Which schedule do you recommend for a multiple degree program?

@GoldenRock I am in the 10th grade. I will take chemistry over the summer along with a couple other classes.

@aspiringgirl, that’s an excellent schedule, and should give you enough time with respect to taking the specific SAT subject exams you need for the BS/MDs that require them, if you decide to apply to them.

I have to ask though, how did you take AP Bio and AP US Govt as a 9th grader? I thought the order was usually: Pre-AP World Geography (9th) --> Pre-AP World History (10th) --> AP US History (11th) --> AP US Govt./AP Macroeconomics (12th). Same for the sciences – usually you have to take Pre-AP Bio or Pre-AP Chemistry before enrolling in the subsequent AP Bio or AP Chem courses respectively as @GoldenRock mentioned. Don’t wear yourself out over the summer. Usually Pre-AP courses aren’t offered in the summer, so the course you would take would be the “regular” version of the course, which would drop your GPA and your class rank, since it’s unweighted. The summer is usually the best time to find health care related activities and max out on those.

I didn’t know you would have room to take 2 languages. I would skip out on the French as you already have Spanish as your foreign language. I would replace French 1 with AP Psych. I would take the Anatomy and Physiology course.

@Roentgen My old high school let students take AP Gov & Pol as Freshmen, but I took AP Biology because I was in regular and it was too easy. Plus I couldn’t fit Pre-Ap bio into my schedule.

I changed my schedule around a little bit. Is this one better?
Junior Year:
Anatomy and Physiology
APUSH
Calc BC
AP Lang
AP Spanish Lang
Pre-AP Chem
Mock Trial

Senior Year:
AP Chem
AP Euro
Calc 3
AP Lit
AP Spanish Lit
Athletic medicine
Mock Trial

@aspiringgirl,

I was just surprised as usually Pre-AP Biology I taken in the 9th grade (it’s essentially regular Biology I with more rigor and at a more accelerated pace) is a prerequisite to AP Biology, since the latter builds on the former course, since AP courses are taught at the college level (in theory). Pre-AP Chemistry is usually taken in the 10th grade.

What is Calc 3, since you finished with AP Calculus BC?

If you apply to Northwestern’s HPME program, you have to take SAT Subject Exams in Math Level 2 and Chemistry (http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/education/degree-programs/hpme/entrance-requirements.html), so just keep that in mind. Is Pre-AP Chemistry taught in the summer?

@Roentgen,

Calc 3/ Differential Equations is “a continuation of Calculus BC, including polar coordinates, analytic
geometry in 3-D space, parametric equations, vectors in 2-D space and 3-D
space, surfaces, gradient and directional derivatives and multi-variant differential
and integral calculus.”

I might be able to take a beginners chemistry course at a local community college.

@aspiringgirl,

Ok, I thought AP Calculus BC covers those topics, but it’s been a long time since I’ve taken that course. I mean if you take the AP Calculus BC exam and get credit, I don’t see why it’s necessary to take any further calculus work after that since you won’t get any credit for it, unless you’re doing it for weighted GPA/class rank purposes.

Northwestern seems to be the only BS/MD that specifically requires the SAT Subject exam in Chemistry, which sophomore level Chemistry may not be enough for. If it’s not a program you’ll be applying to then it’s not necessary to have AP Chemistry completed by the end of Junior year.

@Roentgen I thought it would look better if I take a math class every year.

@aspiringgirl, that usually doesn’t matter, as the usual math sequence is:
Pre-AP Algebra I --> Pre-AP Geometry --> Pre-AP Algebra II --> Pre-AP Precalculus --> AP Calculus AB or BC, depending on which one you decide.

Since you were 2 years ahead in math entering high school (having completed and received credit for Algebra I and Geometry in middle school), naturally you finish the math sequence earlier by the end of your junior year. Those who are 1 year ahead in math would finish the entire sequence by the end of their senior year. It’s well known that the endpoint math at most high schools is the AP Calculus BC course. So it wouldn’t look any “better” per se on an application, as Calc 3 isn’t a usual offering at most high schools (or it’s part of the AP Calculus BC course), or at the very least, it wouldn’t look “bad”.

There’s always AP Statistics as well.

You can see here in comparison: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/mathematics-computer-science/754825-what-is-the-accelerated-math-course-sequence-in-your-high-school.html

Remember top schools’ admonition: it’s not a game of who has the most APs, wins.

Junior Year:
Anatomy and Physiology => Genetics and Biotech?
APUSH => Good
Calc BC => good
AP Lang => very useful
AP Spanish Lang => highest level expected, so, kudos :slight_smile:
Pre-AP Chem
Mock Trial

Senior Year:
AP Chem
AP Euro
Calc 3 => OR 2 from Linear algebra, Discrete math, Differential Equations
AP Lit => only if you really love to read and analyze; not recommended alongside AP Spanish Lit, unless you intend to major in a Humanities subject (Philosophy does especially well in med school admissions)
AP Spanish Lit => choose one from AP Lit/Ap Spanish Lit unless you intend to major in a Humanities subject
Athletic medicine => only if it’s a fun elective for you (will NOT matter in terms of college admissions)
Mock Trial => good because it shows persistence accross the years