<p>My high school weights AP courses and classes taking at a 4 year university the same towards GPA.</p>
<p>I took regular Pre-calculus junior year at my high school. I can take just AP Calculus AB for senior year at my high school.</p>
<p>Or I can take 2 math classes at a local 4 year university. I can maybe take more than 2 classes since they only meet 2 times a week, but it probably depend on the prerequisites needed.</p>
<p>Also to note, I don't plan on majoring in math.</p>
<p>Here are the upper tier(I guess?) math classes offered at the university.</p>
<p>Differential Equations
Statistical Methods
Multivariate Calculus
Communicat With Stat
Calc Mnge Soc Bio I
Statistical Methods
Elem Stat Meth
Elem Stat Methods II
Calculus For Tech I
Calculus For Tech II
Multivar & Vector Calc
Cryptography</p>
<p>Also forgot to mention that I will also be taking General Physics at the university as well. My high school doesn't offer AP Physics anyways.</p>
<p>You are assuming that a college course meeting just 2 times a week is like a high school course. It typically is not. A typical college course can have 2 times or more the hours of homework for each hour of class that it meets. So a college math class that meets 2 days, probably 3-4 hours total might have 8-10 hours of homework in a week. This is why an AP class tries to “mimic” that of a college course – so an AP class that meets 5 days a week will usually have 8-10 hours of homework in a week.</p>
<p>Without knowing other factors (financial, etc), I tend to think you should go with AP at your own school. You will have the support of your own teachers, you also won’t have to add the extra driving/parking time – and if you should find yourself struggling with one of the college math classes, you would then have to navigate finding appropriate help resources at this college too. I realize you are taking general physics at the university anyway, so maybe this is a moot point. BUt typically, you want to use a nearby college if your own school is not offering a challenging enough course. Your school is not offering AP physics so that one makes sense, but they do offer AP Calc.</p>
<p>Yes I know the course load will a lot but I can definitely handle it. </p>
<p>Actually the cost of me taking a college class while still in High school will cost only 1/3 of what it will cost for a regular student attending the university. But I’m not doing it because I’ll save money, I’m doing it to help get into top colleges.</p>
<p>I can take just regular Physics at my high school and AP Calculus also. But would taking General Physics and 2 math classes at a 4 year university look better? My school doesn’t offer statistics of any kind, and I was planning on taking a statistics course along with a calculus course. Also if it matters, my high school does not have AP calculus BC.</p>
<p>AP calculus AB approximates a typical calculus 1 course for math, physics, and engineering majors, but at a slower pace than the college calculus 1 course. Which courses at the college are calculus 1 and 2 for math, physics, and engineering majors (these are the prerequisites for multivariable calculus and differential equations), and are they available to you?</p>
<p>Generally, college courses will require greater self-motivation and time management skills than more closely monitored high school courses. Taking a few while in high school may give you a taste of what college courses are like before you jump completely into college.</p>
<p>For the physics, is it with calculus for physics and engineering majors, or without calculus (or with light calculus) for biology majors and pre-meds?</p>
<p>Here is what the university says about what high school students can take at the university.</p>
<p>“You can take any college course that a first-year college student would take as long as you have met the prerequisite requirements. Some courses do not have any prerequisites and others may require a placement test or a prerequisite course.”</p>
<p>I’m actually better at taking college courses than high school courses. I am more a self study student.</p>
<p>I have no idea about the physics. Here are some of the physics courses I found for undergraduates. </p>
<p>Gen Physics
Course Description:
P: PHYS 22000 with a grade of C or better.
Electricity, light and modern physics, for students
not specializing in physics.</p>
<p>Concepts In Phys I
Course Description
A nonmathematical course that introduces students to
physics through interactive investigations and
discussions. Everyday life is compared to the scientific
concepts of forces, motion, momentum and energy.</p>
<p>General Physics
Course Description
P: MA 15300.
Mechanics, heat, and
sound, primarily for technology students.</p>
<p>General Physics II
Course Description
P: PHYS 21800 with a grade of C or better.
