Hi there!
I’m an incoming sophomore this year in a semi-competitive high school. These were my classes in freshman year:
AP Human Geography
Guitar 1 (for arts credit)
Pre-IB Biology 1
Pre-IB English 1
Pre-IB French 1
IB Pre-Calculus
Chinese 1
I didn’t do so well on the AP exam (mostly because I underestimated it at first), but I still passed. Now I’m wondering about my classes this year and I feel very motivated now since SATs and ACTs are coming up next year. Please help me with my schedule that I planned out down below! Thank you!
AP Calculus AB
AP European History
AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics
Pre-IB Chemistry 1
Pre-IB English 2
Pre-IB French 2
Pre-IB Physics 1 OR Psychology 1
If science isn’t an interest of yours or you don’t plan on going into STEM, I recommend that you drop a science class. Same goes for math - if you’re going into a completely different field, there’s not really a reason for you to take an AP math class. It’d be better to substitute classes for electives that suit your interests.
@sparksparkler what is your reason for taking AP classes? Do you have any idea where you might go to college? If you are taking AP classes to knock out college requirements like my kids did/are doing, makes sure you go to the college web sites and look to see if they take AP credit and specifically if that credit will help with your degree. My son knows he will be going to a Texas state school and their core requirements are very similar, with his planned AP classes and a few DE classes he’ll be able to meet his college core course requirements while still in high school giving him the option of double majoring or graduating early.
Here’s what my DS20 will be taking next year as a sophomore, our school doesn’t have IB:
Chinese 2
Pre AP Pre CAL
Pre AP English 2
AP World History
AP Chem
Comp Sci Advance
AP Physics 1/2
Here was my schedule sophomore year:
AP Photography
AP Computer Science A
AP Calc BC
Honors Spanish 2
Honors English 10
Honors Bio
Advanced Orchestra
Engineering 2
OR
From what I see, you’re doubling up in both science (chem and physics) and social studies (AP Euro and AP econ). I would substitute out one of those for a different elective if there’s anything you’re interested. That being said I do really with I took AP Physics C instead of orchestra so if you actually are excited about those classes, go for it.
@pinklinks There aren’t really any electives that I’m really interested in at our school (mostly because they mostly deal with the fine arts). The only problem is that I have no idea what to major in and am currently trying to figure that out between Business or Pre-Med.
@3scoutsmom Well the main reason why I’m taking AP classes in the first place is to knock out some college requirements. I mostly want to go to a university in California or I may stay in Florida and go into UF. I’m not really sure where to go though because I’m confused with which major I want to go in to, so after I figure that out, I think I’ll be able to find a college that’s best suited for my interests. Thanks for the advice!
@snowfairy137 AP European History is what Pre-IB students are pushed into at my school, so I can’t really do anything about that. As for AP Economics, I think it’ll help me decide whether to major in business or not, but I do plan on taking one science class out. I just don’t know what to switch it out for mostly because our electives deal with the fine arts (which i’m not really interested in).
I’d remove AP econ and take Psychology 1 instead for an easy course, and take pre IB physics if you think you can handle two sciences.
@MYOS1634 Thanks for the advice, but I plan on taking AP Economics to help determine whether to go into a business major or not, plus it seems like a fun class. Pre-IB Physics, though, I’m not too sure about so that is why I’m going back and forth whether to take AP Statistics or Psychology 1 or whether to keep it or not.
@sparksparkler I don’t think you need both Maco and Micro Economics just take one. Most kids at my kids school take either macro or micro one semester and then AP Am Gov the other semester. You might want to find out if you have to take AP CAL AB, in our school most kids go from pre cal to CAL BC unless they aren’t very good at math but this is something that may vary by school. Here BC covers both AB and BC but at a faster pace.
Here’s a link to UF’s AP page you can see that some are listed as not eligible for Gen ED credit
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/advising/info/AP-examination-credit-info.aspx
Here’s their IB credit page:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/advising/info/IB-examination-credit-info.aspx
Make sure you aren’t wasting time getting credits for the same thing with both AP and IB credits.
If I were you I’d spend some time looking at majors and Gen Ed requirements to figure out what works best for you in FL. Have you looked at the cost difference form going instate in FL vs. OOS in CA? It’s CRAZY expensive to go OOS in CA so talk to your folks about it NOW and have them run the NPC on the CA schools you think you might want to go to. Remember that as a general rule public schools are more generous with AP/IB credit than private schools.
I graduated from Florida State when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and when I was looking at the UF page I had a flash back when I read “writing requirements” back in my day it was fairly new and we called it the Gordan Rule - I’m not sure why but I’m not a writer and HATED those classes!
It’s a good idea to take AP ECON to see whether you’d enjoy economics or business, but you don’t need to take that class sophomore year, do you? There’s an IB Business SL as well as economics HL and SL.
@MYOS1634 Because I am still in Pre-IB, we don’t have access to any IB SL or HL classes until the actual IB program starts in junior year (unless you are ahead in that subject).
@3scoutsmom At my school, if you’re planning to take any AP Economics class, you have to take microeconomics first semester then macroeconomics the next semester. As for AP Calculus AB, it’s also required to take it before moving onto AP Calculus BC. Also, thanks for the links and I’ll definitely wager these points when picking a college to go to.
For calculus, it depends on the school indeed, some have AB BC as a sequence.
My point was that if indeed you may major in economics or business, you should not take the class as a sophomore but as part of the IB program.
You took just one AP class, AP HG, which is designed as a “gateway to AP” class. Students who got a 3 would typically be recommended to take one AP only sophomore year, typically one that follows that format (world or euro) and in cases where the student took bio in middle school and Chem sophomore year AP physics 1.
2 AP classes and 4 pre IB will be PLENTY.
What are you trying to accomplish by taking something that’s likely to shoot your GPA? Is it because you think it’ll impress colleges? That by taking lots of hard classes and having an overloaded schedule you’ll be more motivated?
(Note that UCs will count a maximum of 8 AP/ib classes and offer no financial aid. It will be hard to sell your parents on a degree that costs 250k v. one that costs 60k if you don’t get BF and less if, as I expect, you get BF. However there are excellent private universities there, from the obvious such as Stanford and Pomona to McKenna to Chapman, Occidental, or Santa Clara. These may offer need based or merit aid and offrr something substantially different from UF. Start running NPCs and talking budget with your parents.)
@MYOS1634 Well in my family and school, it’s highly stressed to take as many rigorous classes as possible (like AP and IB) to get more college credits out of the way. That is the main reason why my friends and I are filling up our schedules like this. By the way, thanks for all the advice. As a high schooler, we’re never really told this kind of stuff and it’s really helpful! Thanks again!