Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 09:00     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think OP is fking trolling you people.


Agree. Please tell me what high schools are offering Orgo. Name names. I call BS. There are definitely schools that offer cross enrollment with local colleges so you could take it there, though I'm guessing there are very few kids doing so. But I doubt there are many (if any at all) high schools that have enough kids ready to take Orgo that they can offer it, and teachers qualified to teach it.

My child goes to a competitive urban private and has a teacher who I know could teach it if necessary. But this school, despite having plenty of kids going to Ivies, feels no need to rush kids through, so has nothing like this. Kids feel plenty "challenged" without having to take countless theoretically college level classes in high school.


My kid’s school in NJ also has organic chem. You can take it if you get a B+ or better in AP Chem.
Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 08:51     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
My kids high school has very high level science courses, they are entered as advanced in common app beyond AP. However, by no means are they truly equivalent to a college course despite that. I viewed it as a nice prep for the real thing.

Some examples orgo, medical chemistry, molecular genetics, molecular and cell biology, neuroscience, immunology, epidemiology, and probably 15 or so more with plenty of physics courses. My kid just didn’t do any so don’t know names. It’s one of two schools that has a computational science department in HS so they advertise,

I’ve seen orgo mentioned from time to time so other schools do have, but agree not common.
Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 08:44     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Typically Advanced Physics 2 is impressive because it's calculus based physics. I see that your DC is taking Multivariable as their math course, so the "wow" factor is already there. Either orgo or physics 2 is fine. Since they are not engineering bound, it would be interesting to explore orgo. They are not taught at the same level as college equivalents. Particularly at places like Cornell, orgo is really really tough.
Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 08:13     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think OP is fking trolling you people.


Agree. Please tell me what high schools are offering Orgo. Name names. I call BS. There are definitely schools that offer cross enrollment with local colleges so you could take it there, though I'm guessing there are very few kids doing so. But I doubt there are many (if any at all) high schools that have enough kids ready to take Orgo that they can offer it, and teachers qualified to teach it.

My child goes to a competitive urban private and has a teacher who I know could teach it if necessary. But this school, despite having plenty of kids going to Ivies, feels no need to rush kids through, so has nothing like this. Kids feel plenty "challenged" without having to take countless theoretically college level classes in high school.


Sure. Potomac offers it. It is a fairly popular class. The students who are interested in chemistry tend to take Chem in 10th, Advanced Chem (typical AP curriculum) in 11th, and a semester Orgo class in 12th.

It isn’t just for the special science program kids. I think a lot of them enjoy the 11th grade teacher so much they sign up for the class to have her again. None of them are trying to place out of college orgo; they know it is a weed out class and want to have a preview of the material.
Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 06:48     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:I think OP is fking trolling you people.


Agree. Please tell me what high schools are offering Orgo. Name names. I call BS. There are definitely schools that offer cross enrollment with local colleges so you could take it there, though I'm guessing there are very few kids doing so. But I doubt there are many (if any at all) high schools that have enough kids ready to take Orgo that they can offer it, and teachers qualified to teach it.

My child goes to a competitive urban private and has a teacher who I know could teach it if necessary. But this school, despite having plenty of kids going to Ivies, feels no need to rush kids through, so has nothing like this. Kids feel plenty "challenged" without having to take countless theoretically college level classes in high school.
Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 06:36     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
I think OP is fking trolling you people.
Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 02:02     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
I think a line of continuity is very important with these advanced courses in terms of college entry. I would for that reason alone, continue with the Physics.
Anonymous
Post 07/28/2025 00:39     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:DC (not planning on engineering) is choosing between Organic Chemistry and Advanced Physics II— unfortunately can’t take both. Completed Advanced Physics I and Calculus BC, and will be taking Multivariable Calculus in the fall. Advanced Physics II feels like the natural continuation. But which of the two is typically viewed as more rigorous by college admissions? DC doesn’t have a strong preference either way, trying to consider how this might be perceived academically.

