Hello!
So this is my first time on cc so pls forgive me if my etiquette is a bit sub-par…
I’m currently a junior in the midst of selecting classes for next year and was just wondering if anyone had any insight to offer, specifically whether this course load would…
A. Be on par for a potential HYPSM-level applicant and
B. Give enough breathing room for writing college apps during senior year
Also for context I am planning on declaring biology as my major
As of now I am planning on taking…
AP Literature
AP Econ/Gov (one class)
AP Psychology
AP Calculus either AB or BC help? 
Physics
AP Studio Art
I realize that there is a lack of AP sciences on there, especially for someone planning on going into biology but for context I’ve taken both AP Bio and AP Chem during my junior year.
Another question is whether I should be taking AP Physics if I want to major in a science, but the class really is a bit of a nightmare at my school. I guess I could take anatomy but I just though AP art would be fun (and the anatomy teacher is a complete fraud)
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!
Your schedule looks pretty good. I suggest you go with AP Calculus BC, because
Calculus AB and Calculus BC are both designed to be college-level calculus courses. As such, the main prerequisite for both AB and BC Calculus is pre-Calculus.
When it comes to the AP Calculus classes, you have three options: you can take AB and BC Calculus as a sequence, take AB Calculus only, or skip AB Calculus and go straight to BC Calculus.
The reason you can take one or the other is because AB and BC aren’t totally different classes. BC Calculus includes everything in AB Calculus, plus a few extra topics. You’ll actually get an AB Calculus sub-score when you take the BC exam.
So Calculus BC is not necessarily more difficult than Calculus AB. BC Calculus has to move faster because it covers more material, which is what makes it more intense than AB.
I guess its your choice there, but I strongly recommend you take BC, just because you want to show yourself as a rigorous applicant to colleges, and it would look better for you to take BC calculus, especially compared with lots of competitive applicants who already have BC calc in the bag before starting senior year.
For AP Physics, I think you should go with it, because if you’re declaring biology as your major on your college apps, then you want to show your colleges that you have a strong and committed interest in science, and Physics C (i assume that’s the class you’re talking about…?) is the best physics you can take in high school.
Finally, keep in mind, the last decision is yours, so you should evaluate your options and consider your best interests. If you think BC calc and Phys C would add too much rigor and t
No foreign language?
IMHO on level physics is entirely fine.
Tysm for the reply!
I finished my foreign language sophomore year so that’s pretty much out of the way.
@hassan0315, first thanks for taking the time to respond!
I’m open to taking BC but I think AP physics C would get a bit insane what with everything else, especially since the teacher at my school has been known to make things far more difficult than they need to be. Additionally this would would be a significant time suck during college apps season (also a potential dent to my 1st semester senior year GPA). Is it really necessary to take physics to show interest in Biology?
I should also add here that my “biology” major is going to be mostly ecology/evolutionary biology oriented and I will be framing it as such on my app & essays so I’m wondering how important or pertinent AP physics would be.
You need to take all 3 core sciences in high school but they don’t all have to be AP.
AP Studio Art can be a lot of work so make sure you understand the commitment required to put together a portfolio for that
You’re right to take on level or honors physics. You need one of these (AP physics1 is not required but some form of physics is. Honors physics will broach the physics topics you’ll need to take in college.)
Btw physics C is for future physics and Engineering majors and does not match the type of class you’d take as a biology, chemistry, pre-med, neuroscience… major.
Either Calculus is fine.
AP studio art is a great class but be aware it’s going to be a big time commitment and it depends on pre-reqs at your school (and if you’ve had experience with photography or other forms of creative arts before.)
Foreign language: have you reached level 4 or AP (or taken it through dual enrollment through college level 3 or 4?)
The 2 statements don’t align unless you mean you completed level 4 as a sophomore. Taking MIT out of the equation, you may have satisfied your foreign language requirement for HS graduation, but won’t fulfill the recommendations for HYPS, all of which also have a foreign language requirement for college graduation. The more FL you have in HS, the fewer (potentially) FL class you will have to take in college.
Agreed.
As with most AP classes, the workload with depend on the teacher. IME, it’s not more time consuming than any other time consuming AP class, but it’s certainly not going to be a low workload class.
Thanks again to everyone who’s replied!
Ok I guess I should address the issue of foreign language, my school transfers one year of foreign language over from our junior high school so I stopped at the 3rd level of my language out of the potential 4 my school offers. Now I understand that some competitive colleges (ex: HYPS) have a preference/recommendation of 4 years but it just wouldn’t have worked with my junior year schedule and tbh I kind of hated it. Secondarily, I thought (correct me if I’m mistaken) that it would be better to take on a course load that genuinely interested me and forgo the final year of language than take the language and lose out on something else (in my case a second AP science that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to take).
Though I will admit that now, after reading through this thread, I’m a bit concerned about my lack of a 4th year of language…