Would Physics or Calc AB look better for a BIO MAJOR.

Applying to College
1

I plan on majoring in Human Biology with a pre-med track/focus, and am interested in a few bsmd programs.

Should I take physics over summer at my CC or calc ab?

If I take physics over summer this would be my schedule for senior year:
AP Chem
AP Lit
AP Calc AB
College Class (Prob anthropology or something, haven’t thought about it much)
Biomedical
Aca deca

If I take calc ab over the summer this would be my schedule for senior year:
AP Chem
AP Lit
Calc BC at CC (my HS doesn’t offer BC)
Physics at CC (can’t take at HS as its only one period and it comes in conflict with other APs)
Biomedical
Aca deca

I would assume that the latter would look more appealing to colleges, but I am certain my CC transcripts won’t be in on time for me to ED/EA to some programs and colleges. What class would be of more importance for application considering my major?

APs I have taken/in the process of completing: AP Bio, AP World, APUSH, AP Lang, APES, AP Comp Sci, AP Stats, AP Gov, AP Psychology, AP Micro, AP Macro. few of these classes were taken at CC

There will be only two APs that I won’t be able to take: AP Art and AP Spanish. I already completed three years of language, and have gotten my arts credit.

2

Be aware that any college courses taken while in high school will be included in your medical school application, and their grades will affect your GPA as recalculated for medical school application purposes. So be sure to earn A grades in them.

AP scores do not affect GPA for medical school application purposes, but medical schools vary in how they see them. A few accept them for pre-med courses, many do not but allow higher level courses in the same subject area to substitute (e.g. multivariable calculus in place of single variable calculus), some may want you to repeat them, and some see repeating them as undesirable grade-grubbing.

Outside of science, medical schools commonly want to see college English composition courses (usually required for undergraduate anyway) and social studies courses in areas like psychology and/or sociology.

3

Yes I am aware of it affecting med school. In some instances I have given my college classes right now priority over some high school classes. I have solid As in all of my classes as of now.

I dont know which class would be best suited for me as a bio major…

4

Math is so foundational, I’d be inclined to take the second schedule which gives you a full year of calculus going into college.

5

I would also agree with taking calculus at your school but is there no way to take physics as well? I don’t like the idea of taking it over the summer. It doesn’t have to be AP physics.

6

I assume since you are taking physics before calculus you have checked the prereqs and this physics class at the c.c. does not require calculus?

7

You should take Bio, Chem, Physics and then an AP version of one of those.

Biomedical may be interesting, but if it is interfering with you schedulign AP classes, drop it.

The problem with taking Physics at CC:

  1. It will go into your college GPA. I assume you have not taken HS physics before. Other people in your CC Physics class may have. It will be harder for you and will be condensed not over a year like in HS, but into 8 weeks or less in the summer. If you get behind, you get WAY behind.

  2. Med schools don’t want you to take the med school pre-reqs at community colleges.

8

I still would do all pre reqs (bio, chem, physics, etc) at my university prior to med school.

9

I have already taken the pre req test and placed into both physics and calc.

10

So the first option with physics over summer? I feel that would give me a disadvantage math wise…

11

I was leaning towards that too, but the only thing I fear is that my transcript won’t be in on time. The class will still be going on past ED and EA dates…

12

Transcripts for physics and calc bc^^^

13

But avoid repeating anything, since that looks like grade grubbing.

14

Couldnt I take a course further into physics. If I take it at CC I would take 06, so in college I can do 07 or something similiar.

15

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21552803/#Comment_21552803 (question in reply #73 and answer in reply #74) may be relevant to how courses at community colleges are looked at by medical school application readers, at least at medical schools that do not reject community college courses immediately.

Note that physics can be a problem for a pre-med who does not want to take physics for physics majors, since physics for biology majors is typically a one year terminal sequence, with no more advanced courses that can be taken if the pre-med wants to take a more advanced course (rather than repeating that looks like grade grubbing) after having taken the course in community college or by AP credit.

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21534448/#Comment_21534448 (question in reply #67 and answer in reply #68) may be relevant with respect to AP credit.