How do I plan out the rest of my high school years?
Highest orchestra level at school.
I have played an instrument for 8 years.
I am part of an audition-based orchestra program outside of school.
I'm also on the JV girls golf team at school since freshman year.
Part of volunteer clubs and science bowl/bio oly
Freshman Year:
Concert Orchestra (A+),
AP Bio (A) (Score 5),
Geometry honors (B+ first semester
& A- second semester) ,
English 1 honors (A),
Spanish 2 (A)
Sophomore Year (Current):
Chamber Orchestra (A+),
Chemistry Honors (A),
English 2 Honors (A),
World History (A+)
Alg 2/Trig Honors (B+, in the process of raising it)
I would like to major in Biomedical Sciences or Molecular Biology or Microbiology/Immunology. I'm aiming for at least the level of University of California schools (specifically UCSD/UC Berkeley)
In junior year I want to take AP Chem and APUSH.
I don't know if I should do Precalc Honors or skip straight to AP Calc AB. I'm not confident in my math skills, but will it affect my bio major chance at a good university?
If not junior year, I'll take AP Calc senior year, along with AP Physics and AP US Gov.
Am I doing enough, and is taking AP Chem junior year a good idea even if my math skills aren't as comfortable?
Edit: I just keep second-guessing my choices/decisions because my city/school is VERY competitive academically and extracurricularly, with a lot of same-age students taking AP Calc and Chem already and doing the same or more impressive extracurriculars than I am! And most of them are taking multiple APs and getting good grades without dying. I don't procrastinate on my schoolwork but it still takes me awhile to finish, which makes me feel more behind than my classmates. What should I do during the summer before junior year? I'm planning to attempt to online study the AP chem course and precalc by myself before the actual classes, do an online course in cardio health, practice golf, and practice writing PIQs. I'm not sure how to get good science research or enrichment opportunities because they're hard to find and they are very expensive. I'm quite worried for next year as I need to ramp up the vigor and my already existing extracurriculars are going to become more hectic. I try to plan my every day schedule. What can I do to be more efficient and be able to stand out from my already impressive-looking crowd?
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3 answers
You’re already doing amazing — your mix of advanced classes, music, sports, and science clubs shows real dedication and balance.
For junior year, taking AP Chem and APUSH is a great plan. Since you’re not fully confident in math yet, it’s smarter to take Precalculus Honors first instead of jumping straight to AP Calculus AB. You’ll build a stronger foundation and still be right on track for AP Calc senior year, which looks great for biology or biomedical majors.
By senior year, you could take AP Calc, AP Physics, and AP Gov, while continuing orchestra and your clubs. You’re absolutely doing enough — your activities and grades already make you a strong candidate for UC schools. Keep your focus on consistency, and maybe add some science research or volunteering if you can.
It sounds like you're really dedicated and have a strong academic and extracurricular portfolio! It's great that you're planning ahead for your junior and senior years. Regarding your math courses, since you're not fully confident in your math skills, taking Precalc Honors first might give you a solid foundation before tackling AP Calc AB. Strong math skills are definitely helpful in the sciences, so building confidence through a gradual approach is wise. For AP Chemistry, it's a rigorous course, but since you did well in Chemistry Honors, you might find the challenge rewarding. It aligns well with your interest in Biomedical Sciences or Molecular Biology, and shows your commitment to STEM, which is appealing to UC schools. Taking APUSH will also add to your strong academic record and test your ability to handle college-level coursework in the humanities. To further strengthen your application, consider how you can deepen your involvement in your extracurricular activities. Perhaps take on a leadership role in one of your clubs or orchestras, or design a community project related to your interests. Does starting with Precalc Honors and building up to AP Calc AB sound like a plan you’re comfortable with? If you’re uncertain, we can explore more options together!
Hey these are some really good classes! So I'm also interested in Biomedical Sciences, specifically Biomedical Engineering. One of the opportunities that I have here in Washington where I live is Running Start which is available to juniors and seniors where they can take college courses at an actual college while still in high school so you get your AA along with your high school diploma. The classes I've really focused and honed in on are my science and math courses. So that's your chemistry, biology, and especially your pre-calc and calc courses. If you're not that confident in your math skills then I think risking skipping to a higher level course might affect how well you do in that class and mess up the good grades you have. Since Precalc Honors is already a good course that can get you noticed, you can just take it, or you can do some practice or tutoring with Precalc so you can feel confident enough to take the AP course. Your extracurriculars are really impressive and I suggest doing something with that becuase colleges are really interested in not just your academic performance, but also how well you do outside of just school. Let me know if this helps at all!
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Thank you for your help! How do I get research opportunities or similar experiences? The ones I've found so far are really expensive and kind of unrealistic.