Should I take honors physics on top of all these classes?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Just wondering if this schedule is manageable for next year.

APUSH
AP Language and Composition
AP Microeconomics
AP Psychology
AP Computer Science Principles
Honors Physics
Precalculus

I’m not really sure about taking honors physics. I’m decent at math, but it isn’t really my strong suit. I’m more humanities oriented. With the recent cancellation of the SAT subject tests, I’ve been leaning towards taking honors physics. What is the class like? Is the content difficult? Do you think this is manageable on top of the 5 APs I want to take?

2

That really depends a lot on your school and you as a student. I’d drop the AP Psych and pick up the AP physics ( unless your future is based on psych). I might also drop the AP micro ( unless that’s the only way to take it).
Some schools would not allow that many AP’s since they would have 1 hour homework in each. But some schools are easier and one can take a full load of 7 AP’s. Is anyone else doing it this year? Maybe talk to them. If they take all these APs and end up with a bunch of 1-3’s IMO, it’s not worth it.

3

Your counselor, teachers, and parents have much more visibility into your skills, work habits, and ability to succeed under a rigorous schedule than anyone here.

Example - my younger D has a similar schedule, but with Calc BC and AP Chem, and had a 99.6 average across all courses this semester. But my older D started with three APs plus H Physics Junior year and dropped APUSH down to Honors due to the workload. As a parent who had observed them, I was confident my younger would be successful and concerned my older might be challenged with that schedule.

Did I miss AP Physics somewhere in the original post? I assumed “ I’ve been leaning towards taking honors physics” meant you were debating taking or not taking H Physics, not deciding between Honors and AP. Can you clarify?

4

Assuming the following core courses:

  • English (AP English language looks like you chose it as an honors option)
  • US history (AP looks like you chose it as an honors option)
  • Math - precalculus (looks like you are not choosing an honors option)
  • Science - physics (appears that you are questioning whether to choose honors)

and academic electives:

  • AP microeconomics
  • AP psychology
  • AP CS principles

Either regular or honors physics should give you the high school level view of physics that can help if you take physics in college. Many colleges do like to see all three of biology, chemistry, and physics in high school, but they do not expect all of them to have to be honors or AP level.

Note that the three AP electives are not considered to be among the more difficult ones.

What level have you completed in foreign language? Colleges’ preferences vary on how high a level they want to see. Colleges may also have foreign language graduation requirements.

Have you taken any visual or performing arts courses? Some colleges want to see some art.

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