I’m going to be a junior next year and am planning to take AP Physics 1. My school does not offer either of the AP Physics C courses and AP Physics 2 hasn’t gotten enough sign-ups to actually run in a few years (and the trend is predicted to remain the same for at least the next two classes). However, there is the opportunity to self-study and take the exams for the AP Physics C courses. I am taking AP Calculus BC alongside AP Physics 1 next year. Is it a good idea to self-study one of the AP Physics C courses next year? If so, as someone who is planning to major in Computer Engineering, which one will be more beneficial? I don’t think I can self-study both at the same time. Thank you!
Admissions officers are generally not impressed by self-studying and prefer to see a student succeed in a classroom setting. I would focus on the courses you will be taking and study hard for those AP exams.
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You could but don’t.
Some schools don’t give AP credit.
At others it’s not going to be a gpa boost so it’s just a distraction.
And you wouldn’t want to skip these in college.
I wasn’t looking into this option solely for college credit (though it’s good to know that you don’t usually get credit for it). I want to take it for learning purposes. Is it still doable?
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I’m going to go the other direction and say yes, you should self-study for C (if it’s not too late - or is this for next year?) because:
- Physics C is worth much more in college (Physics 1 is often not accepted, and certainly does not look “as good” when applying)
- It will be clear that you succeed in classes when you get your high A in the course; self-studying looks just fine if that course is not offered at your HS. (But if you were really worried, make sure your physics teacher thinks highly of you and writes one of your recs)
- Ignore those who say you don’t “usually get credit” for APs. People have been saying versions of this on CC since I joined over a decade ago, and my DS16 got so much AP credit (including Physics C) that he finished Princeton in three years. My DS20 graduated early from MIT. Public universities also give tons of AP credit, provided you get 5s (or in some cases, 4s).
- I do think you should get a tutor and make a plan for March and April ahead of the exam, to do practice (old tests) and go over specific problem-solving strategies. Ideally, find someone who has taught the C class.
- Consider taking just the “Mechanics” section of the exam because that is most closely aligned with the material in Physics 1.
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Most you can get credit. I said some you won’t. I don’t know what your list looks like.
Wanna help boost your resume? Get a part time job instead.
Honestly, imho, zero reason to do this. And if you take the next class in college, you are more likely to struggle than of taking this class in college and getting the foundation.
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The second part of Physics C (E&M) was by far the hardest semester course my D took in HS. I wouldn’t recommend self studying. It was hard enough with a teacher. Mechanics might be more doable but as noted by others, no college will expect you to take a class or the AP test for a subject your school doesn’t offer. You will be assessed within the context of what was available to you. And without taking the actual class, I would not recommend skipping mechanics in college, no matter what you get on the AP test.
Personally, I think there are better uses of your time than self studying for mechanics.
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Princeton no longer gives credit for any AP physics, according to AP Table for Class of 2028 (Provisional) | Undergraduate Academic Advising
MIT requires 5 on both AP physics C exams to get subject credit for the first physics course. It gives no credit for AP physics 1 or 2. See https://firstyear.mit.edu/academics-exploration/ap-transfer-credit/advanced-placement/
Note that many college calculus-based physics courses are supposed to be started when the student has already had first semester calculus, and is continuing on with calculus (so that the student is in multivariable calculus while taking the physics course with E&M). Hence the AP physics C courses use less math and may be less accepted at some colleges and universities.
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I think my point still holds, that good schools give AP credit for classes including Physics C. Yes, DS20 did get both 5s on the parts of C. His only AP that didn’t get credit was Chemistry, but his 5 enabled him to take a placement test and then he was able to place out of 5.11. In the case of DS16, I do find it annoying that Princeton changes these things rapidly. For example, when that DS got his 5 on Comp Sci, it was still being accepted at P, but not when he enrolled. (And don’t get me started on how they told him he had to take the third history AP even though he maxed out credit at two of them, or else risk his admission since he had the course on his transcript for senior year.) So, yes, schools can be annoying.
I reread OP and this student is in 10th grade. Getting a 5 on the Physics C Mechanics exam next year would be a significant help in their competitiveness for high-end colleges when compared to all the other STEM kids who will have it as well. If it were my child (and technically it was last year, for DS25, who did exactly what is described here), I would strongly encourage the process.
I agree that self-studying the E&M C exam is trickier. My DS25 was able to actually enroll in that course this year as a senior.
FTR I have taught both Physics C AP courses, as well as other STEM AP courses. You are correct that the Physics C are “harder” because they have calculus as a pre/co-req. However, this doesn’t really make them harder for the right kind of student. And if you are great in math, that helps you on C in a way that it does not on 1.
My son considered this while taking IB Physics - it’s also not calc based so similar to AP Physics 1/2 vs C in that pretty none of his prospective universities offered credit for it - particularly on the engineering track. He’d taken Calc BC sophomore year, so knew the calc wouldn’t be a problem and his IB teacher encouraged him to think about it. His rationale was way less about impressing admissions officers than gaining a bit more flexibility in those beginning semesters of engineering which are heavy with required courses. Covid intervened and the AP exams that year were a mess, and he hadn’t been in school for months so decided against taking it. I think there are times when it makes sense, depending on the student’s rationale. For reference, my son’s teacher did not think self studying for Physics C exams with IB Physics HL would take much additional effort.
I wouldn’t recommend it. My kid did well in the classes and exams for AP Physics 1 (though it was remote during covid) and AP Physics C, and calc BC. He didn’t even bother taking the E&M portion of the AP exam because his teacher had spent most of their time on the mechanics portion and not much on E&M.
Even then, he STILL thought about re-taking first semester physics in college. Because he’d spent so much time with the material and had done well on exams, he opted to take the AP credit and was glad he did.
An engineering student should be getting the full teaching experience (either in HS or college) for the standard first-year engineering physics sequence. Most of your classmates will be taking it in college too. The content is just too important.
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I don’t think we’re deciding whether OP should retake Physics in college; we’re advising whether they should self-study for the exam next year. I still think it confers a learning and admissions advantage.
We looked into this with my S23, who took Physics C in high school (and got 5 on the exams). At some schools on his list, he could get useful credit for Physics C Mechanics, but not E&M. At other schools on his list, he couldn’t get useful credit for either exam.
The key is whether the credit can actually be used to pass out of things. Many schools gave credit that wouldn’t have been useful to S23, since it wouldn’t replace anything in the required physics sequence for engineering students.
Any extracurricular academic activity may confer some level of learning and admissions advantage. But perhaps the time would be better spent on other activities.
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I don’t think so, considering OP is being compared to the kids who will have that score. I didn’t hear them say they were pressed for time or ability in that way…
To me, it seems pretty clear from the OP’s post that they anticipate having a finite amount of time and energy available for self-study next year, and they are looking for the best use of that time and energy:
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If you have an opinion, state it and move on. No need to debate even if CC were a debate society, which it’s not.
This is a topic on which I have a lot of opinions and expertise. But sadly I can’t share them with the OP since I’m forced to step in