My understanding is that so called easy APs like Human Geography and Environmental Science would not be seen as the highest rigor if taken as a junior or senior (even though they are ostensibly college level courses), but could be seen as higher rigor if taken as a freshman or sophomore.

But if international studies, geography, or environmental science is your interest, then definitely take them. They sound like great courses.

There are so many ways to look at it, and if you are shooting for a T100 school, does it matter?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of my kid’s magnet classmates had completed 7-8 AP tests or so by the end of sophomore year, among which only 2 (apush and gov) have corresponding AP classes. Quite a few self-studied ap env, ap psy, ap macro and ap micro, and one kid self-studied ap physics C and got 5 on both.

I think Admissions Offices kind of roll their eyes at self-studying large numbers of APs.

The SMCS magnet has AP-adjacent classes instead of AP offerings, so "self-studying" is the only option, but it's not a whole extra course of study.

CS Principles, CS A, Calculus AB / BC, Biology, are only nominally or partially "self-study".

At least 5 of the 9th and 10th grade APs exams are for either AP courses or courses that cover the equivalent material.

Anonymous wrote:Is there a recommended number of APs that kids could/should take by grade?

General advice, that goes to everyone who is seeking APs, not to your kid specifically, is:

9th: 1 (Gov or US History)
10th: 1-2
11th: 1-3
12th: 1-4

Most common APs are:

Gov (9 or 10)
US History (9 or 10)

English Lang (11)
English Lit (12)

Calculus (AB, BC, or both) or Stats (maybe both) (11 or 12)
World Language (11 or 12),
Bio, Chem or Physics 1,2, or C (12) (sometimes 2 of these)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of my kid’s magnet classmates had completed 7-8 AP tests or so by the end of sophomore year, among which only 2 (apush and gov) have corresponding AP classes. Quite a few self-studied ap env, ap psy, ap macro and ap micro, and one kid self-studied ap physics C and got 5 on both.

I think Admissions Offices kind of roll their eyes at self-studying large numbers of APs.

I think people on DCUM kind of roll their eyes at anonymous posters who make nonsensical comments like the above without a shred of evidence. Sour grapes much?

Anonymous wrote:Most of my kid’s magnet classmates had completed 7-8 AP tests or so by the end of sophomore year, among which only 2 (apush and gov) have corresponding AP classes. Quite a few self-studied ap env, ap psy, ap macro and ap micro, and one kid self-studied ap physics C and got 5 on both.

I think Admissions Offices kind of roll their eyes at self-studying large numbers of APs.

Anonymous wrote:9th: AP Gov
10th: AP US History, CompSci, language if you took 3 years in middle school

It’s common to do both AP Gov and AP CS principles in grade 9 in our school

9th AP gov
10th AP US history and AP comp sci

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does AP Seminar fall into this?

Some schools have a version of it that satisfies the requirement for English 10.

This is the MCPS back door to tracking, btw. It’s going to mean that, if your school offers AP seminar for 10th grade, then the students who choose regular English 10 instead will be the lower level students.

So take it if your 9th grader was bored in English class!

Anonymous wrote:Most of my kid’s magnet classmates had completed 7-8 AP tests or so by the end of sophomore year, among which only 2 (apush and gov) have corresponding AP classes. Quite a few self-studied ap env, ap psy, ap macro and ap micro, and one kid self-studied ap physics C and got 5 on both.

Is this Blair? If so, ADSA/B and Analysis 1A/B cover all the material for AP CS and AP Calculus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How hard is AP Computer Science with Java?

APs are never hard for kids actually interested in the topic, so it depends on what your kid likes. Unless things have changed recently, MCPS does not accept AP Java for the required graduation tech credit.

My DS counselor was able to use a "special code" so that AP Java would count for tech credit.

Don't most AP Java students take FOCS or APCSP first, either of which already meets the graduation requirement?

Certainly some do, but there is not a firm need; mamy have all of the APCSP topics well in hand before entering HS. By affording AP Java without making the others prerequisite, it allows able students to access an elective for which they otherwise would not have a slot during their HS years.

Clearly, this is recognized by school administrations, as evidenced by the PP's note about course coding at their DS's school. Also differentially afforded across clusters is FoCS as an elective in MS, likewise satiafying the HS tech credit, more formally establishing access to AP Java in 9th and similarly freeing up an elective slot in HS.

Anonymous wrote:Where does AP Seminar fall into this?

Some schools have a version of it that satisfies the requirement for English 10.

Where does AP Seminar fall into this?