Ive been researching post AP classes and I’m not completely sure what they are. I’ve heard that they’re unique to your high school (or community college, if you’re doing DE). Anyways, for something like math, I’ve heard Multivariable Calculus or Linear Algebra would be the Post-AP equivalent to AP Calc BC.
What would be some Post-AP History, or Post-AP Lang or Lit courses? I’m not exactly sure what English/History courses could be considered at a higher level, but what are some examples?
Also, I’m good in math and plan to go through AP Calc BC. That being said, I plan to major in a field in the humanities or liberal arts- would taking Multivariable Calc or Linear Algebra be of any benefit whatsoever?
Post-AP classes are similar to second-semester (or in some cases, like math, second-year) college courses! They’re basically what you take if you’ve finished the highest AP class before graduating. And yes, Multivariable Calc (sometimes Linear Algebra) is the first Post-AP Math that’s usually available.
I’m not sure about Post-AP History or English, but you may want to check your local college/university’s class list — see what they offer to those with AP credit; those are the classes that will most likely be offered.
Of course taking DE Classes (especially Post-AP level) will be useful! It can prove nicely as a back-up (in case you don’t want to pursue the humanities anymore, who knows?) or will allow you to be challenged adequately for the rest of high school! Plus, it looks great on your transcript, as a course that covers material harder than AP classes!
For English, post-AP courses could be more in-depth literature courses (commonly taken by English majors) or more advanced writing and communication courses (not necessarily about literature – e.g. writing about science).
For history, frosh/soph level courses are not sequenced, but can include courses on areas not found as AP courses. For example, you may find survey courses on various countries or regions in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. Junior/senior level history courses are commonly more specialized, such as the Byzantine empire, history of US immigration, history of science, etc…
Depends on which liberal arts. Science definitely. Economics definitely. Other social studies, depends on if you go heavy into quantitative and statistical analysis. Humanities, not really, except that if you take math courses with proofs, they can give you practice with logic that you may encounter if you major in philosophy. Math courses with proofs can give general practice with logical thinking that you may not get much of in many majors.
But how hard would you say Linear Algebra or Multivariable Calculus is? My hope is to take four post APs Senior Year as DE classes, which would give me more time to work on college applications, interviews, etc., than if I took all my classes at the high school. However, if something such as Multivariable Calc or Linear Algebra was extremely rigorous or difficult to grasp, I don’t see the advantage of spending my time on it over say, AP Statistics (seeing that I don’t plan on being a STEM major).
The issue is now that I would have to take Pre-Calc over the summer to take AP Calc Junior Year, which would allow me to take an upper math Senior Year. However, as a non-STEM major, are there many valid justifications for all this extra math work?
Our high school offer six full years of AP or IB social studies so I’m not aware of any students needing to take classes beyond AP or IB classes offered. Typically classes Beyond calc BC for high school would not be recommended for students who are not extremely good at math. You say you are very good at math but if you’re only on track to take pre-calc in 11th grade I’m not sure that’s the case.
I would second @VickiSoCal here; Post-AP/DE classes are meant for kids who are already at that level with ease. So for math, if you’re on track to take Precalculus in junior year, I wouldn’t necessarily aim for DE just yet. Seeing that you’re not on the usual track for kids who do take DE Linear Algebra/Calc III, you might not need to push yourself unnecessarily to get to that option.
I’m only a sophomore this year, but I will be taking a class with a Linear Algebra component in it next year. So unfortunately I cannot speak for its difficulty just yet; but I’m assuming it will be harder (or similar) to Calculus BC in rigor and material depth.
Four post-AP courses in your senior year sounds extremely difficult, and not of much use if you have to exert too much effort to get to them. Why do you think four DE classes will give you more time to work on the college admissions process? If that’s the regular courseload for college freshmen at the college you’re taking these classes at, I would assume that they require as much, if not more, dedication than a full high school timetable.
I would suggest you to take AP Statistics, or look into Calculus AB then BC, if you’re not sure about the difficulty levels, seeing as you’re in Algebra II now (right?). Or look into taking Precalculus junior year then do BC senior year — don’t stress yourself about the DE ‘labeling’ too much if you’re not at that point yet!
Take pre-calculus next year and calculus senior year. Focus on taking your advanced classes (post AP) in humanities, including foreign language, history, philosophy, as well as some social sciences.
@VickiSoCal@VaporeonKid I am on the highest math track my school offers- the only reason I didn’t take Algebra II in the Fall and Pre Calc now is because of scheduling issues. But I am on the highest math track available, having made 97+ in every math class so far. That being said, it might be easier to focus on taking AP Stats as my Senior Year math and Post-APs in my Histories, Englishes, and Social Sciences, where I feel more comfortable in. My school offers all three AP Histories: AP World (taking this year), AP US History (taking next year), and AP Euro History (taking next year). My school doesn’t offer any IB classes so I don’t know how IB Histories are structured. AP Macroeconomics will count as my Senior Year Social Studies Credit but going for a Post-AP DE History seems like a good idea seeing that I wouldn’t have any Histories Senior Year and that’s what I tend to be strongest in.
