<p>so far for science, i have taken everything my school offers(Bio 1 & 2; physics-c, chem) but our chem II course is a joke and i would rather spend my own time preparing for the AP; do you think it would look bad if i didn't take chem II as one of my courses?</p>
<p>If you can take another math science class that doesn't hurt your rank in its place, no quesiton, do that. If you get a 5 and and do well in whatever else, great.
If you'd have to take some humanity class in its place, that's a tough question. I'd wait around for Ben Golub. He's a student and admissions officer who tends to pop up and answer these questions.
And I'm a little confused by chem II vs chem. Both obviously aren't AP's, so was normal chem honors and chem II is AP?</p>
<p>Well, nobody really knows what your school offers. If you can learn more chemistry studying for the AP on your own, you should do that and explain accordingly on your application. In general, the initiative shown by studying on your own often outweighs any negatives. Best of all would be to take the joke course and supplement it with independent study so you can prepare adequately for the AP.</p>
<p>Do you have a community college nearby that you can take classes at? Many students at Caltech took classes at community colleges when they finished their school's science or math curriculum. Following that path will usually let you learn more than you would otherwise, and it will look better when you apply to college.</p>