High School Classes

[Anonymous]

My dc is a sophomore and currently taking one AP class. In thinking about college admissions, what AP courses should dc take junior year? Stick to math, science and English APs? Are APs in other subjects like foreign language, psychology, etc. weighted the same in admissions as the core subjects? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

They should take what is logical, given their academic interests and prior level of instruction in that topic.

Our public school counselor also helped with the choice (explaining for explaining that if she wanted engineering, she should take AP Physics).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dc is a sophomore and currently taking one AP class. In thinking about college admissions, what AP courses should dc take junior year? Stick to math, science and English APs? Are APs in other subjects like foreign language, psychology, etc. weighted the same in admissions as the core subjects? Thanks.

Agree with PP.

They should also take APs where they have a reasonable expectation of scoring 4 or 5 on the AP exam (based on past performance in the subject).

Schools want to see rigor, but if you take 10 APs, and get Bs or B-s for the class, and score 3s on the exams, it won't help you much.

Since your DC started with 1 in 10th, I would aim for about 2-3 junior year and 3 senior year. Definitely ask the counselor what is typical for students from your high school, especially those have been admitted to the kind of colleges and the majors that are similar to what your kid thinks they want.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, my 10th grader is also taking one AP this year. Will do 3 next year (English, US History, Calc AB) and plans on 3-4 senior year depending on how Jr year goes. That seems pretty typical at his HS with higher-achieving kids doing 4 in 11th. DS debated taking Physics AP but we felt what he has is plenty given the reading/writing requirements of both English and History.

[Anonymous]

My 10th grader is taking two-- NSL and AP Physics 1. Also Spanish 4-5 (two years of Spanish in one year, but not AP). Next year will likely be in AP Language (many, many people at our school take it), AP Spanish Language, AP stats, and a 2-period, AP science (probably Bio). The AP stats is alongside pre-calc.

Senior year will probably be B/C calc and one of the physics offerings, though right now that seems a long way off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dc is a sophomore and currently taking one AP class. In thinking about college admissions, what AP courses should dc take junior year? Stick to math, science and English APs? Are APs in other subjects like foreign language, psychology, etc. weighted the same in admissions as the core subjects? Thanks.

For engineering it does help if you show AP completion (or other college-level courses) in math/science; for econ or data analysis or other physical science math bc + stats us good otherwise just having some (5-6) is sufficient for showing advanced work and for a rigorous curriculum if you want to study any other subjects. Also AP arts (music visual arts) is useful for arts/design majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dc is a sophomore and currently taking one AP class. In thinking about college admissions, what AP courses should dc take junior year? Stick to math, science and English APs? Are APs in other subjects like foreign language, psychology, etc. weighted the same in admissions as the core subjects? Thanks.

For engineering it does help if you show AP completion (or other college-level courses) in math/science; for econ or data analysis or other physical science math bc + stats us good otherwise just having some (5-6) is sufficient for showing advanced work and for a rigorous curriculum if you want to study any other subjects. Also AP arts (music visual arts) is useful for arts/design majors.

Only the engineering comments here matter for most colleges.
For most schools..... If you’re want to major in anything else, you apply to the non-Engr school, so they won’t know if you’re a biology or a math or chem major anyway.