Grade 12 course selection [ 1/2 physics + 1/2 chemistry or AP physics 1 or C]

Hi, we are looking at course options for our rising senior and need feedback on options for physics.

He will be applying to a few highly selective colleges with a non-STEM (econ/history/poli sci) major. Many of these colleges require/recommend 3 lab courses. He has already done Bio and Chem at high school and we are looking at options for Physics. His high school only has the following options:

  1. A 1/2 credit Physics Hons course (in conjunction with a 1/2 credit Chem Hons course)
  2. An Advanced Physical Sciences course - the description seems like a mix of Phsyics and Chem
  3. 2 AP Physics courses - Physics 1 or Physics C

We would really prefer to take a grade level (not advanced or AP) physics course because he is already doing several AP in the areas more closely to related to his major. He has already completed the science graduation requirement for his school, so the school counselor is not being very helpful in exploring options.

Our private college counselor has said that the options 1 and 2 won’t be counted as ‘physics’ by the highly selective colleges. She recommended that we look at online options through Apex Learning, BYU, or Florida Virtual School but we are skeptical if the highly selective colleges will consider these as valid courses. The school counselor has said that they will not include the online course on his HS transcript so it will be a separate transcript from the online school.

Any thoughts on whether pursuing the physics course from the online schools is a viable option? Are there any other options we should explore?

I would suggest taking Physics 1 through his school. It’s not as rigorous as C but will still be regarded as a full year of physics.

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Agree that AP physics 1 is likely the best of the choices. Physics really should not be anything to fear for an otherwise-good student.

Physics does require more math than chemistry or biology, but AP physics 1 does not require math higher than high school algebra. If the student chooses economics as the major in college, then that will likely require math higher than that anyway (calculus and statistics). A political science or history major will find statistics useful as well.

EDIT: saw your other post indicating that the student has completed AP calculus and AP statistics. The student should have nothing to fear with physics (although might wonder why AP physics 1 avoids calculus when talking about subjects like the relationship between position, velocity, and acceleration – if the student wants to see calculus in action, AP physics C may be better).

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Most schools don’t allow students to take AP Physics C as a first physics course. Even if OP’s son’s school is the exception, a humanities kid would likely prefer a course that isn’t populated with future engineers.

AP Physics 1 is a fine choice, and really is just a glorified honors physics course, so he has nothing to be afraid of.

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Thanks! Forgot to mention that my student took a different course with the AP Physics 1 teacher in grade 11 and found her to be really difficult to work with (gave tests on topics not covered in class etc.) and his friends say that she acts the same in AP Physics 1. Since he already has a pretty heavy workload otherwise, we would prefer not to add this stress to his life (though generally we believe, its good to develop skills to deal with difficult people).

This particular humanities kid did take AP calculus in 11th grade. Also, future engineers take AP English and history courses populated with future humanities majors. So it is not unheard of for high school students to take advanced courses in areas that are not their future college major.

Indeed, for a student who knows calculus, physics with calculus may be easier to understand than physics without calculus.

Would really appreciate hearing if the online school options should be considered at all or not, so we know what alternatives we have. Main question is whether highly selective schools will consider the online course or think of it as fluff.

I think, and I am not an admissions officer, that an admissions officer would wonder why he didn’t take the Physics class offered at his school.

If he’s not interested in STEM I honestly think option #1 on your post would be fine.

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Perhaps the bigger question is whether the student will learn well in an online format. If the student has already succeeded in online format courses, that may not be much of a risk. But it may be more of a risk if this is the first online format course for the student.

That’s hardly the same thing and you’ve been around the block long enough to know that. That’s like suggesting future engineers take AP Art 3D; while many can, few do.

AP Lang and AP History are generally step-up options of equivalent courses taken by most in the top cohort. Those taking AP Physics C (particularly when, as in this case, it contains E&M) or MVC or 3D, or similar are generally self-selecting. And it really sounds like OP’s S isn’t in that self-selecting cohort.

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D25 took a science AP this past year through JHU CTY. She said it was the most challenging course she has had (then a junior) in high school. It was fast paced, went into a lot of detail and depth, and much of it had to be learned on her own. She did get a 5 on the AP exam so she likely did learn and retain something from the class. She has also taken Physical Science and two foreign language courses online. These have been on the easier side and I would characterize as fluff. As a point of reference, her HS is not particularly challenging in the normal course.

