AP classes

usnahopeful

10-Year Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
310
I was wondering, if anyone is currently or has completed taking 5 AP (or more) classes at a time?
Next year (Junior year)I am registered to take Chemistry AP, Physics AP, English 11 AP, U.S. History AP, and Statistics AP, as well as Pre-Calculus H. I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me somethings to help me prepare over the summer and also advise me on how much homework they recieved/ are currently doing. Thank you.
respectfully,
Kathleen
 
I do know kids in high school that have taken 5 AP courses - and done quite well. These kids however, were not big on extra-curricular activities, were extremely motivated and had very high SAT's and PSAT scores. Also, they were seniors and not juniors.

The questions here is whether or not you should register for such a demandng schedule. The answer is one that should come from you, talking to your guidance counselor, parents and teachers of these AP courses, while considering your athletic and extracurricular schedule.

It is good to take AP classes, it is bad to become overwhelmed and having to drop some of them. Do you need this schedule to get into USNA? Nope, probably most plebes didn't take a schedule like this esp as a junior.

Specifically, I would caution you not to take AP Chem and AP Physics together. Also, do not take AP Physics if you are not taking Calculus, esp if it is Physics C.

If you really like science and are good at it, think about taking AP Chem next year and AP Physics or Physics H your senior year.
I do wonder about taking AP English your junior year. My kids weren't allowed to take it until senior year.

Do not schedule all these courses thinking you will pass the exams and be a shoo-in for the academy. Your plan could backfire.
Take a solid, challenging academic schedule and do well.
My own kids have taken most of these AP classes, feel free to PM me if you want to know how much work is involved.
 
Let's see. If I remember correctly, I took AP Chem, AP Comp, AP Calc, AP US His, and regular Bio my junior year. Senior year, I took Physics Hon (no AP offered), AP Bio, AP US Gov, AP Stat, and AP Brit Lit. On top of this, I was a varsity athelete and member of student government.

The classes were a little time consuming, but looking back, they were nothing compared to my schedule Plebe Year till now. It really depends on your teachers and AP program, but my homework and tests were not that diffucult or time consuming. I was by no means the only single person taking all these classes. At least 10 other people in my school had very simliar schedules to mine (around 4 or 5 APs) so I would say that it is very achievable.

Comparing myself on a scale to everyone else in my class that has gotten in here, the amount and difficulty of classes I took in high school is somewhat average I would say. Some of my classmates took IB courses (which are only offered at some schools), already completed some freshmen courses at a community college their senior year, etc. However, you do have those who didn't take that many advanced courses and still got in.
 
5 AP is not unreasonable, but I would have to agree with Just a Mom. I would not recommend AP Physics and AP Chem together. Why would you even want to do that as a Junior. Wait until Senior year on the AP Physics, when you will be jointly enrolled in AP Calc. It is the five you are putting together that youmight want to rethink.

My son graduated with a total of 10 AP's. (National AP Scholar) National Merit Scholar, Along with 10 varsity letters, 3 Varsity Captains, Captain of the science team, member of the Math team, Model UN, lead percussionist in the band, completed his Pilots License - flying about 4 hours per week plus numerous other activities, and a pretty active social life. Homework was more than his honors classes but not horrible, lots depends on your teachers - ask kids who have had the classes at your school. He found that AP Bio, AP Histories - US, Euro and Comparative Politics had the most homework of the AP's he took but also said the kids in AP Statistics had way more homework than his AP Calc. Bottom line was Plebe year has not been a total culture shock, at least not on the academic side.
 
Junior year:
AP US History
AP Comp Sci A
AP Lang/Comp
AP Chemistry
PAP Pre-Calculus
PAP French III
PAP Physics

Senior year:
AP Comp Sci AB
AP Calc BC
AP Literature
AP Econ/Gov't
AP Physics C
AP Biology
3 hour internship at an engineering office 2 days a week.

My homework load was large, but reasonable. My school was notorious for heavy academic workloads, but I was able to do it with 2 part-time jobs and Taekwondo (class, teaching, and tournaments). If you can, I would suggest it, it will prepare you well so that you can handle the work-load at the Academies.

As far as over the summer...do any required reading for english and relax! Unless you've dumped everything you've learned, its not a giant step.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I play competitive soccer, I am the President of my Venturing Crew and I am the Venturing Round table commissioner for my District, I'm the captain of my school JV team, as well as some other extra-curricular activities. I think I might drop AP statistics, but I have talked to the AP Chemistry and AP Physics teachers, and they said I would be fine taking them both together and I should be fine with knowing Algebra and rearranging equations for Physics.
Respectfully,
Kathleen Engle
 
Well then the AP Physics at your school is the AP Physics B. You do not need calculus. It is similar to an Honors Physics class. Much less demanding than Physics C. Physics B also probably won't really prepare you to validate physics a the academy.
About AP Statistics - this is a difficult course. A lot of kids take it thinking since it is not Calculus it won't be very hard.

Many kids do take multiple AP classes. Without knowing a student's particular situation, it really is impossible to recommend whether or not to take 5 AP classes. Talk to some juniors and seniors at your school and find out from them what the workload is like. Also, don't be afraid to ask the kids and/or teachers how many kids passed the AP tests. At our school all kids are required to take the AP Tests and they keep statistics on the scores.

In looking at your selection - doing well in AP Chem will help you with academy admission. You can take or leave AP Physics B. AP US History is a lot of reading and writing papers. If you are good at writing and a pretty fast reader, it won't be so bad. Not sure what AP Eng 11 is. There are two English AP's: lang and lit/comp. My kids high school teaches them both together the senior year and they take both tests, maybe your high school has you take one in 11th grade and the other in 12th grade.
 
through senior and junior year i took only AP chem, Psych, and Stat.... which is why im going to Norwich and not West point :p





Suck it trebek
 
Thanks again for the replies. I will look into AP Physics and talk to some of my school mates about the AP classes.
At my school, AP 11 English is language comp. Literature comp. is 12 AP.
Thanks again!
respectfully,
Kathleen
 
Does anyone know if an AP exam can be taken for credit, w/o taking the class? I heard a rumor that it is possible, and if it is, I might take the AP English exam offered at my school, since I am exempting all other exams and don't have anything to study for.
 
Most definitely yes. There is no "class enrollment" requirement from College Board. What I do not know is when you needed to let your school know that you will be sitting for an AP exam for a class you are not enrolled in - some schools get extra exams, some do not. It will be a school dependent issue.
Check with your AP testing coordinator.
 
Back
Top