Which AP Classes to take for Junior+Senior Year

[pointystar]

I'm a sophomore right now with one AP class, which is World History 2. I know I'm an idiot for not taking a medical-related class, but at that time I wasn't sure what about my future. So I just winged it and took history. I am a lazy student, and require at least like 30 minutes of break for every hour of studying/homework. I don't study in my free time, instead just cram an hour or two the night before the test. I'm okay at test-taking, receiving around a 90 average on my tests (and my teacher gives some hard-ass questions). I plan on taking 5 AP classes next year to get my **** together for college, med school etc etc. I'm kinda set on taking AP English Lang because my English is ass. Maybe AP Bio, but I heard that was at least 2 hours of homework at night. Suggestions? (I specifically want to go to Radiology, but I sense that I still have a long way to go).

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[Arayh]

You have a very long way to go. AP courses are good for showing undergrads that you can handle course loads. If you get a 5, or at least a 4 on the AP exam, most undergrads will give you some sort of credit so you don't have to retake the course in college. That said, many medical schools want to see that you've done college course work for the pre-requisites to apply. So even if you place out of your undergrad's General Chemistry 1+2 with AP Chem, the med school will probably still want to see that you've taken Gen Chem in college, so you may still have to retake the course in undergrad depending on what medical schools you apply to.

Furthermore, if you plan on being biology major, you can take AP biology and place out of Gen Bio 1+2, then take more advanced biology courses to show medical schools that you can handle the course load, so they will overlook that you used AP credit to place out of Gen Bio 1+2 in undergrad.

General time wise, you still have a lot of time, I wouldn't worry about applying to medical school now and just focus on undergrad.

 

[phantomcello]

I'm a sophomore right now with one AP class, which is World History 2. I know I'm an idiot for not taking a medical-related class, but at that time I wasn't sure what about my future. So I just winged it and took history. I am a lazy student, and require at least like 30 minutes of break for every hour of studying/homework. I don't study in my free time, instead just cram an hour or two the night before the test. I'm okay at test-taking, receiving around a 90 average on my tests (and my teacher gives some hard-ass questions). I plan on taking 5 AP classes next year to get my **** together for college, med school etc etc. I'm kinda set on taking AP English Lang because my English is ass. Maybe AP Bio, but I heard that was at least 2 hours of homework at night. Suggestions? (I specifically want to go to Radiology, but I sense that I still have a long way to go).

You should take any AP course that interests you and that will challenge you. Colleges want to see that you're able to handle a rigorous course load, and that you're willing to work hard through intellectually stimulating courses. It is a bit early to pick a specialty at this point. You should do things for the sake of knowledge and learning and through that you will see success. Taking AP Science courses will be helpful regardless of whether or not you take credit for them in your undergraduate institution. You will need to change your study habits if you're going to take more AP's. Also you aren't "an idiot" for taking a Humanities AP. Pursue your interests. Follow your dreams.

 

[PapaGuava]

You re not an idiot for not taking a medical "type" of course. I took all history/social science AP's and at least it cleared my credits for social science for baccalaureates. However, if you can take a AP Bio or Chem, and your comfortable with doing that, why not. You are still on the perfect track.

 

[pointystar]

Okay, I've done some research and talked with my teachers and they said I can major in anything and still get into medschool. So I'm going to major in finance if med school doesn't work and get a job at wall streets since I got the connections (well my dad does). I'm most probably going to take AP Chem, AP micro/macro economy, AP physics 1, AP English lang, and AP us history. French 1 and some Math class. I think this could work out. Senior year is AP bio and anatomy since my teacher said chemistry stuff carries onto biology. She also said anatomy helps understand biology better.

 

[PapaGuava]

Okay, I've done some research and talked with my teachers and they said I can major in anything and still get into medschool. So I'm going to major in finance if med school doesn't work and get a job at wall streets since I got the connections (well my dad does). I'm most probably going to take AP Chem, AP micro/macro economy, AP physics 1, AP English lang, and AP us history. French 1 and some Math class. I think this could work out. Senior year is AP bio and anatomy since my teacher said chemistry stuff carries onto biology. She also said anatomy helps understand biology better.

Just keep an open mind is the best thing to do, but that sounds like an interesting plan, good luck =)

 

[EvenStevens]

One note: don't think you'll just wake up junior year and not be a lazy bum.
Choose your classes carefully. I suggest ap chem, ap bio, ap psychology

 

[Funke]

I loved being able to get out of two lit classes in college because of AP English. Totally worth all the homework. I AP tested out of Lit 201 and 202, then I took CLEP test for 101 and 102 which was very, very easy. I was a humanities major so I was able to take more upper level humanities instead of taking 101-202.
The only thing I regret my school not having was calculus. At least take pre-calculus so that you can take calc your first year of college to get it and statistics out of the way. There's several classes I ended up wanting to take, but I would have had to take Trig, then Calculus first, which wasn't an option for my schedule.
Anyway, with the new addition of biochemistry to the MCAT, it has become slightly harder to major in something other than science, but still doable. I think majoring in something like finance, IT, or engineering is most certainly the way to go. I would recommend not letting people talk you into doing a science major. It will not prepare you more or anything like that. I'm not doubting you at all, but realize most pre-meds end up changing their minds, so you don't want that to happen if you're a senior biology major, because you can't get a job with a BS in biology. I've learned most of these things the hard way

 

[MarylandMatt]

You want to major in finance so your options are Wall St or Med School.

