Hey all! I’m currently a high school junior and we are registering for next year’s courses. I am hoping to show colleges that I can challenge myself, but I’ve only taken AP Human Geography my sophomore year, and AP English Language and AP U.S. History this year as a junior. I am planning on applying to colleges early action/decision, so would it still be worth it if my senior year was the most rigorous?
I have signed up for:
AP Psychology, which I’ve heard is easy and has an easy AP exam, so I’m sure I’ll be fine
AP Spanish Language (I’ve never gotten lower than a 95 in Spanish, so I should be fine as well…)
AP Spanish Literature (Are the AP exams harder than the classes? For someone whose naturally good at languages?)
AP English Literature (not worried, and it’s required)
Honors Civics & Economics (required)
and the ones I am really anxious about are:
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Physics I (algebra based)
I don’t know if I should take calculus and physics. I really want to, but I don’t want it to ruin my gpa if I get a B or even a C, since APs are weighted. I passed precalculus with an 86 and chemistry with an 88, and I’ve had straight As before then. If I struggled in precalc, do you think I would have a tougher time in calculus? Our precalc teacher was pretty bad, but the calculus teacher at our school is the best math teacher in the department. As for physics, most of her students have told me that the physics teacher is completely terrible. I’ve read online that AP Physics I should be an easy course since its algebra-based and an intro course, but our teacher sucks. What do you think I should do guys?
I am trying to get into Cornell Architecture which is why I want to take calc and physics, but if I don’t get an A, wouldn’t my chances of admission go down?
I’m stressed out; please offer your two cents! It is much needed and appreciated.
Maybe you got a low grade in precalc because the teacher wasn’t all that great. If your calc teacher is much better as you say, then I would encourage you to take her class. Take AB if you want to play it safe, I would jump at the chance to take BC if I were in your position though.
I strongly encourage you to take Physics I-- it’s not even calculus-based (like Physics C) and how can you expect to be an architect if you don’t know physics?
Colleges aren’t looking for students with good grades-- they’re looking for students who know what they want to do in life, and are taking the academic steps necessary to realize it.
Then take AP Physics 1, knowing that you might need to find outside resources if the teacher is less-than-effective.
Don’t spend energy worrying about things that might happen.
The AP Spanish Lang should be a walk in the park. The AP Lit exam should be fairly easy as well - the challenge is the very extensive reading list, IMO.
^I was about to post that AP Spanish Lit as Block would be very very challenging, requiring one to be basically bilingual, reading easily and fluently in Spanish, due to the volume of reading there is to do even when the class is not compressed.
I have revised my form and crossed calc bc out of the picture, since i feel like calc ab is a safe route.
since i will still have my 6 other ap’s along with my honors civics class, do you think taking a free period to use as a study hall would be frowned upon by colleges since im choosing not to take another class instead? I feel like it would be very useful in the semester that i have physics and calc since they’re both very difficult.
