So taking Stats will already put you ahead of most non-stem students even for schools like Princeton, I would change AP Bio to Honors Physics and take Genetics H as a senior. Find out how AP Bio is regarded in the school wrt workload, even though it may more work than AP Chem or AP Physics in some places, adcoms consider those two more rigorous. I’d think it’s not worth it esp since she’s not stem, pre-med etc…
Based on your post, I agree that she should speak with her guidance counselor. At my kids school, 6 AP’s aren’t even possible in a single year. This is a highly rigorous school where 100% go on to college and has a very low acceptance rate( less than 20%). So, are the regular classes really easy? Is there anyone else taking 6 AP classes? In our area, the local high school which is highly rated and has about 10-15% acceptance Ivy or MIT type, kids would take maybe 4 AP classes and that would be someone who does no EC’s and/or no sports. Perhaps, your school is really good and they just don’t give much homework. But here, an AP class is a minimum of 1 hour per day. I guess schools are really different and states are really different.
Also, the social science offerings look great and way more interesting. She could build a good story by focusing on a specific aspect of that subject which she plans to pursue.
I wouldn’t suggest genetics, period. AP bio at some point would satisfy a tippy top’s desire to see one “advanced level” core science. AP stats is not considered among the rigorous classes and is of disputable benefit to a Princeton app. IF her proposed major will include stats in college, taking it would make sense. But a large chunk of non-stem applicants to a tippy top will have calc. Regular old calc in jr year makes sense. H calc makes sense. Then you can decide about AB or BC in sr year.
I’m still concerned a lot of core hum is missing. She’ll have APWH and the APCG scores. Also APUSH in sr year.
See what the GC says.
And, I’m happy shedid the campaign volunteering. Great.
For a student on the +2 math track and doing well enough to consider calculus BC in 11th grade (i.e. a very strong student in math), taking a calculus course less rigorous than calculus AB makes no sense.
If the student decides to back off on the overall rigor and workload, and math is the place she does that, then changing BC to AB makes the most sense, not going down to a sub-AB-level course (if the high school even offers such a thing).
Statistics will be useful in any social science major. Some students who do heavier statistical analyses may find calculus useful as a prerequisite to calculus-based statistics. Also, if the student majors in economics or wants to take substantial economics as a supplement to another social science major, calculus is likely to be necessary.
I too have a D interested in PoliSci/IR/Econ, but she is already a junior. 3 AP’s, 2 Honors, 1 regular Physics. Very glad she decided to switch from Calc BC to AB in the beginning of the year. Yes, she probably could have handled BC instead of AB and AP Physics instead of regular physics (no AP alternatives for Honors classes at our school), but that would also mean she’d be studying ALL the time and wouldn’t have time for all the extra-curricular she is doing and enjoying, including a community college class via DE. I support it mainly because it gives her a more balanced high school experience, less stressful and sleepless then many of her friends.
But looking at it from college planning perspective, it is the extra -curriculars and the essays that set kids apart and would make Princeton want your daughter over someone with same or more AP’s. I believe there is a certain threshold that needs to be met for a college to feel “yeah, this kid can handle our rigorous curriculum”, and anything above that won’t necessarily impress them. Adcoms won’t say to themselves, “wow, this kid took 6 APs instead of 4 most others in that school are taking.” Instead, they’ll be asking, “how did that kid contribute to their school and community while maintaining their academic standing, and what can s/he bring to campus?”
Since there is only so much any kid can handle and fit in their schedules, there will always be a trade-off. That being said, Con Law sounds great, your D will probably enjoy it a lot. My D will take it next year, although at our school AP CompGov is semester-long, and the other semester is IR. I too vote for Physics H instead of AP Bio. Best of luck!
Thanks again for all your thoughtful responses.
@typiCAmom I will forward your advice onto my D. I frequently bring up the “balanced HS experience” which tends to fall on deaf ears.
Here’s another iteration…( I mainly wrote it out to make sure I memorialized my thinking and refer back to it)
Math (Math is not a subject she gets very excited about but she does consistently well)
Junior - D will take either AP Calc (AB or BC) (Thanks typiCAmom and UCbalumnus)
Senior - Options are
AP Statistics (planning on taking because it most closely aligns to Social Science study)
AP Computer Science
Community College course (concurrent enrollment)
Science HS only requires 3 yrs
Junior - Physics H
Senior - AP Bio (D could consider eliminate 4th yr of science and take a Social Science)
Social Studies HS requires 3 yrs (including US History & civics)
Junior - AP Comparative Gov’t (Constitutional Law class)
Senior - AP US History + another H or AP Euro
English
Junior - AP Eng Lang
Junior - AP Eng Lit
Foreign Language (Princeton suggests 4 yrs of 1 language)
Junior - AP Spanish Lang
Senior - AP Spanish Lit (not sure if given Princeton’s suggestion it would be a good idea to not take and fill with more social sciences)
EC’s
Political campaign for Governor (last spring/summer/fall)
Participates in a Teen Court program currently as a jurist but will receive legal training to represent clients before the Teen Court Judge in a nearby county.
