It is a tough decision. Really consider the risk-benefit to yourself. Why tippy top colleges? As things are, you are in a great position to get into all kinds of schools that would love to have a student like you. Is Yale that important, especially given the extremely small chance of admission, even if you do manage to squeeze in physics and bring your test score up? Is it going to be worth your summer if you do it, and will the extra study hours pay you back?
I have spent a lot of time on CC over the years, and I have a child in college who worked her tail off in high school. She is at a great college, but not a tippy top. She is at the best college for her though, and is happy, as are we. It gets repeated here all the time, but I do think students end up where they are meant to end up (if they apply wisely.) As far as accepting uncertainty, it is part of the experience, but you can make the unknown a little more known. By that, I mean apply to a good range of schools and emphasize the ones that you are likely to get into, that you like and can afford. Any schools you get into beyond that are a bonus.
@aquapt Woah your response is so helpful! I will probably do what you have suggested because it makes so much sense to me! Because, really, I love the French language and would much rather spend my summer learning it instead of Physics. Also, I’m in a really good position to take the AP French exam this year because I’m in the Honors 4/AP 5 french class that covers the same material. I wish I could practice french everyday at school next year but taking AP Physics would be a good choice if I am applying to the ‘tippy top’ schools. @Lindagaf Thank you so much It was really reassuring to read your comment and I am starting to feel a little better about this whole process. I’m off to do more research now!
@aquapt hit a home run. I was going to say that, in order to make your application stronger, you should do something to prove just how proficient you are in French and Russian. My examples would have been taking an AP, taking the SAT Subject Test for it, taking a national exam, or some other type of test. Taking a French college class during the summer is brilliant because there is a second data point for your grades besides your HS and it frees up a class period for science. I still think it would be a good idea to prove your Russian proficiency. I think that’s a bit unusual and makes you interesting. BTW, I love your bakery essay idea.
My only question for the more knowledgeable CCers is, does it really have to be physics, or can it be AP Bio? Since OP isn’t going to be a stem major and will graduate with 4 years of science, and AP Bio is rigorous, won’t that work just as well for her if she finds it more interesting? My D’s HS counselor said that was fine, but I’m from an under-represented state so the requirements for us might be a little looser than for someone from an over-represented area like the San Francisco Bay Area (isn’t that where OP is from?). OP had originally asked about AP CS instead, but I don’t think that will be a satisfactory substitute for physics since it’s not a lab science. Opinions?
Four years of science will help you a lot with UC admissions, too. So will 1st-gen status and “leadership cred” - if you can boost your SAT/ACT a little, you’ll be a very strong UC candidate. Since you’re already looking at UCB, check out this program - it could be a good fit with your interests: http://sciencespo.berkeley.edu/ The beauty of it is that you spend your first two years in France, when you’d have been mostly in large lecture classes at UCB anyway, and then return to CA to take the smaller, upper-division classes at Berkeley.
@melvin123 , I really think if she takes another science, it has to be physics. I don’t think it has to be AP physics though. That’s a really tough course, and she has plenty of other course rigor. She isn’t planning on majoring in sciences, and there is a risk that she won’t do well in AP physics given that she already has four APs planned for next year. She doesn’t want to compromise a high GPA. If honors physics is offered, she could do that. I love the idea of doing French over the summer, rather than physics, but only if the OP feels she needs to do it that way.
I’m not sure it has to be physics, instead of AP bio, when everything else about a student fits all a top college wants. That’s the 64 million dollar question here: there’s lots we don’t know about OP: the score split, class rigor, why two years of “leadership class” and what that means (most schools dont offer it or only go one semester or one year. This course has thrown off her hs schedule, incl the requirement for PE.) And whether, through the internship or other, in addition to focus on “disposable utensils,” she’s done something for the people needs in her community, that sort of good, volunteerimg or advocacy, that dedicated commitment and challenge.
I would say that Physics should be the default choice, as some colleges require it or at least consider it important, and OP’s courses have been weighted toward life sciences up 'til now. If she were extra-passionate about Biology, there might be a case for AP Bio instead, but since she’s more interested in humanities and social sciences going forward, a balanced science background is probably better. However, programs vary. If it happened that her particular school had a phenomenal AP Bio teacher and an abysmal Physics program, that could override the general-case advice. Or, scheduling constraints could end up making the decision for her. As for the relative difficulty, it varies both by school/instructor and by which version of AP Physics is offered. My D took both AP Bio and AP Physics 1, and there wasn’t a noticeable difference in difficulty. Physics was obviously more math-y and Bio required more memorization; what’s harder for one student could be easier for another. The AP Physics C classes are more demanding than Physics 1. Since OP is taking four academic classes, not five, and is a strong student, I wouldn’t be too worried about any single class being too difficult unless she has a specific area of true weakness that we don’t know about.
Re: @lookingforward ‘s question about “leadership” - this was not OP’s choice. I experienced this at my daughters’ school; my older d was involved in student government her freshman year ('09-'10), but then the structure was changed such that devoting one of the six class periods to the “leadership” class was a condition of participation. Since their school is an arts magnet, the result of this policy was to purge most of the academically high-achieving performing arts kids, including my d, from student government. OP has prioritized student government and worked her way up to ASB President. It isn’t as if she has chosen “fluff” in her schedule for no reason; it’s the price of admission for that commitment.
