Have to respectfully disagree with the stay-away-from-online-lab-courses statements. My daughter took AP Chem through Chem Advantage last year and it was one of the best, most organized, and well-thought-out courses I have ever seen. The course had a thorough home lab kit that had everything needed for the course. I have taken many a lab course, both undergrad and grad, in my own day, and this course was just as good, if not better, than anything I’d ever taken as an undergrad. My daughter learned a ton and got an A in the course (and a 4 on the AP exam). Tons of help online 24/7 from the teacher and many TAs, plus lots of discussion with classmates from around the world. I am sure not all online lab courses are great (just like not all in-person courses are great), but there are some truly wonderful, high quality online science lab courses out there.
I’ve been looking at doing dual enrollment for it at my local community college this summer.
The problem isn’t a stay away from online lab courses. It’s the fact that chemistry at my school has an abysmal reputation.
Possible majors or academic interests in college?
If they include chemistry, biology, geology, pre-med regardless of major, or probably physics or any kind of engineering (particularly chemical, materials, or biomedical), you will have to take chemistry in college. Doing so without high school chemistry will make it harder.
@ucbalumnus the OP said economics or political science in post # 12
I’m sorry, but that’s a ridiculous reason. In any case - MIT aside, as others have said, the preferred high school sciences course is some combination of bio, physics and chem. Do you absolutely have to do it? No. Will you be prejudicing yourself in the admissions process for competitive colleges? Yes. There is a reason most colleges want some breadth in your high school prep regardless of your major.
My motto, take the classes that you’re truly interested in. Colleges don’t care if you don’t take AP chem over another AP class. As long as the rigor is comparable it’s fine.
Your hs program may accept an 8th grade course. But your hs isn’t making college admit decisions. It’s up to you to learn what the colleges look for.
@Wittystudent, it does matter that you prepare in the ways one’s targets want. Especially when the competition is fierce and all those other kids followed expectations and went beyond.
It’s not “accepting” the course it is the high school course. I’ve taken the EOC for it and got a 5. The course is the high school course and the credit isn’t from middle school its from the local high school.
In my experience, it seems you really need to take Chemistry if you want MIT to consider you.
I don’t plan on applying to MIT.
So it is listed as a 9th grade course?
Look, what matters is how informed you are about what your targets want to see and how you meet that. Skipping some sciences because now you say you want a humanities major isn’t helpful. It’s not strategic. If you previously had MIT and Caltech in mind, I’m guessing your list still includes a tippy top or more. They generally ask for 4 years of lab sci and some specifically state, with a progression to AP in one of them, if AP is available at the hs. You’re in 10th now and have not taken AP bio, asked if APES is a replacement option. No, it’s not, if you have a top college in mind. It’s not considered one of the core lab sciences.
Tell us what science you have/will have. And the possible targets.
I also feel graduating early is a risk, when the typical applicant profile will not be met. And/or ECs are lacking, weak, or irrelevant.
Where do you plan applying, and what do they list as recommended/required for high school science?
@wittystudent , the debate isn’t about AP Chem vs AP something else. It’s about whether it’s wise to leave any chem at all entirely out of a high school sequence.
My post 31-- meant, “if APES is a replacement for chem.”
If you have one more year of hs, will you have bio, chem, physics, with one at AP level?
On another thread, you listed UF as an interest. They will accept an 8th grade class as a hs class. But you need to check all others.
UF is my goal. I want to get into UF, study for two years, and then I want to try transferring to Columbia University. The Biology course is accepted everywhere because it is a high school course that was given for 3 years in a program that was exclusive to my school (according to my counselor). I decided to take Calculus Honors over the summer instead of my previous plan which was to take Drama in the summer and AP Calc in my final year. This way I can take Drama for my performing arts credit in my last year and since it is an easier course I can take introduction to chemistry at my community college for dual enrollment which will also provide 1 credit for high school chemistry without getting overwhelmed or having to take it online. I would also be taking either AP Environmental Science or possibly AP Biology at my regular school. Does that sound like a better idea?
Yes.