Anonymous wrote:My sophomore is choosing his classes for junior year and he wants to take honors physics and AP chem and drop or postpone taking language until senior year. He said this is common for kids trying to major in science in college. I personally think he should take honors physics and keep his language (Spanish) and then take two AP science classes senior year.

Is it normal to take two science classes per grade?

I didn’t major in science. DH did major in science but he just took one science per grade in high school.

My DS (HS senior) took two science classes his sophomore year (Chemistry and Physics), a two hour AP Chem class his jr. year, and two (AP physics and a post AP Chemistry class) his senior year. He took minimal foreign language (2 years Spanish and 1 year French). He has a diagnosed learning disability that puts him at a disadvantage in learning new languages.

We thought that instead of working his behind off for low Bs in Spanish (which he'll likely never be able to speak) while making As in AP physics/calculus/chemistry, he might be better to take that time to shine in classes he enjoys and is good at. No admissions counselor is going to think he took the easy way out when they see he substituted a AP STEM classes for a language class. He's already been admitted to two great college stem programs.

Yes, he took two sciences both junior and senior years. But did not drop any other core classes to do so. Still four full years of each language, English, history, math.

Anonymous wrote:My sophomore is choosing his classes for junior year and he wants to take honors physics and AP chem and drop or postpone taking language until senior year. He said this is common for kids trying to major in science in college. I personally think he should take honors physics and keep his language (Spanish) and then take two AP science classes senior year.

Is it normal to take two science classes per grade?

I didn’t major in science. DH did major in science but he just took one science per grade in high school.

If the high school has 7 periods a day there are likely many students who take 6 as cores, so two sciences and continuing the foreign language is possible, and that is what is "common" at the high school for stem students. That is done by about 1/3rd of our high school, starting in 10th: they either take two sciences(AP chem and honorsBio) or two maths in 10th (AP stat plus precal), then they do the same thing in 11th and 12th (they offer post-AP honors organic chem as well three post-BC math courses). The top stem kids end up with 6-7 sciences and 5-6 maths. Your student or you need to talk to the high school advisors and find out what is expected.

Anonymous wrote:NP. OP, your advice to your son is right on.

Forgot to add, and if he doesn't have time for two AP sciences senior year, one is fine.

NP. OP, your advice to your son is right on.

Mine postponed physics until senior year so they could take a (2-period) AP science junior year and have it be part of the transcript. They would not have been able to take 2 science courses in one year if one was AP b/c they all take 2 periods except AP Physics C.

My kid took APES and their typical honors science class the same year. It worked with their schedule and interests. But APES is single period at our school while AP Chem is double.

Why not take AP Chem and the language and postpone physics to senior year? That allows student to show colleges they can handle AP Chem, but they don’t break up their language progression, and still get to physics senior year? Or are they planning AP Physics senior year?

Anonymous wrote:My kids' school has seven class periods so they could take the 5 cores and double the subject that most interested them. Both did language junior year (level 5) but dropped it senior year.

DS took two math classes senior year, math+CS in junior. Intended major was statistics/data science.

DD doubled science both years -- physics and 1st yr of IB Biology in junior yr, IB environmental science and 2nd yr of IB Biology in senior year. Environmental science major.

For both of them the extra math/science wasn't really about getting into college, they just wanted to do more of what they liked since they had space in their schedules.

This. Same with both of mine. Doubled science one year and different subjects other years

Take all 5 cores all years of high school. Most schools have an option for a 6th core course: take a 6th as a second science. That is done at many top privates and stem magnets and in fact is expected for top kids aiming for anything in-state UVA or harder at these schools.

My kids' school has seven class periods so they could take the 5 cores and double the subject that most interested them. Both did language junior year (level 5) but dropped it senior year.

DS took two math classes senior year, math+CS in junior. Intended major was statistics/data science.

DD doubled science both years -- physics and 1st yr of IB Biology in junior yr, IB environmental science and 2nd yr of IB Biology in senior year. Environmental science major.

For both of them the extra math/science wasn't really about getting into college, they just wanted to do more of what they liked since they had space in their schedules.

I think the safest and most well-rounded route is to take the 5 cores (I’m including foreign language) every year.

One of my kids graduated high school with 7 science credits, including taking AP Chem and Honors Physics together. In order to do this, my kid had to skip social studies junior year. At the time, I asked an admissions officer who hung around College Confidential (they didn’t tell me what school - just would say top school) and ran her entire curriculum and school past him. He said she was fine. She had taken AP Govt and AP US History so she had the rigor. She had also accelerated foreign language and took AP foreign language as a sophomore to allow for it. As far as college placements, she ended up getting admitted to Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Hamilton, Case Western and UVA. Did not apply to any ivies.

No not normal. How can he skip a language? Seems to me he’ll forget a lot. I think your advice to him was reasonable.

My sophomore is choosing his classes for junior year and he wants to take honors physics and AP chem and drop or postpone taking language until senior year. He said this is common for kids trying to major in science in college. I personally think he should take honors physics and keep his language (Spanish) and then take two AP science classes senior year.

Is it normal to take two science classes per grade?

I didn’t major in science. DH did major in science but he just took one science per grade in high school.