Following up on volunteering at a foundation focused on criminal justice reform
Attempting to solidify a volunteer job with a state representative
Perhaps ask Princeton if that means four years of courses, or level four or higher. However, greater or more advanced Spanish knowledge may be helpful in some history and political science contexts anyway.
@Denver5280, if your D takes AB next year, BC senior year would make the most sense. From my own research, 4 years of science is viewed very favorable by colleges, so for my D (Bio, chem, Physics first three years, no Honors option available at our school), it will be either AP Physics or AP Bio next year, depending on what would fit in her schedule.
I would also strongly recommend fitting in both APUSH and APEuro, even at the expense of Spanish Lit (unless she wants to double-major in Spanish). Maybe she could take Spanish Lit as a dual-enrollment class at a local community college to show her interest and aptitude?
Great suggestion @ucbalumnus.
@Denver5280, just thought of one more thing. There are lots of very competitive summer and study abroad programs available for juniors that your daughter might be interested in, like TASP. My daughter is applying to 4 this year and spends more time on the applications than her APUSH class that is supposed to be time-consuming. Every application is as intense if not more so than a college app, with multiple essays, teacher recs, etc. If she gets in at least one of them, not only will she have a time of her life, but it would significantly boost her college application. And if she doesn’t, it will give her great practice run for next year - I can already see her re-using some of the essays she has written for these apps for college supplemental and scholarship apps next year. Hope it helps!
I would think about what College Board Subject tests they are going to take. You need to do this at end of junior year. I would also suggest a challenging senior year. AP Psy is easy and you want to show a challenging schedule they handled easy as a junior. I would take AP Chem or AP Physics in place of AP bio both of which are more difficult.
OP, imo, you’re now thinking along the right lines. But after AP Span, they won’t be expecting AP Span lit. Think about how to use that slot.
Ucb, my response was after someone posted that AP stats would somehow put you ahead of the humanities competition from other top applicants. It’s the calc that will help. And the fact she has good ECs to back up her interest in poli sci or related.
Many on CC turn to what happens when you’re in college, what helps prep for x and y classes, what gen eds, etc. The reality is, first you need to be admitted. And this is about Princeton (and, I assume, othe top competitives.)
OP, make sure she has other ECs, as well. A balance. Imo: what reflects your interests and future goals, what supports peers (clubs, whatever else,) and what serves the local community, working with needs around you.
Best wishes.
“Ucb, my response was after someone posted that AP stats would somehow put you ahead of the humanities competition from other top applicants. It’s the calc that will help. And the fact she has good ECs to back up her interest in poli sci or related.”
If you’re taking Stats taking as a sr, that would imply taking Calculus as a jr and would put you ahead of most non-stem applicants. If you did not take Calculus, then you’d be behind humanities majors, agree there. Calculus is the important course, any major, most selective schools, assuming high school offers it.
Maybe this will help: My son took 6 APs (4 math/science, 2 humanities) and IB Spanish in junior year and felt overwhelmed (by the humanities load). He spoke to his guidance counselor and found out it’s not mandatory to take the AP tests at the end. So instead of dropping a class, he decided not to take the test for AP Lang. The thought alone made him more comfortable and breezed through the year. He didn’t self-report AP Lang or this year’s AP Engl on Common App, but they still show up on the transcript as most rigorous classes, I guess?!? With the stress of applications behind, he decided he’s taking the Engl test this year. He is also taking AP Psych (as a second humanities out of the 6 APs this year) and he hates it, but not much to choose from what’s left in the last year.
Correction - not relevant, just incorrect - he’s taking 5 APs this year (one is considered Honors but there is an AP exam at the end)
In every single case my kids have found the AP class to be all the work and the test a mere after thought. Dropping the test would have freed up nothing but the 3 hours to take the test.
@VickiSoCal You are right, I know that, he knows it too, but from the second he decided not to test on AP Lang, he did much better in that class. At the PT conference, his teacher asked me if I know what happened that he started to be so interested in class?!?! He was just more relaxed.
I believe that 6 AP’s is appropriate for a student wanting to study at Princeton. Princeton is rigorous. My son took a total of 14 AP’s junior and senior year, and still found his Princeton workload to be more than he was accustomed to.
Just a word of caution re: summer programs. TASP & a few others are genuinely competitive and well-regarded, but many summer programs are only notionally ‘competitive’ - the ability to pay is the key variable. TASP could impress; others not so much.
But for all of them, the only way to turn them into an admissions asset is for the student to demonstrate what they have done with the experience: ‘had X life changing experience, have already built on that change by doing Y, and am now working towards Z’. This is not my opinion, but explicit advice an admissions dean at Princeton gave a group of students.