Taking AP Art History vs. AP Environmental Science for senior year?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

Hey guys! I’m going to be a senior in the fall. I am not surewhat course I should take between the two.

WGPA: 3.9706
UWGPA: 4.5000
(however this is subject to change due to me passing the AP Calc AB with a 5, so I’d have all straight As)

AP Scores:
AP Human Geo - 5
AP Euro - 4
AP Psych - 5
AP Calc AB - 5
AP French - 3
AP Eng Lang - 4
APUSH - 5

SAT Scores:
March 2016 - 1250
October 2016 - 1320
ACT: 27 first time, 28 second
Plan to take SAT again last time in August

Freshman year:
Eng 9 Pre-AP/Honors - A+/A
PE 1 - A+/A
Bio CP - A/A
French 2 - A+/A+
AP Human Geo - A+/A+
Alg 2 - A/A

Soph year:
Eng 10 Pre-AP/Honors - A+/A
French 3 - A+/A+
AP Euro - A/A
Pre-Calc - A-/A-
Art 1 - A+/A
Chem CP - A+/A

Junior Year:
APUSH - A+/A
AP Eng Lang - A/A
AP Calc AB - B/A (subject to change*)
AP French - A/A
Physics CP - A+/A+
AP Psych - A/A+

My senior schedule so far is:
French Tutor
AP US Gov/Econ
AP Calc BC
AP Prob & Stat
AP Eng Lit
AP Environ Sci

To get a picture of my future goals, I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine. I’m particularly interested in hematology and obstetics/gynecology. Thus, I am iffy on not taking a science for my senior year. I could take AP Chem first period instead of French Tutor, but I’m not really sure if I want to take that many APs. Plus, I want to continue being exposed to French as I’ll be taking the SAT Subject test in Oct for it. I really want to take AP Art History but I don’t know how that will make me look on college applications. I live in CA so I am planning to apply to UCLA, UCB, UCD, and UCSB with the intentions of majoring in Microbio, Biochem, Bio, or Molecular Bio. I’m also planning on applying to CSU Sac State, Cal Poly, and UW-Seattle.

I have been an art lover since I was young. I play the ukulele and guitar and I paint using acrylic, watercolors, as well as use oil and soft pastels. In one of my UC essays, I talk about my passion for art and how it has shaped how I saw life and dealt with a lot of my struggles. Besides those hobbies mentioned above, I also have +300 hours of community service mainly through my involvement in Key Club. I’ve also been in French Club, Environmental, GSA, CSF, NHS, and Girl Up (holding officer positions in a few of them). I co-started a UNICEF club at the end of my junior year.

I’m wondering if this will hurt my chances? Do colleges want to see alll 4 years with a science? I hope I can compensate for no science by volunteering at a hospital and shadowing a doctor on the weekend.

Thanks for your help in advance!
Also, if anyone has any suggestions for any other colleges I should apply to, let me know below!

2

I’m torn as well… I think as a stem major, you should never take a year off of science. But on the other hand, art history was a major catalyst for my love and interest in art. I really, really loved that class (I discovered new art styles, questioned the meaning of art, what makes an artist, etc; it was sooo much fun…)

Either class would not be the deciding factor in your admissions, however. You’re challenging yourself by taking many difficult APs, and that’s about as much as they care…

In my experience, I’ve come to believe that you should take the classes you are interested in during high school, since college scheduling and costs may make it difficult to ever take that class again.

In my opinion, I would drop APES for art history, and drop that double math (AP stat) in favor of Chem. My upperclassman who is currently at Tulane (and wants to be a doctor) told me she mostly regrets not taking AP Chem bc chemistry is a weed out class there.

3

It looks to me like your gpa is solid, but your ACT and SAT are definitely low for the first four schools you list. Maybe they are average for Cal Poly, which is an excellent school. If you can get your scores just a bit higher, it should improve your chances.

If you are applying for pre-med programs, I think admissions at the better schools will look for AP Bio and AP Chem, AP English and AP Calc. Down the list, they may not look at that in as much detail.

Still, I would suggest AP Bio or AP Chem for your own learning. The more you know going in, the better your chances of doing well in your pre-med program, and being admitted into medical school. With only about 50% of students who apply to medical schools being admitted to any medical schools, I recommend giving yourself all the advantages you can at every opportunity.

Also consider adding a study hall and dropping one or two other APs. Why so many?

4

I can tell you from personal experience that AP Environmental Science is one of the easiest science AP’s there is. The only real teacher I had for that class was the textbook and I still managed to do well in the class and on the AP exam. If you’re applying as a biology major and don’t have the option to take bio or chem in senior year, I think you should take Environmental Science. Colleges want to see that you are committed to your chosen field of study both inside and outside of the classroom, so related extracurriculars (while beneficial) can’t really substitute for your classes, especially if the colleges see that your high school offers science AP’s but you chose not to take them. Once you start college, you’ll have plenty of time to take as many art classes as you want, so don’t worry!

5

AP Environmental Science is such an interesting course. I took it last year with no prior knowledge, and it definitely impacted what I want to do in college. The information is pretty easy to grasp. As stated above, APES is one the easier AP classes considering your senior schedule. On the other hand, do what you want to do. If you enjoy art, then take AP Art History. No harm in doing so; plus you are a senior. Try something new for a change :slight_smile:

6

You most likely will Not have time to take all the art classes you want in college because, again, costs. But take the class that you think will be most beneficial to you; they are all interesting courses. Art seems to be to your liking, and Chem would help most with a premed track. Environmental wouldn’t help with much because it is considered one of the easier APs and isn’t used in Med, but it is still a cool class to take.

7

When it came to Senior year, which AP tests I took were the ones that would give me college credit in an area that would knock off GEs or help me advance in my major. One should check with the schools they are applying to, but as a former Sac State student (sounds like this school might be a safety or cheapest alternative) – AP Environmental Science now fulfils GE requirements that would have been fulfilled by your major anyways whereas Art History and Art Studio are the only AP tests that will knock out the art class GE… AP Art History I’d say is a staple AP class along with English (Lit over Lang), Biology, US History, and Calculus.

8

How much is the workload for the other AP’s that you are already taking? If it isn’t too bad then I would stick to AP environmental but if it’s a lot then I would take AP art.

9

My senior schedule so far is:
French Tutor
AP US Gov/Econ
AP Calc BC
AP Prob & Stat
AP Eng Lit
AP Environ Sci

For a medicine career, you should take AP Chem or AP Bio. Keep Calc BC and Eng Lit and drop anything else you have to take AP Bio or AP Chem.

ALl the other pre-med students will have taken those…