Senior schedule Q: AP Physics not offered

Parents Forum
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<p>We just learned that S's HS won't offer AP Physics next year, because not enough students signed up. This is on top of learning earlier that AP Euro History won't be offered for the same reason. He wants to major in Econ or Poli Sci, and aspires to Vassar or Colgate or something else at that level of selectivity. (Very different schools I know, we'll visit both over spring break too see what seems to fit.)</p>

<p>Now, he has to decide what class to take instead. How important is a 4th year of science?</p>

<p>Here is the rest of his schedule:
AP Eng Lit
AP Calc AB
Honors Italian 4
Honors Law (required for his specialty high school program)
Honors Senior Seminar (required for his specialty high school program)
Gym (required)</p>

<p>He mildly disliked Honors Bio freshman year, absolutely hated Honors Chem last year, but loves Honors Physics this year. He got a C+ in Chem, which is his only sub-B grade ever, and I'm already afraid that grade alone will stop him from getting into a top college. </p>

<p>He could take AP Macro Econ, AP Stat, AP Bio, AP Chem, or a few weak non-honors science classes (earth science, zoology+forensics, marine+environmental science). His GC says she can note on her recommendation that he wanted to take AP Physics but it wasn't offered. He is most interested in AP Macro Econ, with AP Stat second most interesting. (He took Micro Econ at community college last summer, and is considering an Econ major.) He has 3 other AP classes already - US Hist, Eng Lang, and US Govt(4). </p>

<p>Will not taking 4 years of science hurt him in admissions? He could take AP Bio, even though he isn't interested in it. No way would he take AP Chem. Would a wimpy non-honors 4th year of science look better or worse than an AP class in Macro Econ? We looked into taking Physics at community college this summer, but only Physics II is offered, not Physics I.</p>

<p>What do class do you CCers think he should take?</p>

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<p>A fourth year of science isn't a deal breaker, especially with someone who is going into the econ area. I'd say take the AP Econ.</p>

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<p>He should AP Econ for sure. And if he wanted extra "insurance" [ and has the time] he could take an AP Physics class through Stanford's online EPGY program. That would satisfy the pickiest university AND show initiative on his part.</p>

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<p>He sounds so much like my S2 - he's taking AP Bio now and likes it much better than reg bio (where they never explained the why of any of the processes.) He got a B in regular bio and is getting a solid A in AP. He loathed chemistry and got a B-----. The econ should be easy if it stretches macro over a whole year (at least my S1 thought so.) For a future econ major stats and econ is obviously most useful and since a note will be included that AP Physics wasn't available, I think he'd be fine skipping the science.</p>

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<p>As the parent of an economics major, I wouldn't recommend the AP Statistics. Econ majors have to take statistics with calculus (and at some colleges, the econ department offers its own statistics course specifically designed for econ majors). AP Statistics is statistics without calculus. It's the wrong statistics course for an econ major.</p>

<p>The AP Calculus AB is a good choice. You can't get very far in econ without knowing calculus, so it's a good idea to get at least some of it out of the way in high school.</p>

<p>AP Economics (Macro, Micro, or both), if taught well, is a good course that covers much of the same material as introductory college economics courses. If your son wants to take AP Macroeconomics, I see no reason why he shouldn't. He has taken the three fundamental high school science courses, and he doesn't intend to be a science major. Unless a fourth year of science is required for graduation, why not take something else?</p>

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<p>AP statistics, well taught, can be a better course for many majors than a course on statistics presupposing calculus. The rationale for this statement can be found in some interesting articles about statistics education reform. </p>

<p><a href="http://statland.org/MAAFIXED.PDF%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://statland.org/MAAFIXED.PDF&lt;/a> </p>

<p><a href="http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=uclastat/cts/tise%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=uclastat/cts/tise&lt;/a> </p>

<p>I agree that calculus is also very useful to know, and indeed advanced courses in statistics will all presuppose knowledge of calculus, whatever your first course looks like. </p>

<p>In general, one can never know too much math, and an appreciation of how data are gathered and sometimes misrepresented is also very helpful.</p>

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<p>My son is at Vassar - took regular physics (Honors was not offered and did not want AP Junior year) and took AP Chem senior year. He took this to just take a fourth science at the instance of his counselor, though he really didn't want to. It was his worst grade in H.S. but didn't stop him from getting into just about all of his schools. </p>

<p>That being said, both of my kids took AP Stats in H.S. and then Stats courses in college. Having the basis of AP Stats made college stats a breeze. </p>

<p>I think that if the counselor writes that he wanted to take AP Physics but it wasn't available and he takes another AP instead, he'll be fine.</p>

<p>And you're right - Vassar and Colgate are extremely different.</p>

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<p>menloparkmom, I considered the online AP Physics course (EPGY, CTY) for about 10 minutes after researching their websites. I think the time commitment required (8-10 hrs/wk) for those would just be too high during the school year, and would cut into ECs, other classes, social life, sleep... CTY offers a class in the summer, but then it would so long until the AP exam in May, plus it is very expensive at $1220.</p>

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<p>Since he finished the lab science sequence of Bio, Chem and Physics and he's not looking towards a science/engineering career, a fourth year isn't as important. Sounds to me as if he should take AP Econ.</p>

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<p>Glad to hear that so many people don't think it's a huge deal to not have a 4th year of science, for a non-science/engineering major.</p>

<p>One of S's friends who plans to major in engineering is freaking out about the lack of AP Physics.</p>

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<p>I go to Vassar and I only took three years of science in high school, all of them honors, not AP. I HATE science, continue to hate science, will never take it again. Considering Vassar doesn't require it, I think they understand that you can be a good student even if you're abysmal in a certain subject. Does he have any options besides those AP classes? I only took the five APs that he'll have taken when he graduates, I did fun electives instead - three dance classes (I attended a performing arts high school), psychology/sociology with a great teacher, and a world affairs class with another great teacher. Vassar isn't so stuck on AP.</p>

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<p>Sacchi, your son's friend might look into EPGY physics - the course is excellent. And if the school will give credit, then it can replace another course. I would certainly not take it in addition to a full course load.</p>

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<p>Also, if you plan on going to a college that is nice about acceptings AP credits, my daughter needed little extra studying after her honors physics class to take the physics B AP test.</p>

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<p>If the AP Statistics teacher is good, it could be a good course even if his ultimate college doesn't accept it for credit for his major.</p>

<p>It is very easy to become subsumed in the math of statistics, and incredibly valuable to have the chance to understand statistics at a more qualitative level. By taking AP Statistics now, he'd be in a great position to approach a more mathematically-intensive stats course with a whole lot more comprehension.</p>

<p>I was fortunate enough to take a two-term sequence in stats offered by my university's math department before I took the stat course offered through Econ that was a requirement for Econ majors (they can't trust math to teach it correctly, right?) Boy was I glad I'd taken the original math department stats classes, because the Econ professor was very "cookbook" oriented and didn't actually have a very good fundamental understanding of probability and statistics. </p>

<p>I'm still rather dubious about all of the statistics courses offered through non-math departments, but most universities seem to have them. YMMV.</p>