Unsure about senior math/science courses

Applying to College
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<p>I'm currently a high school junior, and have the following schedule: </p>

<p>AP English Language
AP Calculus AB
AP Macroeconomics
AP US History
Honors Physics
Spanish V Literature (level after AP)</p>

<p>Next year I will be taking appropriately challenging senior English electives for both semesters (AP English Lit isn't offered at my school), as well as AP Euro and doing an independent study in Spanish as preparation for the AP Spanish Lit exam (the course I'm taking right now doesn't prepare us for it, and I've reached the highest level of instruction of the language at school). </p>

<p>Now the question is about what to take for math and science. For some reason, my school doesn't allow people to take Calc BC after completing AB; however, I have the following two options (a "choose your own adventure" kind of thing):</p>

<p>1) Enroll in a Calculus II course at the University of Michigan (I live in Ann Arbor). The thing about this option is that I'll feel obliged to take another advanced math class for the second semester, and my prospective major has absolutely nothing to do with math: as a matter of fact, I'm looking to become either a French or German major, possibly double majoring if I feel ambitious enough ;) Plus, I don't know whether the college I'll eventually enroll in will accept the credit...</p>

<p>2) Take AP Statistics at school</p>

<p>For science, I took Molecular Biology Honors in freshman year, Accelerated Chemistry Honors in sophomore year, and this year I have Honors Physics. I disliked all the memorization I had to do for Bio; on the other hand, I wouldn't mind taking the AP course in either Chem or Physics. My school's AP Physics course only teaches us the Mechanics part of the Physics C exam, and from what I've heard this part is very manageable, especially since I'll already have a working knowledge of calculus (I'll have completed Calc AB) by the time I begin the course. So I have two options here as well:</p>

<p>1) Take AP Chem</p>

<p>2) Take AP Physics</p>

<p>Based on the situation(s) I just described, which choices would you make in my position? I'd love to hear your suggestions! :)</p>

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<p>Update: Turns out that I just answered the second part of my own question - I looked up the course descriptions on my school’s website for AP Physics, and apparently both sections are taught… E & M seems pretty intimidating to me, considering how I’m not too hot at math in the first place (got a B+ in AP Calc as first semester grade… SO close to an A-, ugh). And I was leaning more towards Chemistry in the first place, seeing how my Honors Chem class pretty much covered about 90% of all the AP Chem topics; we actually did everything except organic chem. </p>

<p>But the math question remains unanswered as of right now… suggestions, anyone?</p>

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<p><em>puts Calc II and AP Stats on a mental scale and weighs them both</em> </p>

<p>lol… I still have no idea what to do. Should I go with AP Stats since my future major will most likely be a foreign language and thus won’t have anything to do with math, or should I take Calc II…? Somebody please help!</p>

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<p>Bump… :/</p>

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<p>AP Stats its way easier than Calc 2. And you’re not even a math/engineering majors so stats is the way to go.</p>

<p>As for the science I would definitely go with Chemistry seeing your math background.</p>

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<p>Thanks alexis! I think I’ll do that. :)</p>

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<p>I’m sorry that your school doesn’t offer the classes that you want to take. I live in a college town too -Tallahassee, FL- so we have the option of dual enrollment at FSU, FAMU, or TCC. I’m taking AP Calculus AB this year as a junior as well and AP Statistics concurrently. My school offers the IB program so I will be “testing out” -IB jargon- next year by taking Math SL. AP Calc is going rather well since my friends and I started a study group and AP Statistics is really cool and is helpful for psych, bio, and other classes too. You should take stat because it’s not too difficult and is not even math math, if that makes sense. As far as science goes, you should take AP Chemistry or AP Physics B. I took AP Physics B last year and got a 4 on the exam. B is easier than either of the Cs because it’s algebra-based. No derivatives, integrals, nothing! Both Chem and B cover a wide range of topics but if you stay focused you’ll be able to get through them. Hope that this helps!</p>