Electricity, light, and modern physics, primarily
for technology students.</p>
<p>Looks like none of those physics courses is for physics or engineering students. However, if you have not had calculus yet, you would not have the prerequisites for the calculus-based physics for physics or engineering students.</p>
<p>If you take calculus at the college, make sure that it is the version suitable for math, physics, and engineering students, not the less rigorous version for business, biology, or technology students, if you want to keep your options of major open without have to retake the course because you took the wrong version (the majors taking the less rigorous version will accept the more rigorous version).</p>
<p>Ok so which route should I go then? Which one will look better for college admissions?</p>
<p>I also forgot to mention a couple things. I can take AP calculus in high school and also be able to go to the university to take other classes such as Physics. However, that means I will not be able to take AP computer programming. </p>
<p>Also, my high school has dual credit calculus meaning you take calculus in the high school and earn college credit also.</p>
<p>I think you really need to go sit down with your guidance counselor who is going to be far more knowledgable abour your high school and local college. This is too complicated for most of us to be able to give you accurate advice.</p>
<p>If you like the way college courses are run, you can take calculus 1 and 2 for math, physics, and engineering majors at the college (note that this is faster paced than high school calculus AB). You may also want to take the AP calculus BC test if the colleges you want to attend after high school graduation do not accept transfer credit or placement for college courses taken while in high school.</p>
<p>Talk to your GC…but if you are on a track where you are taking Calc AB senior year, i would take Calc AB. Calc AB is Calculus 1 spread over a year instead of a semester. You are not super advanced in math. </p>
<p>Where i went to college, Multivariable was Calc 3 and Diff Eq was Calc 4. You need to take Calc 1.</p>
<p>Logistically, do you take these classes at the college? Do you have to get over there twice a week? How does that fit in with the other periods of your day?</p>
<p>In my middle school, Algebra 1 is only offered to 8th graders. There was nothing I could do about no matter how advanced I was.</p>
<p>I plan on taking Calc 1 first semester and then Calc 2 second semester, along with that I will take Statistics and Physics. </p>
<p>Wouldn’t it look better to take 4 College classes than to just take one AP class at my high school? Also since the AP exam is in May, even if I were to get a 5, colleges still won’t see it.</p>
<p>Yes I take these classes at the college. I go to my high school for 3.5 hours taking 4 classes. Then after 4th period, I drive to the university. I plan on going there 4 times a week since I will be taking 2 classes a semester, each meeting twice or 3 times a week. </p>
<p>My senior schedule looks like these. AP Literature, AP Computer Programming, AP Econ/Government, Spanish 3. Then I go to the university. I could take out AP Computer Programming and take AP Calculus AB and also be able to go to the university, but they are both AP classes anyways?
I could also take out Spanish 3 since the colleges I want to go to don’t require 3 years, but they do recommend it so I don’t know what to pick.</p>
<p>I think you are underestimating the amount of workload you will have if you try and take four high school courses (including three APs) followed by two college courses. Keep in mind that in high school, AP Calc AB is spread out over a year - your college equivalent course is the same info crammed into a single semester. This would be the same fall semester that you have to finish all of your college applications.</p>
<p>I think since the course is offered at your school, you should stick with the option that looks great on your college applications and may be easier on you during the fall semester when you will have a lot to do with the the application process.</p>
<p>I don’t see a compelling reason to take the classes at the four year university. The college classes are offered more or less in your high school. One can argue that you can for in both Calc 1 and 2 in a senior year by taking the college classes but it didn’t sound like you particularly jazzed by math. So AP Calc AB is a suitable option. </p>
<p>Take the college classes because you want the challenge. Take college classes because they aren’t offered in your high school… Take classes to get a taste of a college class. But don’t take classes because it will look “good” to top colleges. They can see through that pretty quickly.</p>
<p>FWIW, I took the intro biology class at a local university my senior year, because there weren’t enough students to have an AP biology class. It was an eye opener; I’ll not sure a lecture course with 500 students was the best thing for a high school student. So you need to take into account class size, how easy it will be to go to office hours if you need help and with whom you can study (any friends doing this as well?)</p>
<p>Look, I’m a high school senior taking entirely dual credit courses at a university. A couple things: you DO NOT want to take three ap courses and two college classes. Ap courses are very homework intensive as I’m sure you know. The two college classes you’d take are also very homework centered. When j took calc 1, I spent two hours every day on homework, even on weekends. My older brother, who’s in college now, spends the same amount of time on his calc homework. Also, I take dual enrollment classes because I’m homeschooled and can’t take ap courses. But I would so much rather take ap, because almost every single college will take ap credit; however, many schools that I’ve looked at won’t accept dual enrollment credits. Or if they do, they have to evaluate the classes individually and let you know over the summer if they’ll accept them. Others will only take a certain number of hours, like 16, or will only count classes that weren’t taken in place of a high school course.</p>
<p>The other thing to consider is how dual credit might effect your future gpa and if those classes transfer to the schools that you are interested in. Some schools use your gpa from dual credit for your overall gpa and AP classes are pass/fail on your transcript. That can hurt or help depending on the grade. </p>
<p>I actually enjoy taking college classes more than high school classes. I took college classes last year and got A’s on every one. I took Chinese 2 (my high school only had Chinese 1), General Microbiology, and Nutrition Education. I was also taking 3 AP Classes. I can handle the course load. Yes, some of my friends are doing this as well. </p>
<p>All I really want to know is which one will look better to colleges. </p>
<p>Full Day School Schedule</p>
<p>AP Literature
AP Econ/Gov
AP Calculus AB
AP Computer Programming
Spanish 3 (Regular)
Physics (Regular)
Elective</p>
<p>Half Day College/High School</p>
<p>AP Literature
AP Econ/Gov
Spanish 3
AP Computer Programming<br>
<em>I could take Calculus AB instead of one of these courses listed above if it looks better</em></p>
<p>Then 2-4 college undergrad classes.</p>
<p>So the sum it all up.
4 AP Classes or 3 AP Classes and 2-4 college classes(Or 4 AP classes but no Spanish 3). Which one will look better? </p>
<p>Also to note I have taken all the AP classes my school has offered except for those 4 AP classes and AP Art(I’m not artistically gifted).</p>
Eliminate that possibility; top colleges will want to see 3-4 years of a single foreign language.
You’re better served assessing which schedule best meets your future needs, instead of trying to decipher the mysteries of college admissions officers.</p>
<p>I’m kind of wanting to get rid of AP Computer Programming since its more of an elective than academic class, or is it? Then I can take AP Calculus now. I could take computer science at the university. Would that be better? </p>