I have a slot in my HS schedule for either APES or PLTW digital electronics. I want to do chemical engineering, so I think they’re equally somewhat, but not really relevant to the career I want. APES could potentially get me college credit, whereas digital electronics probably won’t because very few colleges give credit for PLTW classes.
However, my question is about rigor from a college’s point of view. This is my schedule for my senior year and I would rather have a more challenging than a less challenging senior year from a college’s point of view. Digital electronics is known to be one of the hardest classes in my school, but I don’t think PLTW is widely known. Would colleges assume that APES, being an AP class, is a more rigorous class?
At my school, APES is a joke and is considered the easiest AP class. However, PLTW classes, while they are known by colleges, aren’t exactly rigorous either. It’s a very hard choice.
I would just flip a coin or ask your counselor to pick for you.
APES is known as an ‘AP lite’.
Therefore colleges won’t assume it’s more rigorous than PLTW, probably the opposite.
However you don’t want to overload senior year, when you’ll have the extra, hidden class called ‘writing college essays’ ;).
What else are you taking ?
I am doing the IB diploma, so I am taking English HL, Math HL, Chemistry HL, Econ Hl, and Spanish SL (I did physics SL my junior year). I am also taking PLTW biomedical science and I am taking dance for my final gym credit :P. I was originally leaning towards digital electronics because it is a more interesting course, but I was just wondering if, in terms of planning for college, it would be worth a substantially harder course load, given that my other option is to have an easier course load that colleges think is equal-ish in rigor and the potential for college credit.
ok, your schedule is plenty rigorous… no need to overload by taking either class. With 4 HL’s and the IBD, you’ll be plenty busy. You don’t need to take anything else, but if you do, take the easiest class. My advice would be NOT to take any extra class since you already have plenty (+ college apps, where doing a great job is paramount, and that takes time).