeton’s abysmal acceptance rate.</p>
<p>In any case, I’ve decided to taken AP Psych instead, which will permit me a year-round lunch.</p>
<p>I think that’s a sensible decision. I think that they care more about workload in general than if you’ve taken science courses or not. Courses like AP European History and French or Spanish language can be just as difficult as a science AP. Also, if science isn’t your strength then your grades and GPA will suffer. Unless you have a real interest in studying Chemistry, whether you want to major in a science or not, then you shouldn’t take a class you won’t enjoy and/or will do badly on. I took AP Psychology and enjoyed it a lot, if that makes any difference.</p>
<p>Your dilema is a normal one and I don’t see it as obsessing. I’m the parent of a homeschooled rising senior and scheduling is actually one of the hardest tasks that I do. (I don’t teach my son; rather, he and I find resources for his learning) His college classes interfere with an honors homeschooled class and AP exams always interfere with college classes. Even college classes interfere with each other. </p>
<p>Next year, he wanted to study AP Music Theory. It would have been easiest for him to take 2 semesters of music theory plus ear training at the local community college and then studying for the AP exam would have been much easier. However, he also really wanted to take Optics with his physics prof at the local state uni but the classes meet at the same time. So, he’ll take Optics and self-study AP Music Theory, which I think is going to be tough even though he’s been a violinist for 11 years.</p>
<p>Schedules are a give and take, for sure. I hope it works out well for you! :-)</p>
<p>Oh there’s no problem with having to muddle about and figure out scheduling problems, but when you start to forgo lunch for an extra AP class, that’s just not right. Replace a different class, but don’t let your health suffer. This is coming from someone who literally ate lunch at school less than 30 times this entire year. The rest of the time I had to do work (not by choice, but because my teachers were always assigning so much I got less than 5 hours of sleep each night and had to still do more during lunch every day). I always swore I’d eat in the next period class but then was so busy taking notes and generally being a student that I never did. I lost a lot of weight, a severely dangerous amount, because of constantly doing work. And that wasn’t even by my own choice. So seriously, if you want another class, switch it out for a separate class.</p>