Which math and science courses should I take?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Hi everyone, I am a rising junior. I am aiming to attend a top college to obtain a degree in Finance or possibly Business or Economics. My top schools are places such as the University of Southern California, UPenn, Georgetown, SMU, etc. I am also applying to “safety” schools in case I do not get accepted into one of my top choices.

I am planning out my Junior and Senior year classes and I am stuck on which decision I should make for my math and science courses. Although Finance is not technically a STEM major, it still does involve math and analytical thinking, and I want to take a rigorous course to challenge myself and prepare myself for college.

These were my classes in Freshman year:

Honors Geometry
Honors Biology
Honors 9th Lit/Comp
AP US Gov/Politics (scored a 5 on AP Exam)
Intro to Business/Technology (business elective)
Intro to Art/Design (art elective)
Spanish I
Health/Personal Fitness (health requirement)

My cumulative GPA for Freshman year was a 3.92 on a 4.33 unweighted scale.

These were my classes in Sophomore year:

Advanced Algebra (basically accelerated Algebra II)
AP Environmental Science
Physics (honors not offered)
10th Lit/Comp (honors not offered)
AP World History
Latin I

My cumulative GPA for Sophomore year should be between a 4.11 and a 4.22 on a 4.33 unweighted scale (have not taken exams yet).

For the next two years, I need to take two more math units and these are my options:

  • Accelerated Pre-Calc
  • Normal Pre-Calc
  • AP Statistics
  • AP Calc AB
  • Mathematics of Finance

I am honestly scared of calculus, but many colleges want applicants to have taken at least pre-calc. I find statistics interesting, but I have heard that colleges do not find AP Stat to be impressive. What two classes out of these five would be most valuable, and in what order, for someone trying to get into a top college to study finance?

I also need two more years of science and these are my options:

  • Chemistry
  • AP Biology
  • AP Physics 1

I am also scared of chemistry, and I previously took AP Environmental Science instead of chemistry as a sophomore. I do not need to take chemistry to graduate, but some colleges require applicants to have taken chemistry. I also do not want to be behind in college. I had half a unit of introductory chemistry in 8th grade, and I understand the basics (periodic table, balancing equations, the nucleus, formulas, etc.), but I do not really want to take it in high school. I find physics and biology interesting, but I have already taken those courses and do not know if I am ready for the AP level.

So, which two science classes should I take, and in what order, to best prepare myself for a top college?

Also, during junior and senior year, I will be taking:

Junior:

  • AP Lang
  • AP US History
  • Latin II
  • Legal Environment of Business (business elective)

Senior:

  • AP Lit
  • AP Macro/Micro
  • Latin III
  • Entrepeneuership (business elective)

So, besides my junior and senior year undecided math and science courses, I will be taking/have taken 7 AP classes.

2

Competitive colleges would like to see 1 year each of bio, chem, and physics and then an AP in one of those courses. So chemistry for sure junior year and then pick whichever AP for senior year.

I would also strongly encourage you to take the math that will allow you to reach calculus senior year since that’s an option for you. Pre calc junior year, calc senior year.

Definitely complete your third year of Latin.

3

I’m in agreement with @momofsenior1

4

Take Pre calc and then Calc.

Take Chemistry (regular or honors) and then senior year take whichever AP version of a science you want (i would have saved AP Env Sci until senior year).

Definitely continue Latin

5

Math: Accelerated Precalc and Calc AB. (Penn considers AP Calc AB the minimum default class taken in HS before their basic 1st year Math class).

Science: Chemistry junior year, whichever science you want senior year.

6

Thanks so much for the answers, they are all saying to take Pre-Calc as a junior and AP Calc AB as a senior, so I am going to choose those two math classes in that order.
I guess I am going to go with Chemistry and AP Physics 1, but does it matter the order I take them in? I am afraid that I’ll forget the formulas I learned this year in Physics if I take Chemistry next year and AP Physics a year later.

7

No. Personally, I’d do chem first since the class is likely mostly sophomores. Any physics formulas you forget will likely come back to you quickly.

8

To major in finance, business, or economics, you will likely be required to take calculus. Taking it at a slower pace as high school calculus AB will be a gentler introduction to it than taking it at full speed in college (although some colleges have a less rigorous “calculus for business majors” option).

All of these majors require statistics, but calculus-based statistics may be required at some colleges.

If you want to go into quantitative finance or graduate study in economics, you will need to take a lot more math beyond calculus, as well as higher level statistics courses.

So take precalculus and calculus.

For science, agree that it is best to have chemistry somewhere in your schedule so that you have all three of the main sciences. and chemistry so that you have all three of the usual sciences.

9

You can take Ap Physics 1 jr year and Chemistry (regular) senior year :slight_smile:

10

The order of the science classes does not matter. AP Physics 1 is hard but having already taken physics before, you’ll find that it’s like riding a bike and you’ll pick it up. At my school, most people took chem junior year and physics senior year. Physics and calc also go well together since you can use derivatives in physics to shorten the amount of work to solve a problem.