Interesting that a poster’s HS uses double periods for some AP sciences. Hopefully that makes an otherwise year course a semester one. SCIENCE IS NO MORE DIFFICULT THAN HUMANITIES/SOCIAL SCIENCE! I am so tired of people missing this point. Think about it- that kid who whizzes through math based work may have more difficulty writing than some of their classmates (or may be adept at both).
I would expect top tier students to be able to handle most AP classes in most subjects instead of the regular HS versions. A STEM student should be thinking of an overall best/most rigorous HS education. In my son’s ordinary (but Wisconsin, therefore good) HS some students took APUSH instead of the spohomore regular version (others ended up taking both). Likewise with AP Physics (but regular chemistry skills needed before AP- know this as an undergrad chem major).