I’m going to be a senior next year and I need to sign up for my classes tomorrow. I have most of my schedule planned out, but I’m still debating between Stats and Psych.
The other classes I’m taking are: AP Literature, AP Calc BC, AP Macroeconomics, AP Chinese, AP Computer Science, and Robotics.
My best subject is math, so I want to double up on math, but I’ve heard that Statistics is different than regular math and might not be really useful for engineering, which is what I want to major in. I also know that you need to take psychology in college, so AP Psych might be useful. All in all I’ve heard that both classes are pretty easy, so I just want to take whichever one is the most useful.
Please let me know ASAP since I have to sign up tomorrow! Thank you!
(By the way, the AP Computer Science class I’m signing up for is Computer Science Principles)
Your schedule looks strong. Will you have a study hall next year? With that many AP’s be sure you have the time to dedicate to your studies. I suggest you look into what colleges you are thinking about and see if you can get credit for AP Psych or be certain you would need to take it. You can google the school and AP credit or the school and general education requirements. Also do you know anything about the teachers? Both courses can be time consuming. A good teacher can make a difference. Good luck!
AP classes are still at a college level, so both of those courses are going to require more studying than regular/honors. I took AP Psychology my junior year, and it was easy. It took some memorization and a bit of reading, but that’s it. Contrary to what many people say, Statistics is still required in college for a variety of majors. Statistics is just as important as Calculus for certain majors. Some majors even require you to take both, from what I heard. Does your school offer you summer classes for acceleration? If you really want to take both, you can consider taking one at your local CC for credit. My local CC offers free tuition for high school students. What colleges are you looking to apply for? The decision is entirely up to you - as cheesy as it sounds, follow your heart. Can you take the extra time to self study for all those classes? If the rigor is a conflict, I would suggest AP Psych. ^ I agree with jcmom716, the teacher makes all the difference. Ask your senior friends about both teachers. Don’t overthink it. Good luck!
If you’re a strong math student, taking statistics in college (which is indeed recommended) should be a welcome breeze compared to your other classes. So I’d advocate either a study hall (your schedule is already extremely rigorous and senior year has a hidden, written intensive ‘class’ called … College applications…) or AP psychology.
I would recommend AP Stats. Best to load up on the STEM.
^But AP Stats isn’t a “Stem” class, it’s a class for strong students who can’t/won’t take Calculus. For these students, it’s better than Business math or no math at all. But it’s not the equivalent of a college statistics class, which is why it should be taken in college nevertheless.