Hi! I’m currently a freshman in high school, and we’re applying for courses for our sophomore year. I would like a bit of advice when choosing which courses to take. I am in a “Center for the Medical Sciences”, which makes my schedule a bit weird. This is my current course load as a freshman:
- English 9 Honors
- Precalculus Honors
- Medical Biology Honors
- Scientific Research Honors (3+4 are a double-block science class)
- World History & Geography II Honors
- French III
- Study Hall
- Health and P.E. 9 was taken online
Next year, I plan to take both Health and P.E. 10 and Personal Economics and Finance (both required courses) online over the summer, to free my schedule up. I have only THREE required classes, and the other four are electives of my choosing. Out of the four, one elective has to be an AP Science elective, as a requirement for the center. Here is my tentative plan for sophomore year:
- English 10 Honors (required)
- AP Calculus AB (required)
- Medical Chemistry Honors (required)
- AP Biology (required AP Science)
- Honors Madrigals (Chorus)
- AP Statistics (taking this so I can take Multivariable Calculus senior year)
- AP Environmental Science / French IV Honors / AP Computer Science A / AP European History
Courses 1-6 are pretty much set in stone, but I have questions regarding the last elective. I made a pro and con list for each of the courses but still remain undecided. I excel at math and science, so APES and Computer Science would be good courses, but I’m worried about the workload for APES alongside AP Bio and English 10, and I’ve never coded in my life. Fellow students I have talked to have told me to take a language (French IV Honors) next year because it will “look good for colleges”, but I don’t see the practical use for taking a language beyond the required years, although it would be an easy A. While I am really interested in history, similar to APES, I am worried about the course load for AP Euro.
As you can see, I’m really confused and would like some advice. Could people who have taken the aforementioned courses tell me the course load for them? I know it really depends on the teacher, but I’d like as much input as possible. Also, could someone explain to me the reasoning behind taking a language? If taking the course would improve my chances in college, I might reconsider my options. Currently, my top choice is APES, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!
First I recommend looking at your high school graduation requirements which you are probably doing. Secondly look at what is typically needed for college admissions which may be higher than graduation requirements. For top colleges that is usually 4 years of history, English, science, and math plus 4 years or level 4 of a foreign language. As you move down in from highly selective schools they still typically want 4 years of English and math plus 3 years of lab science, history, and probably foreign language (or level 3). Since the vast majority of applicants will have these if your missing any it could be an esay way for admissions to remove you as a candidate regardless of SAT/ACT scores and gpa etc.
Better knowledge of French can be helpful if you work in medical contexts in places where there are French speakers (e.g. parts of Louisiana and places near Quebec).
^ it’s not really French itself, but it helps in learning Creole which is spoken by many Haitian immigrants.
Mostly however it’s considered a core class not because it’s necessarily practical but because it is useful. It makes your brain learn differently, structuring language; it teaches you about other cultures, other ways of thinking.
You need to have one each of English, math, science social sciences math, foreign language as those are core classes. Senior year you get leeway for one of these.
You shouldn’t need AP stats to take MVC: AP stats is algebra based and only requires the completion of algebra2. In college you’ll take calculus based statistics, which is WAY more difficult and rigorous than AP stats. Your math progression should be AB->BC->MVC. You can take AP stats but not at the expense of a core class.
So, 6th class = French and 7th class : a history or social science class. (It doesn’t have to be an AP. )
Thank you! I’ve already taken three math, one history, one science, and two foreign language high school courses in middle school, so I don’t think I have to worry about anything but foreign language. I currently have three years of French, but do you think it would be detrimental to not take the 4th/5th year of French? I don’t plan to major in French or move out of the country for any reason, so I think I’m leaning more towards either AP Euro or AP Environmental. Out of the two, which do you think would be easier considering my schedule?
What universities are you aiming for? If a top university, you’d need level 4 or AP. If a selective 4-year but not a Top 50 university/LAC, you’d be okay with only 3 years.
Just so you know, Level 4 is intermediate. AP is upper intermediate. To work in another country using the language you’d need many levels above that.
APES is a fun elective that you shouldn’t take instead of a core class.
(Core classes are: English, Math, Science, Social Science, Foreign Language).
AP Euro is a social science and you need to take a social science/History class. However you don’t have to take an AP - it could be an honors history or social science class.
Okay, so I haven’t done all the research since I’m still a freshman, but I’m looking at UVA and MIT right now. I took a high school credit history class in eighth grade, so I don’t technically have to take a history next year, and the same goes with my foreign language. I only have one elective spot left, so do you think taking a fifth high school history course or a fourth-year foreign language course would look best for colleges?
Have you reached level 4 in foreign language?
This year I am taking French III (I’m assuming level 3), because I’ve taken French 1A, 1B, and 2 in middle school.
Then you should take one more level. (French IV)
Do you think colleges would be okay with me not taking AP Euro, or should I replace another course?
They’d be okay with any social science/history class, regular or honors.
Would they be okay with me not taking a history course at all in tenth grade, because I have taken one in eighth grade, therefore I have four history credits?
No. You need all 5 core courses in 10th and 11th grade regardless of what you did in middle school.
You WILL have some leeway senior year.