HS Senior Schedule Question

USNA '16

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
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Mar 4, 2009
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Hello everyone. I am a junior and we have begun scheduling for next year. I have a question on which classes to be taking. Currently this is my senior schedule:

AP Calc (full year)
AP Chem (full year)
Physics Honors (1 sem)
Gym/Health (1 sem)
LA 4 Honors (1 sem)
Latin 4 (Honors credit) (1 sem)
(for a total of 8 blocks over 2 semesters)

Another option I have is to take Peer Leadership and an Independent Study (or Dramatic Arts/Public Speaking 3) instead of AP Chem.

Which would be better?
 
USNA wants math and science so I would say AP chem, also it could give you the chance to validate.
 
Absolutely take the chem. Looks like you have a meaty schedule which is what you want. Ensure you have some solid extracurriculars and leadership positions along with athletics to give you a well-rounded resume. Best of luck!
 
I'm fairly sure they would love to see strong math and science classes over anything..I think chemistry would be a good bet.

My upcoming senior schedule:
AP physics
AP English 12
AP civics and economics
IB music theory and composition
AP calc Bc
AP Biology

Should I take a second year of bio..or a 3rd year of chemisty? I can't decide between sciences..
Also does this look competitive? Thank you.
 
Just to chime in on the AP Chem bandwagon... plebe year Chemistry seems to be the class that gives a lot of plebes fits (they call it the "Plebe Killer" :eek:). If you have the opportunity to take AP Chem in HS it will be very helpful. Our plebe had a wonderful HS AP Chem teacher - worked his butt off, but he had a solid chemistry knowledge base going into USNA. His Chem prof. this past semester is considered to be one of the tougher ones, but he still got an A in the class - yay! However, he has companymates who are now on academic probation due to poor grades in first semester Chem. Taking all the chemistry available to you in HS would be a wise choice. I believe some majors will take various Biology courses as upperclassmen, but Chemistry is required for Plebes! :thumb:
 
So, if I had to choose between just taking Honors Physics or taking normal physics with AP Chem, should I choose the latter? Sorry for the off topic, just a quick question that has been nagging me.
 
Just to give a different perspective, I opted not to take AP Chem my senior year for AP Physics. I signed up for AP Chem, but the teacher retired and within the first two days I could tell it would have been a rough year with a first year AP Chem teacher. For me the choice was easy since it was another AP science and I plan on majoring in mechanical engineering. I love physics and I've probably put in the same amount of work that I would have in AP Chem, but it's been much more enjoyable. Obviously you want to have the best chance at getting into the academy and the best classes to prepare you for it, but it is your senior year and possibly your last year for quite a bit of freedom, enjoy it.
 
Just to give a different perspective, I opted not to take AP Chem my senior year for AP Physics. I signed up for AP Chem, but the teacher retired and within the first two days I could tell it would have been a rough year with a first year AP Chem teacher. For me the choice was easy since it was another AP science and I plan on majoring in mechanical engineering. I love physics and I've probably put in the same amount of work that I would have in AP Chem, but it's been much more enjoyable. Obviously you want to have the best chance at getting into the academy and the best classes to prepare you for it, but it is your senior year and possibly your last year for quite a bit of freedom, enjoy it.

Are you taking AP physics B or C?
 
During a not too distant AC briefing we were advised that USNA's plebe chemistry is considered one of the toughest freshman chemistry courses in the country. Also it was the course most closely monitored as the history was that plebes who were going to have academic problems usually went sour in chemistry first. Unless you have serious mitigating circumstances, make chemistry a big priority in high school. You can't believe how complicated life on the Severn gets if you have a course going south on you.
 
My DS, current plebe, took AP Chem and ended up testing out of Chem 1 (plebe killer chemistry) at USNA. He was thankful. You won't exempt it due to your AP score but from the tests you take over Plebe Summer. He also wished he had taken AP History along with his AP World History course in high school. If he had, apparently he could have exempted a history course at USNA. But he needed to have taken both.
 
I am faced with another option. I am currently taking a computer programming class (Visual Basic). I have also completed Latin 3 this year and will be inducted into the National Latin Honors Society. By taking another computer class next year, I will be eligible for the National Technical Honors Society. Should I try to get into the National Technical Honors Society or take Latin 4 (both are Honors credit)?
 
computer science versus stats

Question re my DS's senior year schedule (for the Fall). He will be taking:

  • AP College English
  • AP Econ
  • Honors Philosophy (sem 1) and Honors Modern Middle Eastern History (sem 2)
  • Honors Spanish (4th year)
  • Physics (regular)
  • Honors computer science or AP Stats

He plans to follow the Humanities track. He already took Honors Calculus (not AP). He really wants to take the computer science class, but an alternative is AP Stats. Would there be a preference at USNA re computer science or stats?

Thank you. This forum is very helpful!
 
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