Hi guys. I’m finishing off sophomore year (coming up from straight Cs b/c of problems at home to now a B- average midway through last quarter…hoping finals will get me in a good spot). Next year, I have 2 spots on my schedule already filled and I’ve already decided on AP enviro and AP English Lit/Lang. Also, physics honors and pre-calc honors. Now I’m deciding if I want to add APUSH, AP Stats or something else. My school offers pretty much everything. I want to go into veterinary medicine, but I’m still sort of deciding what I want to do. So I’m not sure what other APs to take (I’d love to take AP bio or AP chem but they’re double period so I can’t fit it…and I’m not strong in math really). I don’t want to overload myself because I will be playing a sport in the fall and spring (can’t decide on volleyball or field hockey lol).
Also, my school offers AP ECE so that the class counts for college credit based on the entire years grade rather than just the AP test at the end of the class. Thanks for any help!
My schedule for this year was:
• AP Chem
• AP Physics 1
• Clinical Rotation (a community college course that we can take at school to shadow current people with medical careers)
• US History regulars
• Study Hall
• AP Language and Conposition
• Pre-AP Precalculus
If you want to go into medicine I definitely recommend AP Chem, it’s very difficult but if you genuinely like chemistry it can be extremely rewarding, if you can’t fit it on your schedule I would do it your senior year since the class requires some serious studying and concentration. I feel like you should do AP Stats instead of APUSH because of your sport extracurricular(s), APUSH requires extensive reading and time commitment. Many of my friends this year stressed the large amounts of homework given and because of that, it sometimes gave them sleep deprivation. Guessing from your extracurricular commitment(s), it would also be overwhelming, but AP Stats on the other hand is not that difficult and would provide you with much more greater flexibility in your schedule compared to APUSH in addition to helping you a bit in precal. I believe if you also put in the effort, you could do well in AP Lang/Lit! AP Lang would be more preferable because Lit has more reading assignments and research essays. Lang has substantially boosted my writing abilities and I think with some motivation and hard work you can succeed. Also ask some juniors/ seniors about the ECE it seems like a good plan. Good luck!
AP Chem is probably the most important class for a future premed. Indeed, the premed requirements include 2 semesters of biology, but FIVE chemistry/chemistry-related classes (biochemistry builds on organic chemistry). Therefore, I would strongly recommend you take AP Chem either this year or senior year.
If you don’t take APUSH, will you take US History Honors?
Students must have one unit each of English, Math, Foreign Language, Social Science, and Science each year freshman-junior plus one unit of English,Science, and Social Science plus Math (unless they completed the highest math offered, typically calculus) and Foreign Language (unless they completed level 3, 4 or AP depending on how selective the school they’re aiming for is). Students should make sure they take bio, chem, and physics.