I am a rising senior, and I am debating of I should take AP Physics C: Mechanics my senior year. I took AP Physics 1 this year, and I have been quite successful maintaining an A in the class. I would like to take AP Physics C next year, because physics is really mind blowing sometimes and I think it would look good to colleges. I’ll also be taking AP Calc AB next year as well as AP Macro and AP Lit. I want to take four AP’s my senior year, so if I don’t take AP Physics C, I will take AP Environmental Science. Mostly everyone I’ve talked to has told me not to take Physics C due to the teacher; he’s very smart (he worked for NASA) but just can not teach well. I had him this year, so I’m used to his teaching. However, as AP Physics C is harder, I do not know if my success in AP Physics 1 will translate to success in C and if his inadequate teaching of the harder material will cause me to struggle significantly more. So, is it worth it to take AP Physics? Will this distinguish me from other applicants of Duke or Vanderbilt? Or should I just have a relaxed senior year and take AP Environmental?
For reference, this year I took AP Physics 1, AP Bio, and APUSH and have managed to keep all A’s.
First off, don’t choose a schedule based upon what will “look good” to colleges. Take what aligns to your interests/future career plans, etc.
Secondly, having said that, colleges know that the rigor of APES is not even close to comparable to AP Physics. So they will expect you to take the most rigorous courseload that you can handle.
I agree 100% with @skieurope. Additionally, you should take Physics C because Vandy and Duke may not even give you credit for taking Physics 1, which is not calc based - you should check their websites’ AP credit pages.
What do you intend to study in college? Unless you are intending to study engineering or a hard science you will likely not need Calculus based Physics. You can typically take AP Physics C and AP Calc A/B concurrently but the Physics will be more challenging than if you had already finished Calculus.
From experience, I’d agree with you for E&M, but the OP is just talking mechanics. Although how quickly a student catches on varies, IMO, the calculus used in the AP version of mechanics (unlike some mech classes in some colleges) is fairly low level. YMMV.