Hello, I’m nearing the end of my sophomore year and I was wondering if you guys could take a look at my planned courses for junior year. I plan to major in something with engineering.
This courses I took:
AP English Language
AP Physics 1
AP World History
Pre-AP Pre-Calculus
AP Computer Science A
Academic Decathlon
Introduction to Culinary Arts
Band
The courses I’m registering for:
AP English Literature
AP Biology
AP US History
AP Calculus AB
AP Computer Science Principles
Culinary Arts (Two Periods)
Band
I’m considering dropping culinary for 2 courses that could be more interesting. I have a lot of options to choose from but I need some advice on what would be best:
Jazz Band
AP Capstone Seminar
AP Physics 2
AP Physics C
AP Chemistry
AP Statistics
AP Spanish 4
AP Music Theory
Sorry if this was too lengthy but I’m a bit thorough. Thanks.
I would flip out AP bio for AP chem and if you are planning on applying to elites, a 4th year of Spanish instead of Culinary Arts. Take AP physics C senior year.
If you plan to major in something with engineering, it would probably be beneficial to take a physics class, but at the same time, you are already taking a lot of difficult APs! I say do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you think you can handle another challenging class, take AP Physics 2 (since you don’t have calculus under your belt and Physics C requires calc), if not, keep culinary.
Yeah I do feel like I’ll be overloading with challenging classes, but I still feel like I should switch out culinary for something else since it’s taking up two periods. I’ve heard that Statistics is pretty easy, does you think it could correspond with engineering?
Chem is required for many first year engineering programs. It is a very challenging class and if you are aiming for “elites”, will show a more rigorous schedule , and prepare you better.
Keep AP chem for senior year.
Replace AP CSP with Spanish 4.
=>Taking 4 APs Junior year is plenty, CSP is an easy elective kotbbxore Cass so it should be the one you cut, and you need a foreign language level4.
Keep everything the same - sticking will culinary arts will help you stand out and you can lot only learn useful skill but also interesting lessons.
^of one of those.
Biology H, Chemistry H, AP Physics 1, AP Chem would totally fulfill expectations, but you could add AP Physics 2 junior year and AP Chem senior year, or take AP Chem junior year and AP Physics C senior year. The latter would be extremely rigorous.
In that combination, your junior schedule would look like one of these:
Schedule 1
AP English Literature
AP Physics 2
AP US History
AP Calculus AB
Spanish 4
Culinary Arts (Two Periods)
Band
Schedule 2
AP English Literature
AP Chem
AP US History
AP Calculus AB
Spanish 4
Culinary Arts (Two Periods)
Band
With, senior year:
Schedule 1
AP Seminar
AP Calc BC
AP Spanish
AP Chemistry
Honors Econ, Gov, other social Science
Band
Fun Elective
Schedule 2
AP Seminar or Honors English
AP Calc BC
AP Spanish
AP Physics C
Econ, Gov, other social Science
Band
Fun Elective
Hi all, thank you for the thoughtful responses. I just found out that my school doesn’t offer Physics C because there was nobody to teach it.
First of all, it seems like Spanish 4 is a no-brainer so I’ll switch out AP Bio for it. All of you seem adamant in me removing Comp Sci Principles for Physics 2 or Chem, but I feel that it is something that really fits my interests. I could take Physics 2 senior year?
Secondly, will culinary arts really stand out in my college admissions? It isn’t much of a passion and I blindly chose it because a CTE course was required. If I removed it, then I could fill it in with Chem and some other easy AP course to boost my GPA.
My junior schedule would consist of:
AP Chemistry (switched from Culinary)
Easy AP Class (GPA Booster, switched from Culinary)
AP Spanish 4 (switched from AP Bio)
AP English Literature
AP US History
AP Calculus AB
AP Computer Science Principles
Band
Looking back it seems like a lot of AP classes; am I overloading?
I would also like to add that band/marching band is a passion for me and I have achieved a few things like first chair All-City, first band All-Region and I advanced to Area. I was Sophomore representative this year, and will be Historian junior year. All-State is entirely a possibility but I don’t know if this is the type of thing that has an influence in college applications.
That’s too many AP classes. Keep in mind that highly selective colleges evaluate rigor but Los unweighted GPA. How do you expect do get all As taking 7 APs in a year - what these colleges expect for all of high school?
Can you take online Spanish 4 and save AP Spanish for senior year?
Yes, Culinary Arts will help you stand out compared to kids who apply the ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach to AP class selection. Most top colleges would rather see a few apw deliberately chosen, and ‘everything AP’. Most importantly it’ll teach you a different way of learning, you’ll be able to use what you learn especially when you move out of the dorms, you’ll have a skill for a better paid job (working in a French or specialized restaurant is better paid and more interesting than being a short order cook at a diner which is better than dealing with fries at a fast food joint), and it’ll allow you to interact with different students than those you typically have in your AP classes.
Yes…keep in mind even Stanford doesn’t want you to take all APs just to take All APs
Stanford:
"We expect applicants to pursue a reasonably challenging curriculum, choosing courses from among the most demanding courses available at your school. We ask you to exercise good judgment and to consult with your counselor, teachers and parents as you construct a curriculum that is right for you. Our hope is that your curriculum will inspire you to develop your intellectual passions, not suffer from unnecessary stress.** The students who thrive at Stanford are those who are genuinely excited about learning, not necessarily those who take every single AP or IB, Honors or Accelerated class just because it has that designation.** "
I hear what y’all are saying, so I’ll keep culinary. Sorry if I’m being persistent but I still want to take CS Principles, can I take AP Spanish 4 senior year? My schedule would be: