Should I take APUSH (Junior Year)?

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<p>I'm in the process of deciding whether or not to drop APUSH, which I initially signed up to take, next year. Could you please help me to reach a wise decision?</p>

<p>Some background info:
->I currently attend an elite west coast boarding school, known for a rigorous workload, which is why I'm afraid of taking on APUSH.</p>

<p>->Courses I'll be taking next year:
1. Advanced French I (4th year French at my school, level 490 - the AP courses at my school are at the 500s level, so it's basically half a level below AP French)
2. AP Calculus BC
3. AP Chemistry
4. IVth Form/Junior English (mandatory)
5. Either Regular USH or APUSH
Question: Will this schedule remain rigorous enough for USNews top 20 Universities even if I opt to drop APUSH? I mean I'm at a school where people who take PreCalc in their senior year get into Duke.</p>

<p>->I have only taken one history class in my entire life: Regular European History, for which I received an A. The reason why I signed up for APUSH was that my European History teacher exhorted (forced?) me to do so as she thought that I "could definitely handle the work" and that I would not be challenged enough in a regular US history class. However, I always felt I received higher grades in my essays and tests than my peers last year only because I worked three times as hard, so it certainly didn't come easy for me even in a regular class.</p>

<p>->I am an international student, with no prior knowledge of US History. To be honest, I didn't know who the heck Benjamin Franklin was before reading a book about him required for summer reading this summer. I'm pretty much clueless about anything related to the US. </p>

<p>Question: How much more intellectually demanding and time consuming is APUSH than Regular USH? My history teacher last year "assured" me that "there is minimal difference and you only have to read and write a bit more" but I doubt the disparity in the levels of difficulty is trivial. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>->I'm confident of my essay writing ability, but I also spend a lot of time (probably more than I should in most cases) on the essays. I fear that this perfectionist habit of mine would begin to have an adverse impact on my grades in the other classes were I elect to keep APUSH in my schedule.</p>

<p>Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>

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<p>It really depends on your high school. Since you say that it is an “elite boarding school”, the difference may not be as big as at a school with a lot of low achievers who need a US history course that they can pass to meet a high school graduation requirement.</p>

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<p>Most American high school students do not know that much about US history prior to taking the high school course. (Some may still know know that much after taking the course.)</p>

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<p>I would do it. The test, as long as you study (buy a review book like Barron’s or Princeton Review), is not that bad. </p>

<p>As long as you pay attention in class, you should know the material and do fine on the test. </p>

<p>For a little more work, you get the added benefit of another AP test under your belt, which always looks better. Go for it.</p>