Next year, junior year, I’ll be taking:
H. English 11
AP Calculus BC
AP Environmental Science
AP Physics 1
US History
Journalism
Marching Band (first semester only)
Senior year, I’ll be taking:
AP Lit or Expository Reading and Writing (not sure which; ERWC is a CSU-designed course that’s like an honors course)
AP Chemistry
AP Physics C
Multivariable Calculus/Linear Algebra
Gov/Econ
Journalism
Marching Band (first semester only)
It seems like my junior year courses look a lot easier on paper (I’ve heard APES and AP Physics 1 are the two easiest sciences, while AP Chem and AP Physics C are the hardest). In addition, I’m not taking APUSH, which is a course it is possible to take junior year (and the only AP History in the main sequence). Will this look bad on college applications, even if I am taking two sciences (I go to a very competitive, very difficult public CA high school)? Should I switch around AP Chem and APES to make my schedule seem more “balanced” (both are equally difficult courses at my school, but it seems their perception by others is quite different)?
Is your schedule supposed to be hardest junior year, or can it get harder from junior to senior year?
Many colleges want to know that you’ve challenged yourself, and some students interpret that to mean they take the most challenging courses available to them each year. Do keep in mind that you’ll need time to do college apps your senior year (too many difficult classes may mean your grades drop your you can’t spend enough time on the applications).
APES is generally considered easier (the exam is easier, so for most schools the class is too). But most people also agree as long as your counselor marks you as “most challenging” for course selection, that’s all that really matters.
Not everyone takes every AP course available, despite what it may seem like on CC…you’ll be fine without APUSH (in my opinion. It sort of depends what colleges you’re looking at). If your school offers it and you think it’s doable, I recommend AP English Language. A strong command of the English language is always helpful.
Good luck!
Well, this is the first year that AP Physics 1 is offered, so it’s an unfounded claim to say that it is the easiest science. Intuitively, it seems easier than AP Physics C/Chem/Bio, but that’s my guess only.
I second this. Also, AP English Lang would prove invaluable preparation for the many college application essays you will be writing.
As mentioned above, as long as your GC rates your schedule as “most demanding,” the individual components do not matter.
My school doesn’t offer AP Lang (or I would take it), but H. English 11 is UC weighted (which is a designation given to very few honors courses).
Thanks for the advice! I’m 99% sure my GC would rate my schedule “most demanding,” so that’s not a problem.