<p>I'm currently a sophomore, and we're deciding what classes to take for next year. I don't know what I should take! I'm pretty sure I want regular USH, regular lit, AP Chem, AP calc BC, and AP French.</p>
<p>But I was wondering if I should also try to take Physics Honors? I really want to get into a top school like Stanford (half dreaming), and I want to stand out. Can I do that with only one science class a year? Would it make a significant difference to have chem and physics? And do you think the workload would be too much for me to maintain my GPA? (I have several ECs.)</p>
<p>well, let me put it this way: most applicants to schools like Stanford have 4 years of each academic subject, of which, are nearly all honors/AP courses (if the HS offers them), and mostly A's. Thus, you don't necessarily need to double in science, but college prep history and literature does nothing for your strength of schdedule; indeed, they may help you stand out, but not in the way you might like. :)</p>
<p>So you're saying it won't hurt me to not take APUSH? (And my school doesn't offer AP lit for juniors.) And you're saying it doesn't really matter whether I've had 4 science classes in HS or 5?</p>
<p>Take as many APs as you can, but make sure it's not so many that you can't get As and still have time for extracurriculars. For me, the number was 5 junior year, for some it's 3, I mean it all depends. Just take the max number that still allows you to breathe.</p>
<p>jimbob - well that's the problem-- I don't know how many is too many. I've never taken AP classes before, only honors. And for having 3 honors classes this year, I have surprisingly little homework. So I'm worried I'll be in shock with the load of three or more advanced classes...</p>
<p>"if you want to get into stanford, take the hardest course load"</p>
<p>Yes, but I don't want to sacrifice my GPA, either. Or quit all my ECs just for that extra class.</p>
<p>Take the hardest courseload and get the highest GPA. . . it's what (most) everyone else who you'll be competing against is doing right now.</p>
<p>You'll get used to it, I promise. I went into high school from a fairly easy middle school where I got straight A's easily. My high school is the hardest one in the area and I was knocked off my feet for the first semester. . . but now I'm quite used to the heavy workload. And, if you're planning on Stanford, what better time to practice than now?</p>
<p>seriously, dont sweat too much, im a senior and just got accepted in my dream school and from the whole experience, i've realized that if you think upon the subject too much, you only drive yourself crazy. Be like an academic Mersault and go with the flow</p>
<p>You can also ask your teachers & GC what they recommend, as they know you & the courses you're considering & have a better idea of the increased workload you may be facing next year. Good luck!</p>
<p>Teachers and GC are not very helpful. At my school, they decided it's very important for everyone to take physics before they graduate, therefore on the little sheets where your science teacher recommends what class to take as a junior, the teacher puts down physics or physics honors for EVERY single person. She wouldn't even talk to me about AP chem, let alone taking two science classes.</p>
<p>The GC told me she does not recommend taking two science classes a year-- she assured me that one per year is plenty even for competitive colleges.</p>
<p>But I feel the need to make myself stand out from my peers-- and it seems like "doubling up" in science would help me do that...</p>
<p>I doubled up in sciences for the last three years of high school. it's not too bad, although the highest grade i got in any of them was like an A-</p>
<p>my breakdown over the years went like this:
10 - honors physics, honors chem
11 - ap chem, honors bio
12 - ap physics c, ap bio</p>
<p>My counselor said the same thing to me about doubling up science classes, and my chem teacher recommended me for physics h, now I'm taking it and next year will probably have to double up after taking regular bio freshman, chem h soph, phys junior . Don't listen to your counselor on this one, if anything ask the teachers of the courses you want to take and students enrolled in it to find out the workload, etc. Don't double up if you aren't interested though, I know many people in just one ap science class (bio or chem) that are struggling just to meet the workload and tests, so in the end its all up to what you think you can do and what you're interested in. No reason to kill yourself with work so early on..</p>
<p>if science is your strong point, go for it. if not, just take one class.
also ask students older than you who are already enrolled in 3, 4, and 5 AP classes at your school. how much homework do they get from the different AP classes each night? how late do they stay up every night? do they have trouble managing ECs also? Guidance Counselors at my school often just want to make the school look better and do not always look out for the best interest of every student, so go to the people who are experiencing the work right now, the students. every school is different, and so is every AP class, so do your homework.</p>
<p>and i think you should take APUSH if your school offers it over the honors class if you're really serious about Stanford.</p>
<p>'too many' is relative. i was in your situation last year (dreaming of stanford/pton as well!)
i signed up for AP chem, AP psych, AP Gov, AP lit... I am in pre calc so i did not have option of taking ap calc. i bit off way more than i could chew, so to speak. i am up to my eyeballs in hw when i try to fit EC's in. maybe it is our teacher, maybe it is me, but most of our class struggles with AP chem.. and CB says AP chem is one of 3 hardest AP exams there are..
btw last year i almost signed up for AP physics ALSO.. thank God i didn't!
as far as 4 versus 5 science...
"the more the merrier"
(as long as you do well)</p>
<p>Last year as a junior, my son took AP US history, AP Physics, AP Computers (1 semester), honors pre-calc, brit lit & american lit, band & mandarin. He found mandarin this toughest course.</p>
<p>This year (as a senior), he's taking AP Physics C, AP Computers (1 semester), AP calc AB, AP Econ (micro & macro) & AP English, plus marching band. He seems to find it all OK. The school doesn't recommend juniors take more than 2 APs unless they seriously consider it & consult with their parents & faculty--he's found it OK, but your best source is to speak with kids who are at your school & taking the courses you're considering, as has already been suggested. Good luck!</p>
<p>I'm trying to talk to people... some have told me that physics honors is a "BS class", while one guy said it's pretty hard. Chem AP is supposedly hard, but I don't know if people are referring to grasping the concepts, or the workload assigned. I'm pretty sure French won't be too bad-- probably not worse that Honors this year... but I'm not sure about calc.</p>
<p>I'm trying to envision next year compared to what I'm doing this year, but I just don't know what's going to be too much... :(</p>
<p>I would err on the side of not overdoing it, which would cause your grades & ECs to decrease. Ask the other students for clarification about specifically how much more work it is, how much they study/week for the course, etc. & compare it with what others say they're studying in their non-AP courses. Also, is there a grace period where you can drop a class with no penalty (& no "W") or drop down from AP to honors or regular? Some schools allow this while others don't.</p>
<p>I think we have a month or two at the beginning of each semester to drop classes with nothing on your transcript... however I don't know about switching down from an AP... they're always warning us not to count on being able to do that.</p>
<p>AP Chem is (somewhat) difficult concepts. Harder than psychology or history, but easier than calculus i suppose.
There is a heavy workload for AP chem. expect 1-2 hours of ap chem hw each night. this isn't just my school, it is 'universal'</p>