Ideas for Junior Year schedule? + AP Recommendations
I know Junior year is the year colleges focus on the most, so I'm trying to make sure my academics and EC's for the year are up to par. I'm worried I might take on too big of a course load in trying to take as many AP courses as possible. I was unable to take AP courses as a Freshman, and as a Sophomore I only took 1. I attend school through a virtual public school.
I want to pursue a BA in Political Science, and I'm interested in working in the planning field, foreign affairs, or the legal field. Ideally I'd like to attend Georgetown, Barnard, or Hamilton, but those are far reach schools for me, with somewhere around 11% chancing on Collegevine with my current stats. I'd like to try and apply as a transfer after attending a school in my state. If I were to theoretically be accepted into QB, that would help my chances but it still wouldn't be guaranteed.
My current core class GPA is 3.8, my school doesn't calculate electives in its GPA system. I received an A+ in them but they don't do anything in terms of course rigor.
I would like to take AP Statistics either in my junior or senior year as well, so I'd appreciate any opinions from anyone who has taken the class and exam as well. I'd also love to hear opinions from anyone who's taken Macro/Micro as well.
Classes I've taken so far:
Math: Algebra 1 Honors (Low B grade) and Geometry Honors(Both required for graduation)
Science: Physical Science Honors, Biology Honors, Chemistry Honors
Writing: English 1 regular, and 2 honors
History: US Government, AP US Government and Politics
Language: Spanish 1
Electives: Drivers Ed, Leadership Skills, Peer Counseling, Critical Thinking and study skills
I have to take Phys. Ed and a performing arts class (I think I'm going to take Honors Art History at some point, since its an art class is a graduation requirement, but if I take it Honors than I might take it over the summer with Phys. Ed.
Classes I'm considering:
AP Macro and/or AP Micro (Economics class required for graduation, both are .5 a course)
AP Human Geography
AP Psychology
AP English Lit or Lang
AP(probably not AP, but its an option) or regular art History
Spanish 2
Unsure about math, suggestions welcome.
I'm unsure what science course if any, since I technically have all the graduation requirements, but I think a science course could help in terms of course rigor?? I can take Physics, Earth/Space science, Environmental Science, Marine Science, Anatomy, or another elective.
I am a rising junior and for social studies I LOVED AP World History. The class was fast pace but with the right teacher you can and will do great! Also spanish is a great idea!
Hello, I am also a rising junior. I get what you mean by not wanting to overload too many APs. I also was only able to take one AP this past year (World History AP and I got a five). I want to become a physician but I took the course to see how I would like AP speed. Either way, I would recommend for you to also reflect how you felt during AP US Gov. Were you stressed? How many hours of work was expected per week? Is there room for one, if not several, others? Thankfully, the schools you are looking at are not as competitive as lets say Harvard or Yale, so the number of APs will not be as important (I am aiming for UPenn so I will complete 11 APs, 10 Honors, and 3 college courses on Coursera by the time I graduate). Your schools will most likely look for academic rigor instead of the actual number. For all of these reasons, I would suggest another AP history, specifically AP US if available. It is also possibly applicable to take AP Psych and AP Human Geography as well (also those two courses are known to not be as rigorous in general as courses such as AP Gov or Physics). Additionally, apparently AP Stats can help (this can also be seen as you trying to take a much more challenging course, but that depends on how strong you are in math). I would also consider AP English, as articulation and analysis skills are needed in your field. Finally, take into consideration how much you are willing to work. I am only taking four APs this year (Ap Stats, English, Calc AB, and Chem) because I do not want to burn out or thin myself out. Make sure you are doing this because you have a passion/joy in it, not because it is what is "expected" for you. There are so many ways to excel in your field! Good luck!
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