Hey guys, I am currently a sophomore but the process for planning my courses for junior year is upon me. This is the schedule I have in mind, and I was wondering if you could take a look at it and tell me if it’s too much too handle.
I am going from 1 AP, World History because it is the only one available to sophomores, to 3 (technically 4).
-AP Statistics
-AP English Lang and Comp.
-AP US History
-Honors Physics (this class used to be the algebra-based Physics AP, but for some reason the name got changed. Still AP level work however.)
-Honors Pre-Calculus
-Honors Spanish 4
-NASA HUNCH (For those of you not familiar, this is a strenuous class very few high schools across the country offer. The students actually work for NASA. They design an experiment, make sure it passes ALL of NASA’s criteria, and we actually fly into the altered gravity planes to perform the experiment. A work-intensive course, obviously, but looks phenomenal for college.)
So, too much? Manageable? Please let me know. Thanks!
It all depends on you but I think it’s hard but manageable! As long as you know your basic math AP Stats is a breeze. At my school, AP Lang isn’t too difficult just a lot of essays, and APush is considered easier than world!! You probably want to also take into account your extra curriculars because you never want to overload on classes and not be able to get involved in other things. It’s all up to you and what you think you can manage but I think your schedule looks great!!
Okay thanks so much! I’m also involved with a lot of clubs and activities like Model UN and varsity sports so I think my schedule will be tight. Hopefully I can handle it. Thanks for your input!
I can’t tell you if your schedule is too much too handle because I don’t go to your school. As you said in your post, very few high schools offer NASA HUNCH and every high school is different in the difficulty of its classes, so I can’t directly answer your question.
However, I would recommend that you ask people at your school who are taking/have taken the classes you are interested in, so that they can tell you how much homework and studying you should expect for your prospective classes. They will be better informed on classes at your school and can better answer your questions.
You don’t need AP Stats. It’s a “lighter than calc” math class for kids who plan to major in social sciences or who need an extra math class but can’t/won’t take calculus (or precalc).
So, remove AP Stats.
You have all the core classes covered and you have NASA HUNCH which is an awesome elective. For your last class, take something light or fun - visual design, choir, current events… That choice will also help you stand out from the crowd of applicants with similar credentials. (“that nasa engineer kid who likes cooking”…<- well, yes, adcoms sometimes create shorthands for memorable personalities and let me tell you, it’s good to be memorable to someone who’s read 160 applications. Obviously, one elective isn’t sufficient, there has to be follow through in your essay o additional information or recommendations.)
Your guidance counselor knows you, your academic background and the level of difficulty of those particular courses in your school. Ask him or her for an educated opinion on whether this is too much.
that is alot of courses. maybe you should drop two of the AP/Honors classes and replace them with regular classes.
I took 3 AP’s and and Honors last year and hated my life
If you did very well in the first AP class, and you know that the homework will not overwhelm you (Ask around your school as to how big the work load is), then if I was in your position, I would go for it! Last year I had no AP classes, and this year I am taking 2, as well as self-studying for another and it is going swell for me!
Thank you everyone for your input! I think for the most part I should be okay but I see MYOS’ point about being more diverse. “That NASA engineer kid who likes cooking” is bound to secure me some colleges I was looking more towards taking electives senior year but hey, why not try junior year? Workload wise it will be very tough, especially because school isn’t the only thing I do with my life lol. But hey we’ll see how it goes, and if worst comes to worst I suppose I can always drop to regular level on one/some of my classes. Thanks again guys!
Obviously, one elective isn’t sufficient, there has to be follow through in your essay o additional information or recommendations.)
I was looking more towards taking electives senior year but hey, why not try junior year? Workload wise it will be very tough, especially because school isn’t the only thing I do with my life lol. But hey we’ll see how it goes, and if worst comes to worst I suppose I can always drop to regular level on one/some of my classes. Thanks again guys!