Which path to take for Jr. and Sr. year

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

Hello all. I’m a new user on college confidential, but I’ve read many threads here. I’m a 10th grader in high school, and I thought I had my next two years of classes planned out, but I’m considering another possibility now.

I want to major in Computer Engineering at a university somewhere northeast, which is all out of state for me. I’m looking at applying to ivy leagues, as well as MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Boston University, and a few others. So I’m looking to get into the engineering programs at prestigious colleges, and I’ll need lots of scholarships too.

So, I would like to know you’re opinions on which path would better help me reach this goal, and why.

Original plans:
Junior year:
AP US History
Pre calc
AP Statistics
AP Lang
Chemistry H
Drafting 2
Band
Chinese 2 (on FLVS)

Summer 2017:
Sign Language 1 & 2 at local community college

Senior Year:
AP Gov and Econ
AP Calc BC (2 class periods)
AP Lit
AP Computer Science
Drafting 3
Band
Chinese 3 (on FLVS)

Possible new plans:
This summer:
ENC1101 at community college
Pre-calc equivalent at community college

Junior Year:
AP Lit or Lang
AP Calc BC (2 class periods)
AP US History
AP Gov and Econ
Chemistry H
Drafting 2
Chinese 2 & 3 (on FLVS)

Summer 2017:
Sign Language 1 & 2 at community college

Senior Year:
Early admit at community college and take a few engineering courses

Also AP Computer Science needs to go somewhere before senior year

So, I’m wondering which of these options is more likely to put me on the path I want to be on. I’m also looking for any way to make either plan better. I’m also looking at which AP classes I should take on FLVS vs in the classroom.
In case it’s needed, I’ll provide the classes I’ve previously taken below. I’ve always had all A’s.

Before high school:
Algebra 1 Honors
Earth Space Science Honors

9th Grade:
Geometry Honors
Biology Honors
English 1 Honors
African American History/World Cultural Geography
Intro to IT
HOPE
Band

10th grade:
Algebra 2 Honors
Physics Honors
English 2 Honors
AP World History
AP Psychology
Drafting 1
Band
Chinese 1 (on FLVS)

Thanks in advance for any advice you may leave.

2

No need to take pre-calculus over the summer.
However if you could take AP physics C seniorbyezr, it’d help, or DE Physics or AP physics 1.
Why do you want to take Sign Language at the community college?
Can you do a mix between your two possibilities?

3

I’ll likely take pre-calculus over the summer either way.
My school does not offer AP Physics, and dual enrollment physics requires having already taken calculus.
Sign Language is just something I’m interested in learning.
A lot of classes at the community college are only open to early admit students, not just dual enrollment students. To early admit, you have to have completed taking your high school courses.

4

I think your original plan looks the best.
I doubt you can get into early admit, because you don’t have the usual complement of high school courses. You would only have 3 english credits, for example, and the vast majority of states require 4 for a high school diploma.
Also, if you want to do precalc over the summer, just do calc AB. There is no way you’ll be as familiar with precalc as the kids who took a full year of it. You may end up really struggling in BC.

5

Some people may tell you that you need the highest level of math possible to get into engineering programs for undergrad, but I know people who got into MIT with just calc AB. Since engineering uses so much math, rushing through precalc will probably hurt you more than help you in the future.

6

ENC1101 will count for the third english, and AP Lang will count for the fourth. If I don’t end up early admitting, I can take calc AB junior year and calc BC senior year. I’m thinking of talking to the current AP Calc teacher at my school about it.

7

I agree with Anana: you really shouldn’t rush through precalc if you intend to study STEM, and if you intend to go through a quick summer course that can’t possibly be as thorough as a year-long course, take Calc AB. It’s absolutely fine to take AB for an engineering path. If you can do Calc AB one year, BC the other, it’s doable since there should be sufficient review embedded in each year.
All in all though I’d advise spending a full year on precalc honors.

8

As a mix between the two, I could still do
pre-calc and enc1101 at the college this summer, and take AP Econ on FLVS over the summer,
leaving 11th grade to

Band (or Virtual Lab)
Drafting 2
AP Lang
AP US History
AP Calc AB (takes up 2 class periods)
Chemistry Honors
Chinese 2 (on FLVS)

summer 2017:
ASL 1 and 2 at community college
AP Gov on FLVS

12th grade:
Band
Drafting 3
AP Calc BC (takes 2 class periods)
AP Stats
Physics at community college
Chinese 3 (on FLVS)

and it would still work if I wanted to early admit instead because I’d have all the classes I absolutely need before senior year.

9

Are there 2 separate summer sessions at your CC? doing 2 courses in one session could be a lot

10

Yes, there is a summer A and a summer B, however both pre-calc and ENC 1101 are in the same session.