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<p>The one thing I would /not/ do is take Physics B–if I were a college adcom, I would wonder why you weren’t taking the harder course, since you are clearly capable of it.</p>

<p>Taking Stat over Calc should be okay, though. (Have you looked into the transfer credit policies of the schools you’re applying to? I can’t imagine most of them would take AP Stat but not the actual college calculus course.) Honestly, what do you really want to do? If you don’t like math and never want to see another derivative again, then feel free to choose Stat–looking at your schedule, I think you’ve earned something of a break.</p>

<p>(disclaimer: high school student, do not have private line to Harvard admissions, etc.)</p>

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<p>Physics B would be a better choice than C for someone who is not pursuing a career in engineering or related fields. For a language major B seems more appropriate. I believe that the College Board even suggests that C be taken by those who have either done B or are interested in engineering.</p>

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<p>You will often find that the “better choice” is not what gets one into top colleges. Hence all the kids piling on AP classes in subjects they have no interest in.</p>

<p>I also trust the College Board’s word about as far as I can throw it, but that’s not really the point.</p>

<p>I guess I misspoke. I don’t honestly think that C is harder–I took C (Mech) and have talked to kids who did B, and they seemed not very far apart in difficulty–it’s just that they utilize different branches of math. If you struggle in math in general, OP, then B may not be appreciably better than C, since both classes involve the same kind of applied math/problem-solving type skills. On the other hand, if calculus is the problem, then the story is different.</p>

<p>If you take B, adcoms might come to the conclusion that you are not confident in your calc skills–that is, if they read that far. I doubt anyone scrutinizes your application so seriously except at the very highest levels.</p>

<p>I would advise you to take Chem regardless, but then I was never a very physics-inclined person. :x</p>

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<p>I don’t know of many schools that would require a foreign language major to take calc II unless you are a science, math, or engineering major. Take AP Stats as it’ll have a better chance of transferring and is more in tune with what you hope to major in. As for science, it really depends on if you’re a math person or not. I took Physics B and don’t honestly think I would have taken AP Chem or AP Bio. Take the class you’ll do the best in and will pass the AP so you can earn college credit. If you had a rough idea of the type of college you hoped to attend, it would make things easier. Some colleges don’t accept dual-enrollment and some don’t even accept AP. I’ve done both dual-enrollment and AP and it really depends on the person what is the best option.</p>

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<p>It seems most people agree on AP Stats. However, it WOULD be impressive for adcoms to see that you’ve gone above and beyond your high school and will take classes at University of Michigan, so I wouldn’t discount this option. Even if you don’t plan on majoring in engineering, pushing the limits of your education always seems more impressive than settling. </p>

<p>Regarding the Physics B vs. Physics C issue.</p>

<p>“I guess I misspoke. I don’t honestly think that C is harder–I took C (Mech) and have talked to kids who did B, and they seemed not very far apart in difficulty–it’s just that they utilize different branches of math. If you struggle in math in general, OP, then B may not be appreciably better than C, since both classes involve the same kind of applied math/problem-solving type skills. On the other hand, if calculus is the problem, then the story is different.”</p>

<p>^That is definitely not true. This is coming from someone who took Physics B and is now taking Physics C. (I took B because calculus is a prerequisite and I didn’t have that till this year). Even for mechanics, the level of difficulty is quite different; if you know the right formulas in B, you’ll be fine – everything is actually pretty straightforward. That’s not the case in C, where you have to apply them and manipulate them in problems that are more complicated. And calculus is hardly used in the mechanics section for physics C (save gravitation), but it becomes necessary in E&M. That being said, the calculus involved isn’t very complex – as long as you understand the fundamentals, you shouldn’t be too badly off. </p>

<p>Seems to me you’re set on AP Chem though, so you can pretty much disregard what I said about physics (that was just to clear up any misconceptions people might have regarding the relative difficulties of the different physics classes).</p>