I’m going into my senior year of high school next year, and I am finalizing my courses. Currently, I will be taking 4 AP classes (Multivar, Chem, Gov, and Lit), Spanish, and an EMT class that takes 2 periods. The EMT class certifies me to be a paramedic, which I would like to do for a part-time job in college, but the class doesn’t seem to be that academically rigorous. Should I take EMT or 2 more AP classes (probably AP bio and AP computer science)? Since I’ve gotten all A’s so far, I’m not too stressed about the extra workload if I do 5 or 6 APs, but I might have to limit how many hours I’m working a week. Which course would look better for colleges?
I suggest go with EMT
I’m assuming you took some AP classes this past year. Colleges are not concerned with students taking all AP classes and after x amount it doesn’t matter that much so I think your fine. Sometimes it is the non AP choices that can set a student apart. You can always write on your common app that you wanted to do the EMT class in order to do part time work in a field of interest until she obtain your college degree.
I’d check with your HS guidance counselor before deciding. The top schools will want to see the guidance counselor check the box on the recommendation saying you have taken the most rigorous schedule available at your HS. (Note that does not always mean taking the most APs). If you are looking towards applying to competitive colleges, it is worth asking your guidance counselor if he/she would check the most rigorous box if you take the EMT course rather than additional APs. If the answer is yes, then take the EMT course, if he/she says no then you might reconsider.
The EMT class won’t make you a paramedic. That’s a different certification that takes much more training. The class will probably make you an EMT-B, where B is for Basic. Some jurisdictions call it EMT-1, which sometimes looks confusing because there is also EMT-I for Intermediate.
That said, I’m in favor of EMT vs. more APs subject to the guidance counselor thing above. As for rigor, it’s a different kind of rigor. The book-learning part may or may not be challenging to you, depending on what you’ve already learned. There’s a lot of volume (the book is 1500 pages). There’s medical stuff that you will have to memorize. The hands-on, lab part will probably challenge you, though not in an academic way.
It’s more of a can you perform under pressure, can you be a team member and take orders, can you lead a team and call the shots, and kind of thing. There will be tests where you have to perform certain techniques to a stopwatch. You’ll be allowed several attempts, but if you can’t master it, you wash out because in the real world, you don’t have 10 minutes and unlimited attempts to insert an airway. There will be simulations where you pass or fail as a team.
The grading might be A, B or fail, and again, that’s because people’s lives are on the line. Nobody wants an ambulance crew where one of them squeaked by with a D+ (not saying this is you). There may be strict rules about how many classes you can miss because the certification requires a certain number of hours. You will have to get a physical, a drug test, a background check and lots of immunizations.
Source: My son has already gotten his EMR certification, and will be doing EMT-B this summer.
Another vote for EMT. You’ve already taken some AP classes, will be taking one post-AP and three AP’s plus a foreign language ie., I can’t imagine you wouldn’t get the “most rigorous” box checked, and EMT sounds like something you’re genuinely interested in and that would set you apart in a way more Ap’s wouldn’t.
I don’t think we know enough about OP, with only one post. But for a top college, EMT is not generally a tip. It’s pure elective. That doesn’t mean more AP would be better, but maybe there are other academic interests?
I also agree that EMT is fine…you are taking 4 rigorous AP classes…that is quite enough.