OP is looking at a more math-heavy year than she’s used to, particularly if her Calculus class is Calc BC; but if she does well, it will likely be the last higher math and physics she ever has to take, so probably worth paying those dues now so that she’ll be more free to focus on her passions in college. (And senior year is the time to do this, because it won’t matter a lot if she doesn’t knock the spring grades and AP scores out of the park.) French would have been a rerun of the same mixed-level high school class anyway, so it’s not like she’ll be missing out on untold inspiration, just practice that can be accomplished in other ways. (A few minutes a day on the Duolingo app did the trick for my d.)
I think honors physics (as OP seems able to handle it - if not, regular Physics, or if not offered AP Physics 1 which serves as the Physic honors course at many high schools), AP Calculus AB, and the rest of the program, along with dual enrollment French over the summer - and, why not, during the year, too - would demonstrate excellent rigor.
In addition, external validation of linguistic fluency would be highly recommended.
Regardless of whether some hs require Leadership, taking it for two years (and whatever else) has messed up OP’s schedule, to the point where she needs to squeeze in PE and has only two years of lab sci (for colleges other than UC, which counts APES.) ASB is honorable, sure. But now she’s left with tough choices. ASB won’t tip her into a top college, by itself. We have an incomplete picture of what she has taken, in toto, and for now, the scores are on the low side. The languages are also nice, but even external validation isn’t a tip, if other aspects are missing.
This is where we on CC usually like to see reasonable and affordable safeties, a realistic sense of what those are.
I’m surprised she may be interested in a govt major and something pushed that to senior year, too. Maybe that was beyond her control.
Yes, AP Gov is a 12th grade class. Students have no option to take it early.
And I think the impact of the leadership class, as a condition of ASB participation, is a lousy sacrifice to ask of top students who want to participate in student government… but OP chose to make that investment, and made the most of it by landing the top leadership position. FWIW, the kids I know from my d’s school who followed that trajectory are at Berkeley now. Agreed that boosting the standardized test scores will help, but OP already has a plan toward that end. If we have an incomplete picture, it’s because OP started this thread to ask a specific question; and I think she gave enough information for us to give sound advice on that particular issue.
I can only take Gov in 12th grade. No way around that at my school.
If I take French over the summer, this is what my senior schedule will look like:
AP English
AP Gov
Economics (0 period: 7-8am, required)
AP Calc AB
PE (Judo)
Leadership
and…a science
I think that my science class needs to be an AP because otherwise, my schedule won’t be rigorous enough. I would prefer to take AP Bio because my school’s AP Bio teacher is REALLY good and it’s more interesting (we get to breed fruit flies and stuff). The AP Physics course at my school is crazy hard and even top students struggle with Cs and B-s in that class. I science is definitely a weakness of mine and I worry that I would not be able keep an A in that course. Honors Physics is not offered at my school.
I plan to take the AP French exam this year. And I plan to study French over the summer at a local college (currently looking into UC Berkeley’s Summer Commuter Program…?)
Let me tell you about Leadership. We run the majority of the school’s events and deal with a large portion of the school’s money. It’s a class of 70 people and within the class we are broken up into committees such as Spirit, Environmental, etc. I have been in the Assembly Committee since the beginning of Sophomore year. It’s a committee of four people and we have to put on 6 assemblies every year. We run the Homecoming rally, Talent Shows of all sorts and hold an annual Unity Assembly that celebrates the cultural diversity at my school. Additionally, we hold an annual Social Justice Assembly. In the past years we have held an LGBTQ Assembly, an assembly in honor of Black History Month and more. This year, we are putting together a Mental Health Awareness assembly which has been both a fascinating and saddening experience. We learn a lot about the students at my school this way. Our administration and Leadership teachers are pretty hands off so being on this committee is A LOT of work both during and after school and we have to regularly deal with a large load of pressure. Not only to we plan every aspect of it, we also host it in front of the entire school (2,000 students). I also do quite a bit of community service in Leadership and am expected to fundraise for the my class of 2019. We do quite a few communal events as well. Last year, we collectively campaigned for measure B1, which saved our school’s financial program (this has to do with taxes and what not, it’s complex). Because my best friend is in the committee that makes the school newscasts and other school wide videos, I get to anchor some of the newscasts and help create the fun traditional “Winter Video” at our school. Next year, I will be ASB president. It’s quite the experience. I love it a lot.
My other ECs are on the first page of this thread. My ECs are not just something I do just because they look good…they are an extension of who I am. I do everything with a purpose.
Is there a form of AP economics or honors economics? Sometimes schools combo it with AP gov.
Summer commuter at UCB would be good for French - their level 3 is roughly AP. Then hopefully you could continue with a cc or even UCB French 4 during the year.
In the be, because your most likely college is going to be a UC it’d make sense to take AP Bio but do know that not taking physics may be a problem at private schools.
In addition, make sure that your GC lists clearly that it’s not possible to take gov before senior year and that ASB is a required class for all leadership activities the school supports or sponsors. You may want to include it in your ‘college bragsheet’ (if you don’t know what that is, look it up).
Take AP bio if that’s more interesting, and let the chips fall where they may. MYOS is right though. Talk to your counselor and ask if he/she will be checking the “most rigorous” box on your app. 3 APs senior year is not slacking, plus you will have your AP French equivalent and whatever other AP and honors classes you have done. I personally think you risk hurting your GPA with AP physics and you should take regular or honors. A non-AP class won’t break your app if everything else is there. We know you aren’t that interested in physics: we know that you are interested in Ivy League schools. It comes down to deciding how much you are willing to do for a mere chance, and a small one at that.
It was really reassuring to read your comment and I am starting to feel a little better about this whole process. I’m off to do more research now!