HS: taking a regular class and then the AP class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that would be tremendously boring...they are basically the same class. APUSH doesnt go much deeper, just teaches more to the test.

+1 I think US History is a bad example. But it's not uncommon at my kids HS for a student to take regular psychology and then AP psychology. The regular class is a fairly light overview with a lot of focus on mental health and learning, things that are very relatable for the students. AP goes deeper and has a big research component. Same with other sciences -- you are required to take honors biology or honors chemistry before taking the AP class.

I know someone who did that with Pych. I did not think it was a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the school, students might have to take Bio before AP Bio, or Chem before AP Chem. So in sciences, I don't think they'd see is as duplication so much as in history classes.

Our school requires the regular/honors prior to the AP for science.

[Anonymous]

OP the only place where Honors or regular class to AP of that class matters is the sciences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that would be tremendously boring...they are basically the same class. APUSH doesnt go much deeper, just teaches more to the test.

+1 I think US History is a bad example. But it's not uncommon at my kids HS for a student to take regular psychology and then AP psychology. The regular class is a fairly light overview with a lot of focus on mental health and learning, things that are very relatable for the students. AP goes deeper and has a big research component. Same with other sciences -- you are required to take honors biology or honors chemistry before taking the AP class.

That's even more ridiculous. AP Psych is already the fluffiest AP class. Taking it twice is anti-rigor.

Bio, Chem, Physics is a whole different ballgame. (But those get weird due to varying double-period schedules and the cluster*** of the 4 AP Physics courses)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would colleges see this?

Say, if a student took US history one year, then AP US history the following year. Got a B in the US History class, but liked the subject and wanted to take APUSH the following year.

I tend to think colleges would look down on this but IDK for sure.

Thoughts?

AP social studies don't teach more. They just demand more work. Take World or Euro of you want more history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would colleges see this?

Say, if a student took US history one year, then AP US history the following year. Got a B in the US History class, but liked the subject and wanted to take APUSH the following year.

I tend to think colleges would look down on this but IDK for sure.

Thoughts?

AP social studies don't teach more. They just demand more work. Take World or Euro of you want more history. [/quote

I'd agree with this. And then even if the student wanted to, say, major in history and even focus on US history, they could discuss how that initial US history class inspired them to do AP history classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the school, students might have to take Bio before AP Bio, or Chem before AP Chem. So in sciences, I don't think they'd see is as duplication so much as in history classes.

Our school requires the regular/honors prior to the AP for science.

Same. APS.

[Anonymous]

Our school system requires two years of US History.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid took Honors Chemistry and loved it and is interested in taking AP Chem. There is some stuff that repeats, but a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't covered in the Honors class.

It is a requirement that you have taken honors chem to take AP chem or honors physics to take AP Physics at some schools. So that would not be uncommon. It is uncommon with humanities courses.

[Anonymous]

That is basically taking the same class.

However, for science courses, many HS require students to take the Regular/Honors before doing AP. For example, all kids take Biology, chemistry and physics (regular style--we don't have honors) and then select which ones they want to take AP in, but the regular version is a prerequisite. For that it makes sense. College level Chemistry without ever having taking a full chemistry course would be worthless for most kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the school, students might have to take Bio before AP Bio, or Chem before AP Chem. So in sciences, I don't think they'd see is as duplication so much as in history classes.

I feel like that's how it was "back in my day." It's just modern times that kids fling themselves into the AP sciences without any background.

our HS does not allow it. You must have the "regular/honors version" before taking AP There's a reason for that---nobody should be taking College level chemistry (which is AP chem) without a background in chemistry course for a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school's required science sequence is chem, physics, AP bio, then any AP science elective you want. No APs in 9th and only APUSH allowed in 10th. This has not held students back from Harvard and the like.

Our schools don't require this, so that's why I'm not sure how colleges would view it.

So, what I'm understanding is that going this route for science classes is ok (from a college admissions perspective), but not classes like APUSH.

Because for APUSH it would be the same course as for Honors US History---same material is being covered. For AP Chemistry, that is an introductory level first year chemistry course. Whereas reg chemistry/Honors Chemistry is just a first year HS level chemistry course. Different material.

IMO, pushing kids directly to AP Chem or AP Biology or AP Physics without the regular course is ridiculous---kids should be actually learning the material and I'm not sure how that happens when you don't know the "assumed prerequisite material". Chem 101 at most schools assumes you have taken a regular Chemistry course in HS, in fact many of them assume you have taken AP Chemistry and the kids with only regular/honros HS Chem often struggle and need a "remedial college course" to catch up. So I cannot imagine putting a HS kid at age 15/16 into AP Chem with no chem background

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that would be tremendously boring...they are basically the same class. APUSH doesnt go much deeper, just teaches more to the test.

+1 I think US History is a bad example. But it's not uncommon at my kids HS for a student to take regular psychology and then AP psychology. The regular class is a fairly light overview with a lot of focus on mental health and learning, things that are very relatable for the students. AP goes deeper and has a big research component. Same with other sciences -- you are required to take honors biology or honors chemistry before taking the AP class.

That's even more ridiculous. AP Psych is already the fluffiest AP class. Taking it twice is anti-rigor.

Bio, Chem, Physics is a whole different ballgame. (But those get weird due to varying double-period schedules and the cluster*** of the 4 AP Physics courses)

The only AP physics worth taking is AP Physics C Mechanics (and then E&M is your school offers it). Physics 1 and 2 are not really worth it