Because of the way classes at the college are structured (often only twice or three times a week) I would have whole mornings of afternoons off two to three times a week when I don’t have class. Admittedly, I’d have to do my DE homework during that time, but any time leftover could go to college admissions process. That was my thought process, anyways.
@MYOS1634 I was aiming to take one AP Physics class Senior Year and was told it is best to have Calculus ahead of time, so that’s why I was aiming to do AP Calc AB/BC Junior Year. Is Calculus really needed ahead of time or would it be best to simply take AP Calc and AP Physics concurrently?
The AP Physics C curriculum, as it is structured, does not require knowledge of calculus beforehand. Concurrent enrollment with calc is fine. No need to accelerate your math curriculum solely to take AP Physics.
For admissions purposes, history and social sciences are lumped together. So no college will ding you for having taken econ instead of a history course, nor will any college give you brownie points for taking both econ and history. If you want to take a DE history class, by all means do so, but do it for the right reasons.
@VickiSoCal yes- I took US Gov freshmen year and am currently in AP Gov. We also require American Lit, which AP Lang covers, and Econ, which AP Macroeconomics or AP Microeconomics covers.
Are you talking about ap physics 1 or AP physics C?
Where are you with foreign language?
My recommendation (take with a grain of salt ) would be, if feasible
Junior year: AP English language, APush, foreign language level 4 or AP, pre-calculus honors, AP physics 1, one (2?) extra history and/or humanities or art.
Senior year: AP stats, AP economics, Fall semester History seminar or 200-level history, Honors English seminar or second level Freshman English or another not-first-level-freshman-English class, science for non majors, Foreign Language level 3/4/5 + Spring semester Philosophy, Anthropology or American studies (or another '… Studies" or interdisciplinary class), Foreign Language level 4/5/6, and one class that sounds fun.
My son is DE this year in multivariable calc, he is extremely good at math and it was hard for him. Just my two cents, but if you can take the AP in High school, do well enough on the AP exams and get credit for college math it would free up more time and money for you in college since it may fulfill your gen ed math credits for a humanities major. I don’t know if I would take AP or DE credits for your major in high school since some colleges will require you to take classes for your major at their college anyway
My school offers only one AP Physics so I assume it’s AP Physics I. I’ve completed French II and will take French III Junior Year. French IV and AP French are considered the same class at my school.
Here’s where I am with my current schedule:
Summer:
-DE Pre-Calc
Junior:
-AP English Language
-AP US History
-French III
-AP Calc AB
-AP Calc BC
-AP European History
-AP Biology
-Theatre
Senior:
-AP Macroeconomics
-AP French
-AP English Literature
-AP Physics I
-AP Statistics
-DE Post AP
-DE Post AP
-DE Post AP
Here’s what I see your proposed schedule as (just doing this so I can compare side by side. It’ll help me get a better feel for what we’re talking about. Please tell me if I got something wrong):
Junior:
-AP English Language
-AP US History
-French III
-Pre-Calculus
-AP Physics
-Extra History (AP Euro)
-Extra Arts (Theatre)
-Extra Class
Senior:
-AP Statistics
-AP Macroeconomics
-AP French
-DE History Seminar / 200 Level History
-DE English Seminar / 200 Level English
-DE Science Non-Major
-DE Philosophy / Anthropology / Interdisciplanary Study
-Additional Class (Theatre)
My dream school right now is Harvard so one aspect of my schedule I’m looking for is rigor. How would you say the rigor of the two schedules compare?
The main difference I see between the two schedules is that we’re dropping AP Biology, AP Literature, and AP Calculus altogether, and taking Pre Calc and AP Physics concurrently. Will AP Physics without Pre-Calc be difficult?
Also, I know there was a lot of discussion on another thread about AP Calculus. My school does it differently- AB is taught fall and BC is taught spring, and one cannot take BC without having AB first.
No need to cram math to be able to take post-calculus math while in high school. Many students, including STEM majors, go to college without having completed any post-calculus math.
If you wanted to add extra rigor, you could do this:
Junior:
-AP English Language
-AP US History
-French III
-Pre-Calculus
-AP Physics
-Extra History (AP Euro)
-Extra Arts (Theatre)
-Extra Class
Senior:
-AP Statistics => take Calculus 1 at the community college in the Fall, and Elementary Statistics DE in the Spring
-AP Macroeconomics => it’s a semester-long course, so add Micro or Comparative Gov?
-AP French
-DE History Seminar / 200 Level History
-DE English Seminar / 200 Level English
-DE Science Non-Major / DE Philosophy / Anthropology / Interdisciplanary Study
-Additional Class (Theatre)
) would be, if feasible