Schedule for Junior yearAnswered
Hello! I am putting together my schedule for my junior year, and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for which classes to take?
Last year as a freshman I took AP Human Geography, Advanced Biology, Advanced Algebra 2, and Advanced English 1.
This year I made the mistake of only taking one AP class (AP World History) even if my schedule could have allowed me to take another AP. The other classes I took were Advanced Chemistry, Advanced Physics, Precalculus, and Advanced English 2.
So for next year I am planning on taking AP Biology, APUSH, AP Lang, and AP Calculus AB. Would four APs be too much? Since these are the only options I have for my core classes because my school doesn’t offer any other advanced classes that I could take.
I will most likely attend a state school but I want to be competitive for scholarships and possibly be Valedictorian. I want to major in pre-med/neuroscience, so are there any other AP classes I should take? Should I take AP Calculus BC as well?
Earn karma by helping others:
4 answers
Hey!!! I am currently a Junior enrolled in all APs w/a 5.0 and here is my advice.
AP Bio: Yes, it's a hard class, but it's surprisingly self-studyable. As long as you're ok with memorization, you should be able to connect everything through techniques like mind mapping.
APUSH: Honestly I can't even give my advice on this class because I am SO bad at history, but I don't really hear anyone specifically complaining about it, so it can't be too awful. Content is intense, though, but pretty much all memorization. AP World should prepare you well for the writing formatting.
AP Lang: Easy A, maybe it's my teacher but I honestly can't think of a way for that class to be harder - just read the books, do the assignments, and write your silly little essays that don't even have to be good if they correspond with the rubric.
AP Calc: Stick with AB. Trust me. I mean this with my full chest do NOT take BC. It is not worth it. The smartest people I know take that class and are barely passing. Personally, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I find AB to be pretty challenging. I got 100s every test in PreCalc and now I'm doing the calc study guides 2-3 times to even land an A-. Save yourself and do not do BC. Not trying to scare you away from AB though, I actually loveee the class it's really fun :)
Hey, I also want to go pre-med/neuroscience! Try to do AP Chem if you're allowed to, do AP Stats for sure, and take AP Psychology like PLEASE take Psych it'll look so good (and it was my fav class ever!). If you don't take AP Chem, take AP Physics. No need to push yourself with the History/English classes, but if you really want your application to stand out then you should try to the best of your ability. While I wouldn't recommend this specifically for the major you're in, I'm in AP Enviro. Science and it's actually really fun and interesting. If you don't want to take AP Physics or Chem (which is valid they're both very hard), APES is an AP with actually really low 5 rates but is fairly easy, so do well on that and it'll look good.
Hope this helped!
Side note: if you have to choose between an AP class or a really awesome EC, go for the EC :)
If you're deciding whether or not to take AP Calc, you should consider it because I am doing well in advanced pre-calc, which has a similar workload. I'm a Junior this year, and I am currently taking 4 AP classes (APUSH, Physics I, Lang, & Bio). For me, it's been manageable so far. You could check out your school's profile or course selection to see all that is available.
Junior year is tough (especially if you don't get your desired SAT score earlier on in the year), and you will have a lot on your plate. As long as you use the resources available to you and challenge yourself, colleges won't penalize you for not taking every AP on the planet.
I don't know your situation, but you seem to be on the right track. If you think you can manage 4+ APs next year, go for it.
I'm currently a Junior with a 4.0 gpa and I'm in 2 AP's at the moment (would've been 3 had my science not been screwed up in 9th grade)
I will say that APUSH is a fun yet intense class, with a lot of chapter outlines (I may be a bit biased because I do enjoy history classes)
AP Lang is a standard English course, except with a lot more essays.
Overall 4 AP's is a solid amount of classes, and if you are determined enough with a solid work ethic, definitely go with that option.
The AP's I've taken are AP Euro, AP English Lang, and APUSH (as you can see I really like history)
Four APs is an optimal amount of rigor for junior year, and you have chosen a good variety of classes. Your course load will be challenging, but certainly not unmanageable. You can keep your proposed junior-year schedule as is.
If possible, try to take four AP classes again during your senior year to maintain your class rigor. That would be the best time to take AP Calculus BC. AP Chemistry, AP Research, and AP Psychology would all be the most fitting classes you pair with it to show your medical spike.
Hope this helps!
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!
Thank you! I’ll probably do AP Stats and AP Chemistry senior year. I don’t think my school has APES. We do have AP Psychology, but from what I have heard, the teacher isn’t really a good teacher. My school offers anatomy as well but it is a non AP class. However, they recommend you take that class if you want to go into pre med. So that might be an option.