I’m currently a sophomore in high school and trying to decide which science classes I want to take junior and senior years. I think I want to go into the medical field, right now I’m considering medical research for a career. Freshman year I took biology, this year I took honors chemistry. My school offers three AP sciences; biology, chemistry (seniors only class), and physics. Since I haven’t taken physics yet, I definitely want to take it junior or senior year. I would prefer to take AP because it isn’t much harder than normal physics at my school. Also, at my school we are only allowed to take 3 AP classes each year, so I have to take that into account. I really love biology, but I’ve heard that AP Bio is a pretty hard class at my school and the teacher gives a lot of homework. Since I know I definitely want to take AP Bio, I was planning on taking that next year, but now I’m wondering if I should take AP Physics next year because it’s a little easier? Also, I might be able to stack 2 AP science classes senior year, but I would have to appeal and it would have to work with my schedule. My original plan was to take AP Bio next year and AP Physics senior year. Should I change my plan?
I would generally recommend taking Physics (assuming it’s AP 1), so you have experience with all three, and then select the AP course that interests you most Senior year.
I wouldn’t recommend two AP sciences the same year, especially if it’s at the expense of not taking one as a Junior.
If you’re set on Chem vs. Bio as to one you take for a second year, and are good with risking that you love Physics and wish you could take AP Physics C, the order of Physics and one of the other two isn’t all that impactful though.
I would take AP physics 1 junior year and AP chem senior year (you’ll have 5 chem related weedout courses and only 2 bio weedout classes as a premed).
You could take AP chem and APES or AP chem and an easy, bio related class senior year if you worry about bio.
Do not take 2 AP science classes the same year.