Senior Year Course Load - APES vs AP Physics and getting into upper-tier schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey everyone,

So I am enrolled in APES and school starts today. My friends have informed me that they were told to stick with AP Physics over APES because it looks better to upper tier schools.

My main school is USC and I will applying to many schools of a similar caliber. I could not find a recommended HS course work for SC. For the UCs, it appears 2 years of a “lab science” is required which I have, but a 3rd year is suggested. I imagine a lot of other schools will feel similarly.

I plan on majoring in Business or Economics, and have been taking honors level sciences until this year. I took Calc AB last year so I think I am capable in regard to math.

Junior Year Course Load:
AP US History
AP English Language
AP Art History
AP Calculus AB
Hon. Chemistry
Hon. Engineering (one semester)
Hon. Economics (one semester)

Senior Year Course Load:
AP Calculus BC
AP Psych
AP Computer Science
AP Gov & Politics
APES (should I switch to Physics?
Hon. Journalism/Multicultural Lit

2

I saw something about a year ago that I’ve been unable to find again that listed AP Physics as one of the top group of APs that the UCs like to see. It was not an official thing from the UCs, just what someone with some admissions knowledge felt was the way they see things. There were 3 groupings of APs and APES was in the 2nd or 3rd. Since you don’t plan on going into engineering though, your schedule is probably fine.

3

Have you had all three of biology, chemistry, and physics (not necessarily at AP level)?

Admissions readers at some of the more selective colleges prefer to see all three in your high school record.

4

^ seconding the above. You’d need bio, chemistry, physics (1 year each at regular or honors level) + 1 AP if push wish. If you had all three already, apes is fine.

5

@ucbalumnus @MYOS1634 I had an introductory physics course one semester freshman year :S

6

Can you add a second half tonyour schedule, on top of apes ?