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[quote=Anonymous]OP: you don't say what colleges your DC is targeting, so first off, very different advice would follow if their main goal in life is maximizing their chances at a T10 school versus anything else.  (And, FWIW, given how random and unpredictable admissions are even for those who check every box, one probably should question whether that should ever be any kid's main childhood goal).

I've got two MPCS grads, both at T20 schools, and they each took only one AP science class, as did the vast majority of their classmates who ended up at top schools (some took IB instead).  As others have mentioned, AP Bio is generally a 2-period class, at least at our HS, so you'd be skipping out on something else if you tried to add honors physics that same year.  And for kids who do IB science, which is generally a two-year sequence, many who take IB Bio don't ever take physics.

The uniform advice we got was to hit the max level in each core subject, and so skipping Spanish 5, which presumably means not even doing the year before AP Spanish, would be a far bigger issue for most top schools than not having two AP sciences.  (Of course every kid is unique, and schools presumably understand if there is a reason--eg dyslexia-- beyond just it being hard. And if your kid truly would be miserable in two more years of Spanish, they have to decide whether maximizing their chances is even worth it to them).

I know MCPS counselors can vary in helpfulness, but they will be in the best position to tell you the general profile/course history of successful candidates from your school to the schools your DC is targeting.[/quote]

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