You want to take the most rigorous schedule you can comfortably manage. Work with your teachers and guidance counselor.
Academics are the first priority in HS but be sure you leave time to get meaningfully involved in ECs you care about and to enjoy your family and friends. In addition to a well balanced academic schedule, you want to have a well balanced life.
I understand and very much appreciate the moderators attempts to keep the discussions focused and on track. I also think we need to be able to call out, on the spot, some of the meaner comments that are frequently posted, especially when they are directed at children. If we want a supportive, helpful community on CC, we need to be able to consistently push back against adults flaming kids (who are seeking honest feedback) with sarcastic, cynical, and unhelpful comments. Otherwise, if our push-back gets censored by moderators as off topic, the tone of CC devolves into a nastier, more toxic place. I would like to encourage people to be more supportive, and less jaded, when responding to often naive and misdirected kids. Tone makes a difference.
While true, the flag button exists for a reason; let the moderators be the bad guys. Full disclosure - since I’m participating in this thread, I’m not acting as a moderator.
Calling out a user for their word choice violates Rule 1 of Forum Rules and equally important, does zero to decrease the perception of toxicity.
That said, threads tend to be a little more helpful when the original poster gives all the pertinent information up front and, when they don’t, answer the questions asked for probative information; the first part didn’t happen and the second part happened only selectively. Additionally, responders should know their audience and address accordingly. Adults should address teens appropriately and vice versa. However, failure to do anything I’ve outlined in this paragraph doesn’t violate any rules here.
Will all of your foreign language classes be online classes?
My opinion…you should have a scheduled foreign language class at your school in the coming years. But thats my opinion. I would put this higher on the list than taking all AP classes.
I’m not really seeing the vision here if you’re doing the full IB diploma. I understand Calc if you’re ready for it as it’s one area that is significantly different within the IB curriculum and most universities do not give credit for IB Math HL. Are you trying to squeeze in some APs where you’re not going to do the IB version? ie a different science and social science? AP Chemistry paired with IB Biology? AP US History with IB Economics? I suppose if you’re really trying to maximize potential credits it could make some sense. But be sure and look at how colleges you’re interested in treat AP and IB credits and whether they max out. If you’re looking to increase your chances, I really don’t think this is the path. The full IB curriculum is rigorous and well received. Once you’ve checked your schools most rigorous box, the rest is really just noise and is not going to move the needle.
Agree. AP Calc BC has greater rigor than IB A&A HL (the most rigourous of the IB maths), so that could support taking BC soph year IF OP is ready for BC. And by ready for it, I mean reasonable chance of getting an A.
Other than making sure OP has FL (online is ok if that’s the only way it fits), I would suggest OP slow their roll for soph year, but defer to OP’s HS counselor. A soph year of all APs followed by two years of IBDP may not be rated as greater rigor than IBDP alone by some/maybe many colleges. And there is some risk (grade wise) to OP’s soph year proposed schedule if they aren’t ready yet for that level of rigor.
Yes, my school does allow sophomores to take AP Lang. It is our most accelerated English pathway, with the intention for students that take this path continue to IB HL English. I’m starting to think my school is not typical… we offer AP chem, human geography, compsci, and environmental science as AP classes for freshmen. I don’t believe my school lets us take PE over summer.
That’s a good point, I guess this would be a reason to do some non-overlapping APs as a sophomore.
But as you also rightly point out, the OP would need to make sure this would actually work out given actual credit policies–they can be pretty stingy, not least at the more selective colleges.
I also think you are right this would not likely add anything from an admissions standpoint. And that implies to me the OP should only consider this AFTER first making sure they are doing whatever their high school considers to be the most appropriate preparation for IBDP.
Thank you for letting me know, I would like to ask why getting my biology in next year would be better than taking AP chemistry. I figure since im already in regular chem and doing well in it I should continue onward.
What IB science(s) are you planning to take? You still have to get physics and bio in the next three years.
Thanks for the information, may I ask why? I will definitely take in-class Spanish in coming years.
I’m not sure, but I was recommended AP physics junior year —-> SL or HL Bio/Physics. I am confused on whether AP chemistry sophomore year is a good idea since I took regular chemistry this year.
Ok. So, if you aren’t going to take both IB physics and bio in 11th/12th, you should take one of those subjects in soph year…at whatever level your counselor/teachers recommend. Whether you would also want to take AP chem soph year is something you should talk over with your counselor.
My kids’ high school offers both IB and AP and some students choose to combine a mostly humanities IB curriculum with AP for the sciences, because the AP science courses can each be done in one year. However it’s tricky to make the schedule work out, so it’s important to plan out four years with a counselor.
Although not strictly required, I tend to think taking at least HS-level Physics before AP Chem is a good idea.
Yeah, not typical. AP Human Geo is sometimes an option for freshmen. But Chem, Comp Sci, and APES are usually electives students take later. It’s more typical to have very few AP options available to freshmen and sophomores, partly because they’re not yet prepared for anything like a college-level workload, and partly because those test scores become part of your permanent record, so why not wait till you’re more prepared to take them?
It’s OK to take foreign language outside of your high school. I would suggest you discuss this with your school counselor. Hopefully they can advise you well.
Maybe I missed it…but why do you want to take so many AP courses next year?
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Do it the way your school has it set up. Don’t skip if it isn’t set up to “skip.” (There are schools where you do either/or but if that is not the case, do not do it that way).
Most schools will want to see that you’ve taken Bio, Chem and Physics. Stacking CS and then AP CS and Chem then AP Chem may not strategically be the right approach, and may not provide the lift you seem to be looking for when you apply to college in a few years.
I know a few of us have mentioned it, but have you talked to your HS counselor yet? What feedback have you gotten, as they will know you and your school far better than we can.