I cannot answer what AO’s will think of her taking several online courses, but will find out in a few months I suppose.

To the point made by @Izzy74 (I think, and I am not an admissions officer, that an admissions officer would wonder why he didn’t take the Physics class offered at his school) this should be something that is taken into consideration. In D25’s case, the AP class (and nothing like it) was offered at her school. The other classes she took online were offered in school, but she could not take because of scheduling conflict.

I don’t know if those are reasonable reasons to take an online course, but I would be wary of taking a course online that was otherwise available to my child through the school.

So I agree the “obvious” answer is if this kid was interested in unhooked admissions to highly selective colleges, they should at least take AP Physics 1. They are apparently a strong math student, and those sorts of colleges tend to expect their unhooked applicants will see all such classes, in any core area, as challenges they are confident they can meet.

The problem as I understand it is there is a non-obvious reason why the kid doesn’t want to do it, namely not trusting the teacher. This is a real problem but it doesn’t have an easy solution. And I agree taking an online class that essentially duplicates Physics 1 is not really a solution as it will be puzzling why a kid would do that (absent something like a counselor explanation of a schedule conflict).

But that leads me to an idea (of sorts).

Namely, CAN there be a schedule conflict with Physics 1? Like, what else would the kid take in the HS? Nothing? Or can they maybe take something else they plausibly really want to take in the HS that conflicts, such that it would be an explanation of why they did Physics 1 online? I understand another AP, or core class in general, might be too much of an additional work load, but are there any electives the kid might want to take that would conflict with the in-school Physics 1?

Just a thought.

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This seems complicated. Just taking non AP seems easier.

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It is odd for the high school not to offer a year long regular (not AP or advanced level) physics course.

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I agree. OP’s school offers both AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C. But no regular Physics? No wonder the school only require 2 years of lab science to graduate.

This is potentially a real issue. But do we need the high school counselor to state it or can the student mention it in additional information section themselves? Just not sure the high school counselor will agree to write about it since he keeps saying that my son has ‘many’ options (including not taking physics at all since he has completed the science requirements).

The scheduling conflict, if one truly exists, should be noted by the guidance counselor in the recommendation.

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Online is almost never considered as rigorous unless there is NO good in-school option. In your son’s case, AP physics 1 (and AP calc BC over business calc) are the more rigorous optionsand therefore since you said “highly selective “ schools , they are the preferred options. AP phys C is the most rigorous option but is not needed in his case and has others have said, typically not done as a first year of high school physics.
To be blunt: any student aiming for highly selective colleges needs to take the more rigorous paths offered by their school, in all areas, unless significant extenuating circumstances exist or the student has significant “hooks “. Avoiding a difficult teacher is not a valid reason.
Even more important than what colleges want to see is what your student wants: does he have serious concerns about taking APphys1 and Calc BC? Does the idea of challenge in these areas cause him distress, and he truly believes he should not take one or the other? If so leave him be, take Business calc and online physics, and let the chips fall. There are hundreds of excellent colleges among the thousands of total colleges in the usa: there is no need to focus on the “highly selective “ couple of dozen that are popular on CC. Furthermore these colleges are not at all a good fit for many!

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Online courses offered through the Johns Hopkins CTY program mentioned above or through Stanford Online High School are considered very rigorous. I believe JHUCTY has AP Physics 1 while SOHS has AP Physics C (along with courses that are beyond Physics C). The cost is high but I believe there is financial aid available. However, people can not just register for these courses as there is a process to qualify as a student. It may be too late for this student for these programs but this student might want to take a look. I do not think that taking a course through either of these programs would be held against the student as I imagine highly selective colleges would be familiar with the rigor of these programs, though they might wonder why the student didn’t take the course through their school. If the issue is the AP Physics I teacher, then possibly consider the JHUCTY equivalent but as the poster said above, the course may actually be as hard if not harder than many AP Physics I offerings at a regular high school.

I am familiar with a situation wherein a student did have a scheduling conflict, with AP Lit and AP Chemistry so took the latter through JHUCTY as AP Literature was not offered through JHUCTY. This student had already taken AP Physics C and had earned a 5 and had already taken Honors Bio and Honors Chemistry and is STEM focused so different interests than the poster’s child. The student did get into highly selective colleges so having taken an online course was not seen as a negative at least not if taken at JHUCTY. The student also earned a 5 on the AP Chemistry exam and I think scored higher than the students who took AP Chemistry through the school.

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