I just scheduled class for my junior year next year, but I’m starting to feel some regrets for not enrolling in AP Psychology (even though my schedule is already pretty busy for next year). I’ve heard really good things about this class! (p.s- I can always change my schedule but my school is kinda strict with deadlines for changes)
What are everyone’s thoughts on AP Pysch? Am I missing out on a lot? Will not taking this AP hurt me in the future/when I apply for colleges/etc.?
No
The answer to both questions depends on the school and teacher. And there’s always senior year.
Whether you should take it as a junior or as a senior or at all is a personal decision based several things including career interests, course schedule.
What’s your Jr schedule like as of now?
Have you taken an AP class before?
Are you interested in psychology?
I’m going to be blunt because I think in your case it may be helpful.
Among the parents of college bound kids I know, AP Psych is not considered a particularly rigorous class, and it is treated more as an elective than a core class. And it is fine to take as an elective if you have an interest in Psych, like the teacher, or so on. But I don’t think anyone I know would think you had to take it to impress colleges.
In fact our feederish HS offers Psych (not as an AP, but we offer few APs), and I don’t know of any of the serious STEM kids who took it. It is usually more favored by the non-STEM kids who have completed the core Bio/Chem/Physics sequence and do not want to do the advanced versions of any of those. It actually cannot be used to help satisfy our 3 years of Science requirement.
My D took AP Psych as an elective and enjoyed it – but I would not overload your schedule to take the class.
Thanks everyone for your feedback!
At my school AP Psych is counted for as an elective.
My career interests are in the health field possibly going into public health, medicine, etc. but I’m not pin pointed in one way yet.
I have taken AP European History this year as a sophomore. My Junior schedule is 3 APs (Stats, US Hist., and Lang), 2 “regular” science courses/medical academy, my sport, and ASB. I also have other ECs like volunteering, job, and possibly interning somewhere.
Whether I do take it or not, since it is one of the easier APs, do you think colleges would look at it more as “I took this AP because it was one of the easier ones” or would taking this AP actually look good towards my desired field of interest? At my school, it is offered here and I believe quite a lot of people take it.
It is always fine to take electives that interest you.
Make sure you take precalculus and, if possible, calculus, as dell as Spanish (or another foreign language) through level 3 or 4. That will matter more to college adcoms.
Based on your schedule (and assuming you have the 2 classes above as well as a science, AP Lang and APUSH) Ap Psych will look like a rigorous elective, nice to have but no deal breaker.
For selective colleges, 5 periods must be academic, 6 preferably.
Note that your sport and ASB do not “count” as core or academic classes.