Senior Year Course Rigor?

Applying to College
1

I am currently a junior, and these are my 9th to 11th grade classes. I was wondering if I should rethink my senior year classes.

(Physics-9/10 and Chemistry-9/10 are semester courses.
There are no Honors other than APs at my school.
APs and electives are not available to freshmen and sophomores.)

GRADE 9
English-9
Mathematics-9
Social Studies-9
Biology-9
Chemistry-9
Physics-9
Japanese-VI

GRADE 10
English-10
Mathematics-10
Social Studies-10
Chemistry-10
Physics-10
Japanese-VII

GRADE 11
AP English Language and Composition
AP Calculus AB
AP Physics 1
AP Microeconomics
Introduction to Computer Science
Japanese-VIII

GRADE 12 (Tentative)
English-12 (I have the option of taking AP Lit, but I’m not that into analyzing poetry and literature. I tried reading Emily Dickinson’s Because I could not stop for death, but I could not understand a word.)
AP Calculus BC
AP Physics 2
Art
(I’m dropping language == free periods)
and

Chemistry (Pre-AP)
OR
Food Tech

The reason why I’m trying to take easier classes is that I want to self-study programming (I already am, but I want to be able to devote a significant amount of time into it next year. I really like programming, and I plan to major in CS. ) My school only offers Intro to CS and I’m already taking it.
I was sure I was going to take Chemistry until I heard from many of the current students in that class that the teacher sucks.

What should I do? Would colleges look negatively on a easy senior year course load? I am kind of leaning toward Chem, because even though I have a ‘good’ reason for taking easy courses, I don’t think I can fully express my intent to the colleges that I apply to (some of my reaches will be USC and CMU, fyi: ACT: 33 GPA: ~3.8 something)

So Chem or Food Tech?

2

For colleges, they won’t put a lot of emphasis on self studying programming. How would they verify it?
Why not take AP Chemistry? Would you not have to take it in college for a CS degree?
Can you do dual enrollment at your local community college for computer programming?

I would definitely keep a science…so I would keep Chemistry and Art and try to do CS at the local CC.
Also talk to your GC if there another way to access AP Comp Sci or any other CS courses. Most HS have a way.

3

I’m actually taking the AP CS exam this may.
There aren’t any local CCs available around where i live
…it seems like i’ll have to keep chemistry then