I’m trying to help D27 figure out their course plan for the rest of high school, and I’m bumping on a science question.
She took Bio this year and will take Chem next year. When I was a kid, Junior year was physics, but my kids’ school doesn’t offer physics as an academic or even honors class. Students who want to take physics must take an AP Class (confusingly, the school offers 3 AP physics classes).
For C24, I didn’t think anything of this; it’s only as they’ve been applying to colleges that I realized physics is still in the normal/expected HS science progression (they took earth science, bio and chem). But now that I know, I’m not sure how to advise D27.
My own HS physics experience was miserable, so I don’t love the idea of asking D27 to dive directly into an AP-level class. But also, I feel like she should probably take physics, and that’s the only choice offered. If not physics, she’ll probably take AP Bio or AP Environmental Science.
FWIW, D27 is interested in becoming a psychologist (or maybe a Youtuber), and in Junior year she’ll be taking AP Calc A/B. She doesn’t love math, but does pretty well at it.
AP Physics 1 is basically the replacement for honors physics. And really, high schools did a disservice by eliminating honors physics, but that’s another discussion. It’s only slightly more intimidating than AP precalculus - another Mickey Mouse course designed to create more revenue for the CB.
If she’s interested in selective colleges, I would not recommend forgoing physics
AP Bio is typically considered more challenging than AP Env. Sci, if she is planning an AP science other than physics. And, being in the field myself, I think, from experience, a background in biology (especially genetics & anatomy) is going to be more helpful to a psych major, especially if she has interest in neuroscience. But, top schools will want to see rigor.
If she is looking towards competitive colleges, completion of a sequence of bio, chem, and physics is typical. I would have your D work with her current teachers/guidance counselor to determine the proper placement.
Is YouTuber a new ‘profession’ like psychologist or fireman ?
Obviously those that pull it off - awesome. I jest. As an old guy it’s funny to hear.
I really think the answer to your question lies in the type of school your student will pursue.
A top LAC will have different hs standards than a solid LAC or even most colleges.
My daughter took APES and did fine - including near top publics (UF, UGA, UMD) and LACs (w&L), midsize (Miami, Denver, American) and then many with less competitive admits.
She’s never taken physics at any level.
Look at your student’s potential list and you can decide from there.
A 9th grade student is unlikely to have a even a rudimentary college list at this point. But, if they want to keep their options open, Physics would win over AP Bio (assuming she can get at least a B in it).
Adding in. CollegeBoard designed AP Physics to be a first-year course (i.e., no prerequisite), whereas AP Chem and AP Bio were designed to be second-year courses.
So taking AP Physics as a junior without another physics class beforehand is typical.
I’ve asked her to make a counselor appointment, but I’m not holding my breath for advice aimed at college admissions. In my experience so far, the counseling staff urges kids to challenge themselves as little as possible, and to take only those classes that will get them into one of the schools in our State system.
(lest you think I am exaggerating, my eldest was advised, when entering high school, not to take honors-level or AP classes their first year, and was told as a rising senior that since they were planning to pursue a major in the performing arts, they didn’t need to take either science or math their senior year.
Just noticed rereading - a freshman - def time to wait.
By the middle of next year, her interests will be more defined. Her gpa will be telling too etc.
You’ll know if it’s Harvard or Hofstra or the type school of interest and if psych is still in mind. If it or another social science is, you can in your mind think ok - AP Stats in 12th.
But I don’t see a need to game plan all four years. Sounds like the first two are done.
Going further might put her in a feeling of unease or discomfort - ie too much pressure.
There’s zero reason for a 9th grader to have a college counseling appointment in my opinion other to ensure you are covering the core classes which I assume you are (FL, social science, English etc)
My younger kid found that she needed three LAB sciences for the colleges she was considering. She took general physical science, biology, chemistry, anatomy/physiology (DE). She never took physics in high school. And none of her sciences were AP sciences. She also never took calculus in high school.
Disclaimer, she graduated from undergrad in 2010…but with a double major in bioengineering and biology. She took both physics and calculus her freshman year of college…and she was fine.
Have things changed that much that a student must take AP sciences now?
Another sample of one:
D22 took (F) Honors Physical Science, (S) Honors Biology AND Honors Chemistry, (Jr) AP Biology, (Sr) Advanced Anatomy & Physiology
Now admittedly she was looking at a health sciences or nursing track which made Physics pretty easy to forego. None of the BSN programs she applied to required Physics.
I tend to think if she’s leaning toward Psych that AP Bio would be fine/better, but there is a chance there will be some schools that will want Physics.
But users on College Confidential (or Reddit for that matter) are not a representative subset of college-bound high school students and their parents.
And TBH, I don’t know how AP Bio and APES even got inserted into this thread. Regardless, OP’s D is a freshman taking bio. I think she’s got time to decide what to take as a junior and senior.
Ap Physics 1 is an “intro to physics” class. The comparison to AP precalculus is very apt.
Ap physics C has 2 levels and requires knowledge of physics AND calculus. It’s a hardcore science class for future engineers/physics majors at top colleges.
There’s also AP Physics 2 which mimics the 2nd semester of physics for prehealth/bio majors.
AP Environmental Science can be added as an extra science for kids who like science, or can be the science course for kids who don’t plan to major in science or can give a taste of the subject for future environmental policy, environmental science, environmental engineering majors. With AP Human Geography it’s one of the few AP courses that deals with what’s going on in the world right now.
Keep options open for jr-sr year, with potentially AP Bio, AP Environmental, AP Physics 1 -you still have time to decide.
My personal feeling is ideally college prep kids should at a minimum take all three of Bio, Chem, and Physics, and then whatever advanced elective they like. I think that is good for them just educationally, and should be good for college applications too.
Is that strictly necessary? Not in all cases, but it keeps your options maximally open. And again, I think it is good for them educationally.
Np, but high school physics is commonly a recommended prerequisite for physics in college. So it may not be a matter of taking AP physics, but of taking some kind of physics in high school.
My humanities kid was really unsure about taking AP Physics 1 junior year…and ended up liking it so much that he took E&M senior year. If you had asked him freshman year whether this was a plausible science sequence for him, he would have laughed at you.
So my advice is: It’s early. Don’t make any decisions now. And don’t be afraid of physics.
