Junior year is next year and I don’t know if I should take APUSH or not. I already have a pretty rigorous schedule:
AP Physics C
Ap Eng lang
Multivariable calc
AP Comp Sci A
Would adding APUSH be too much? I have pretty good time management skills, I’m interested in US history, but I’m not the best at it nor am I really so invested in details of history. This is the only AP history class I’m willing to take, I just don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with the work; memorizing nitty-gritty details and writing long essays has never been my strong suit.
Most people I’ve asked recommend taking at least one AP history, but is it worth trying?
What do you intend to major in?
What sort of college do you want to go to?
If you tell me Engineering and apply to state schools, then Honors History would be fine.
If you tell me History, then APUSH
If you tell me Engineering but you want to apply to Stanford, then APUSH as that is what your peers will be doing
But in any case, only take it if you think you will do well. Talk to your history teacher and guidance Counselors. And make sure you apply to match schools as well as reach schoold.
Why is it the only AP history class you’re willing to take?
Will you take AP Gov or AP Econ or AP Psych senior year?
Based on your schedule, I wouldn’t take APUSH. The 4 classes you’re taking are going to take a lot of time (and Stanford has made clear that “it’s not a game of who has the most Ap’s, wins”.)
My suggestion would be to take an AP social science senior year and take Honors US History junior year.
Have you completed Levels 3 or 4 of a foreign language?
This depends completely on the student - talent level, time management skills, dedication, etc. Your current teachers, counselor, and parents would be better sources to advise you than anyone here.
Example:
My younger daughter, currently - APUSH, Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Lang, DE Sociology, DE Communications, H French 4, top level band. Halfway through grading period 3 she has a 100 in every courses, and nothing below a 98 in the first two grading periods. She’s handling the workload with no issues.
Older daughter - Had Calc AB, H Physics, AP Lang, same DE Comm and H French 4 and dropped APUSH after two weeks due to the workload. She’s about to graduate from a T10 engineering school, so it wasn’t due to lack of talent. It was just a matter of work habits at that point.
FWIW, my daughter has opted to not take APUSH and her school doesn’t offer an honors level so she’ll be in regular history. She does already have AP World History and AP Gov but had to work super hard in those classes to just get a B. She dislikes history and wants to be a scientist so will take IB Biology + AP English and AP Calc AB in junior year. She also has a time consuming EC so we insisted that she stick to 3 APs (+French 5 and Band).
I’d say you have a very rigorous schedule without it and should take another AP social science senior year. If you want Stanford, yes, you need APUSH but also consider that odds are even with APUSH you probably aren’t getting into Stanford (sure, give it a shot but they reject loads of people with all As in all APs). So, focus on building a schedule that you can do well in, still have time for sleep and non-academic activities, and focuses on your interests.
You could also talk with your school counselor about what it takes at your school to get a “most rigorous” rating. Top schools will want to see that designation. I know at my kids’ school that = 5-6 APs in both junior and senior year, 1-2 APs over 9th-10th. But at a school that offers fewer APs or imposes a limit you wouldn’t need as many.
You are right - this is a very tough schedule, but there are others who are taking similar schedules, with similar rigor, yet are taking five or even six AP classes in senior year.
I would consider the quality of the teacher. If the APUSH teacher you get is fantastic, it might be a very enriching educational experience, certainly of value in today’s political climate. If the only possible teachers for APUSH in your school are horrible, then I would go with regular US history. I don’t think that, as a STEM applicant, top STEM schools are going to look at your class schedule and say, “Well, that’s all very nice, but why didn’t he/she take APUSH also?”
You could always register for APUSH, and then drop down early in the semester to regular level, if you don’t like the teacher or the class, or if it’s immediately evident that the load is too much. You don’t have to take the AP exam, whether or not you stay in APUSH.
You will not be compared to other students all over the country but to students at your school,
so how many kids would be taking the 4 AP/postAPs you’re mentioning AND APUSH?
Typically if you can handle 4 APs (or post APs) with As it means you can do the work at the most selective colleges.
You can take one more AP if you’re really into the subject but it will not make a meaningful difference in terms of admissions.
As a junior, your time is better spent developing your ECs and doing very well in your scheduled classes.
That being said, taking one AP social science senior year (such as Gov or Econ) along with 3 APs would work, too, I’d you’re worried about social science APs.
At highly selective colleges, they sort of do.
For first cut, they look for students who have shown they can do the work.
Then, they select the students who meet their institutional needs best.
They don’t have a fixed quota per school but they’ll never admit more than a certain number from one school and will try to balance out the different regions of the State and/or of the country.
Students are compared to all applicants from that one school since secondary schools offer such different curricula, but the criterion isn’t “who took the most AP’s”. The course selection and progression needs to “make sense” in relationship to purported interests but there’s no expectation a student will take every AP the school offers, unless the school only offers 4-6 with no access to dual enrollment classes.
