Senior Year - AP Chemistry vs. Organic Chemistry

Hello, I am thinking of Majoring in Biology (maybe pre-med) and have already taken Honors Physics, Honors Chemistry, and AP Biology. Next year I can either take AP Chemistry or Honors Organic Chemistry and I am struggling to choose. I already have 4 Other APs next year, and have already taken four in my high school career. I don’t want my senior year to be too crazy with work, but I am interested in chemistry. Which one is a better choice?

AP CHEM.
If you do well on the AP test then you can earn college credit [ which you wont get from Honors classes] which will mean fewer required Chem classes in college.

That said- what are your other 4 AP’s next year?

AP Calculus
AP Statistics
AP Art History
AP English Literature and Composition @menloparkmom

if you earn college credit because of a high AP score and you can skip an introductory course Freshmen year, do you have one less class that year or do you take a higher level course with upperclassmen?

It depends on the school.

Also important to note, if you do decide to go the pre-med route. Most med schools will not accept AP science credits as meeting med school prerequisites. So in the case of chemistry, pre-meds who take AP chem in HS either retake general chem in college, or take more advanced classes after organic.

get rid of AP Statistics. It is not necessary to do that in addition to Calculus.
Take AP Chem instead.
that way you have core AP classes in Math, Science, Lit and Art.
have you finished your FL classes?

@menloparkmom
What are fl classes

fl=foreign language

Oh. No I am taking Italian IV Honors- AP Italian is not available at my school.

I think that those 4 AP’s , Plus honors Italian, is a very good schedule of classes for your SR year.
IF YOU CAN, give yourself a free period too. You’ll need it to stay on top of homework.
No need to take any other academic classes, imho.

I don’t think AP Chemistry would be a good substitute for AP Statistics because in my school STAT is known to be very easy. I wouldn’t know what class to replace it with so I think I would have to take 5 APs. Also, there is no option for free period in my school.

5 AP’s may be a challenge. Remember, you have a hidden course in the Fall: College Applications and Essays. Rising Seniors always underestimate how time-consuming this will be. Personally I would drop AP stat and take calculus-based stat in college if you are so inclined.

@skieurope would it be really bad to drop AP English Literature? I am definitely not majoring in anything English-related, and I took AP English Langauge this year and got an A+ all three trimesters, and will likely get a 4 or 5 on the exam. The AP English teacher for next year is known to give outrageous amounts of homework that will consume lots of time, especially during the fall with college search and soccer season. Thanks. @menloparkmom

@vmiller7723 That’s a valid option, particularly since you will already have had AP English Language. Many top colleges will give AP credit for Lang or Lit, but not both, so that makes a lot of sense.

sure, drop AP Lit. One AP English class is plenty. And DO listen to skieuropes wise advise.
You WILL have the time consuming job of applying to colleges next fall. Start that process early by asking your teachers for recommendation letters before school is out this summer. [That’s one reason why I hoped you could have a free period next year].

“I don’t think AP Chemistry would be a good substitute for AP Statistics because in my school STAT is known to be very easy.”

One thought about AP STAT- COLLEGES know that it is an easy class as well. So if you’re dropping AP English, which is a good idea, then take AP Chem instead of Stats, if you want to impress admins with the rigor of your course work. That way your college counselor can check YES to the “most rigorous” question regarding the classes you took on the recommendation form he has to submit.

Ok, it looks like I will drop AP English and take Honors English and take AP Chemistry instead of AP Statistics. Because I am leaning towards the sciences as a major, should I fill up that empty spot I still have with another science, even if it’s CP or Honors?

My schedule right now looks like:
AP Calculus
AP Chemistry
Honors Theology ( MUST take it at my school)
AP Art History
Honors English
Honors Italian

I still have one spot left… I think I should fill it up with AP Statistics right? It puts another AP on my class schedule without it being too rigourous of a class… Possible options for that last spot: AP MIcroeconomics, AP European History, AP Government, Organic Chemistry Honors (double up). AP Java, or IOS Honors.
P.S.- I really don’t like history so economics and history wouldn’t be the best substitute.

@menloparkmom @skieurope ^^ (sorry forgot to tag you!)

Choose whichever one you like. If social sciences is not your thing, cross off AP Europe, AP Micro, and AP Govt.

what is IOS Honors?

have you taken any computer science classes already? Do you do any coding on your own?
If so to either case, AP Java might be a good class for you. I tried to get DS to take CS classes in HS and now he is having to learn to code in his PhD program. Learning it earlier , rather than later when he is doing research would have been a good idea.
Coding will be a good skill to have, in any event.