Since neither are AP, don't know what to tell you. Assuming your guidance counselor can help.
Anonymous
Post 07/27/2025 23:27     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Truly it does not matter, OP. No admissions officer will have taken these courses, unless perhaps your kid is applying to MIT. It's important to select what your child thinks they will do well in. Org Chem is NOT for the faint of heart. Personally I'd rather take Adv Phys II, whatever that is, in high school, but your kid may be different.

I agree that the rest of the app needs to be great as well.


If the high school is offering organic chem- I’d take it. It likely won’t be as rigorous as whatever OP’s kid will take to take in college (because college will make them retake that class). I will be helpful to at least be very familiar with a lot of the content going into college. Especially if wanting to pursue med school or a graduate degree


+1 my college student did this and was extremely happy to have been exposed to the material in hs orgo class
Anonymous
Post 07/27/2025 23:15     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Truly it does not matter, OP. No admissions officer will have taken these courses, unless perhaps your kid is applying to MIT. It's important to select what your child thinks they will do well in. Org Chem is NOT for the faint of heart. Personally I'd rather take Adv Phys II, whatever that is, in high school, but your kid may be different.

I agree that the rest of the app needs to be great as well.


If the high school is offering organic chem- I’d take it. It likely won’t be as rigorous as whatever OP’s kid will take to take in college (because college will make them retake that class). I will be helpful to at least be very familiar with a lot of the content going into college. Especially if wanting to pursue med school or a graduate degree


Or enjoy your senior year in high school have fun and let DC worry about it when they get to college like everyone else. It’s not going anywhere. My kid accepted into one Top 10 and one Top 20 took up to Calc BC his junior year. A lot of leadership EC’s and sports. Will be studying engineering in the fall
Anonymous
Post 07/27/2025 23:03     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Truly it does not matter, OP. No admissions officer will have taken these courses, unless perhaps your kid is applying to MIT. It's important to select what your child thinks they will do well in. Org Chem is NOT for the faint of heart. Personally I'd rather take Adv Phys II, whatever that is, in high school, but your kid may be different.

I agree that the rest of the app needs to be great as well.


If the high school is offering organic chem- I’d take it. It likely won’t be as rigorous as whatever OP’s kid will take to take in college (because college will make them retake that class). I will be helpful to at least be very familiar with a lot of the content going into college. Especially if wanting to pursue med school or a graduate degree


+1 Agree.
Anonymous
Post 07/27/2025 23:01     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:Truly it does not matter, OP. No admissions officer will have taken these courses, unless perhaps your kid is applying to MIT. It's important to select what your child thinks they will do well in. Org Chem is NOT for the faint of heart. Personally I'd rather take Adv Phys II, whatever that is, in high school, but your kid may be different.

I agree that the rest of the app needs to be great as well.


If the high school is offering organic chem- I’d take it. It likely won’t be as rigorous as whatever OP’s kid will take to take in college (because college will make them retake that class). I will be helpful to at least be very familiar with a lot of the content going into college. Especially if wanting to pursue med school or a graduate degree
Anonymous
Post 07/27/2025 22:39     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I already posted about mine taking super advanced course, they had loads of leadership and impressive EC’s. They got into 3 ivies and other top schools, but also had several top school rejections. I just don’t think the course choice will matter, it’s all the other stuff. They’ve passed the bar of academic rigor.


Are you willing to name the schools to which he/she was accepted or rejected ?


Brown, Cornell, Duke and Penn, deferred to rejected Yale. Rejected Princeton, Harvard and Northwestern. Waitlisted Dartmouth. Didn’t apply to Columbia, Stanford, MIT or any other top schools other than ones listed.
Anonymous
Post 07/27/2025 22:37     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Organic Chem is a major pre-med weed-out course. I was a liberal arts major but my roommate was an engineer and pre-med and said Orgo was the hardest class they took in college. They survived and are now a surgeon.

I would take it in college. Or not take it at all.
Anonymous
Post 07/27/2025 22:29     Subject: organic chemistry or advanced physics II
Truly it does not matter, OP. No admissions officer will have taken these courses, unless perhaps your kid is applying to MIT. It's important to select what your child thinks they will do well in. Org Chem is NOT for the faint of heart. Personally I'd rather take Adv Phys II, whatever that is, in high school, but your kid may be different.

I agree that the rest of the app needs to be great as well.