My school offers many AP classes as well as the IB program for juniors and seniors. I hope to become a chemical engineer some day and I also would like to get into a top college.
Schedule 1:
JUNIOR YEAR
Spanish 4 (online over summer)
American History 1 Honors (first half of APUSH, taken over summer)
AP USH (second half, semester long)
AP Calc AB/BC
AP English
AP Bio
AP Physics 1 (semester)
SENIOR YEAR
AP Physics 2 (semester)
AP Spanish
AP Statistics
English 4 Honors (semester)
AP Chemistry
Overall unweighted GPA (if I receive all A’s): 5.32
Pros: very in-depth classes, can get college credit, better for math and science
Cons: much lower class rank because of IB kids
Schedule 2:
JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR
IB HL History (required)
IB HL English (required)
IB Biology HL
IB Chemistry SL (HL not offered)
IB Spanish SL (HL not offered)
IB Mathematics SL (HL not offered- covers AB Calc material but not BC)
TOK
AP Physics 1 (junior elective)
AP Physics 2 (senior elective)
AP Earth and Environmental (taken as a 5th class online)
Overall weighted GPA (if I receive all A’s): 5.52
Pros: much higher GPA and therefore higher class rank, can still take some AP exams as some IB classes cover AP material, gives you great writing skills and supposedly prepares you well for college
Cons: Only allows for 3 HL classes (HLs are the only IB classes from which college credit can be obtained), more centered for students interested in English and Humanities, not as in-depth math and science classes, cannot take BC calculus
Would top engineering schools dislike the fact that I chose IB SL math and science courses over AP math and science courses? Or would it be better to take the “most rigorous” courses and end up with a higher class rank?