Help me choose between AP GOV and Youth Cinema Project

Applying to College
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For context heres my UC Gpa and the APs I’ve done:

UC GPA

UW : 3.60 ||
W : 4.20 ||
W & Capped : 4.13

4 APs (WH, USH, Eng Lang, Span Lang)

Hi everyone, I wanted to get some help regarding a choice I need to make for my senior year programming.

As of of right now I’m planning on taking 6 APs next year (Stats, Env Sci, comp sci, Gov, Span Lit, Eng Lit) and I’ve been advised to not take 6 as I’ll get “burnt out”. I feel like this could be true but I want to stack my senior year to improve my profile as much as possible.

I’ve taken 4 APs in total so far (WH, USH, Eng Lang, Span Lang) and I feel like having a smooth 10 would be good.

My school offers a senior exclusive film production class that is really good. You get hands on experience with a bunch of equipment and you get to make a lot of connections in the film industry. Since a part of my spike is my focus on editing and podcasting, people have told me that this would look better rather than taking a few of the other APs. The downside to this class is that it takes up two periods and I would be forced to drop AP gov.

I’ve heard a lot about keeping your trajectory in a certain subject (ie: once you start AP social studies classes, you gotta keep doing AP social studies classes) and it looks bad if you take a normal class in a subject after taking an AP.

I know my chances at the main UCs are slim but I wanted to know how much not taking GOV would hurt me.

TLDR: I want to do a film production class but I would have to drop AP Gov. The film class is really good and I feel like I would enjoy it, but I really want to take AP gov. I want to know if not doing AP Gov would hurt whatever chances I would have at the main UC’s.
What do I do?

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Is there a reason why film must displace AP government instead of some other course? If you do not take AP government, will you need to add regular government / civics in its place?

For the other classes:

  • AP statistics – what math have you previously taken?
  • AP environmental science – what science have you previously taken?
  • AP computer science – which one?

Note that AP statistics, environmental science, and computer science principles are not generally considered highly difficult courses compared to AP Spanish literature and English literature.

3 Likes
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Here is the UC History requirement:

Two years of history, including:

  • one year of world history, cultures or historical geography (may be a single yearlong course or two one-semester courses), and * one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government

Will you meet the minimum requirement by dropping AP Government or as noted by @ucbalumnus will you have a Civics or another Am Gov course to fulfill the requirement?

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UC’s=rigor

That said, Six AP courses is a lot for senior year unless these courses come naturally for you.
I’m basing the following on my own kids.

Senior year they had:
AP Calc classes.
AP Government
AP Literature
AP Physics
AP Comp Sci
They were all varsity sports team members. Two of them took a course in Bioengineering.

All three of them were admitted into the UCs. The schools look at your level of rigor, your GPA, and consistency.
I also would not change AP Government for an elective. Is there another class you’d be willing to substitute instead of AP government?

1 Like
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I read the OP as saying that AP Gov conflicts with the film elective. I am guessing AP Gov is only offered one period at the same time as the elective. OP could probably take regular Gov at a different time because it would have more sections.

All APs at my D’s school are like this. She had to drop orchestra this year to take AP Chem.

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My school only offers the film class during one period and as a result it is combined with normal government. I could either do Two APs or normal gov and the film class.

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The computer science would be principles.

Science: I’ve taken Honor bio, chem, and geology.

Math: Alg 1&2 and Geometry

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