Something tells me your priorities aren't right.

Regardless, how doable is it for a business major to get the prereqs in?

 

[papi89]

No offense to the OP, but this guy sounds like he's worrying about going into Radiology and isn't even applying to college yet, let alone med school ?! I'd focus on taking as many APs as you can in HS and getting into a good college first, as far as which APs to take I'd take as many as you can... if you can't handle the workload in an AP class (which I didn't really find that different from typical HS honors classes) pre-med is going to be quite the surprise.

 

[DarthBroosevelt]

You seem very go-getter which is good, but make sure you don't come off cocky or burn yourself out. AP classes are great if you'd like to challenge yourself and raise your GPA (if you do well, that is). However, you DO NOT need to take AP classes to get into a good college or into medical school. I took no AP classes except French Honors in school. You can apply to medical school with any degree as long as you have met the lab and class requirements. It does take extra work, but it's doable.

Don't take 5 AP classes. Take a couple of make sure you do well. If you really are "lazy", it may do you more harm than good. It's better to take a couple and excel rather than five and drown. Just my two cents.

 

[frosted_flake]

You seem very go-getter which is good, but make sure you don't come off cocky or burn yourself out. AP classes are great if you'd like to challenge yourself and raise your GPA (if you do well, that is). However, you DO NOT need to take AP classes to get into a good college or into medical school. I took no AP classes except French Honors in school. You can apply to medical school with any degree as long as you have met the lab and class requirements. It does take extra work, but it's doable.

Don't take 5 AP classes. Take a couple of make sure you do well. If you really are "lazy", it may do you more harm than good. It's better to take a couple and excel rather than five and drown. Just my two cents.

True words. I took AP bio (big mistake, big waste of time) and failed the exam (blessing in disguise!). What I learned in my high school "AP bio" course was nothing compared to what I learned in my intro bio course. If I could do it over, I would take no AP courses. I am telling my younger sister the same thing.

 

[MarylandMatt]

True words. I took AP bio (big mistake, big waste of time) and failed the exam (blessing in disguise!). What I learned in my high school "AP bio" course was nothing compared to what I learned in my intro bio course. If I could do it over, I would take no AP courses. I am telling my younger sister the same thing.

What do you mean by this? I got a 5 on the exam, would hope I'm prepared for college bio. Maybe it varies by teacher/class.

 

[frosted_flake]

What do you mean by this? I got a 5 on the exam, would hope I'm prepared for college bio. Maybe it varies by teacher/class.

True as well

 

[papi89]

There's a difference between learning the content for college and taking a lot of AP classes to impress / get into a good college... in my HS, there was definitely a strong correlation between loading up on AP classes and going to a strong UG.

An A in a regular math class is by no means viewed in the same light as an A in AP calc, as far as colleges are concerned... Not sure why everyone is talking about med school so much, why would a med school care if you took AP English or Chem or whatever?

 

[MarylandMatt]

I don't see the obsession with going to a good school if you want to go to medical school. They're more expensive, more competitive, and it doesn't matter in medical school admissions.

 

[PapaGuava]

I'd say take AP's you can handle rather than just as many as you can. AP's help take some credits off of college (I took a few), but it isn't absolutely necessary to crowd your schedule completely unless that is what you want.

 

[pointystar]

I don't see the obsession with going to a good school if you want to go to medical school. They're more expensive, more competitive, and it doesn't matter in medical school admissions.

So you're saying even if I go to an average university (George Mason for example) it won't matter much in med school admission? The important aspects are EC's, GPA, and MCAT scores? Anyway, I'm trying to land a scholarship. My distant cousin took 5 AP classes in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade and landed a full scholarship to Hopkins, complete with living costs. I've also changed my mind about the finance. I'll most likely major in a pharmaceutical degree, seems wise doesn't it?

 

[aspiringdoc123]

If you take AP Bio in 10th/11th grade and get placed out of General Bio 1+2 in undergrad, do the advanced classes do review of General Bio, because I'll probably forget a lot of the AP Bio I learned in 11th grade..

 

[phantomcello]

If you take AP Bio in 10th/11th grade and get placed out of General Bio 1+2 in undergrad, do the advanced classes do review of General Bio, because I'll probably forget a lot of the AP Bio I learned in 11th grade..

Probably not. They may cover some of the material in the first few lectures, but advanced classes expect an advanced knowledge.

 

[MarylandMatt]

So you're saying even if I go to an average university (George Mason for example) it won't matter much in med school admission? The important aspects are EC's, GPA, and MCAT scores? Anyway, I'm trying to land a scholarship. My distant cousin took 5 AP classes in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade and landed a full scholarship to Hopkins, complete with living costs. I've also changed my mind about the finance. I'll most likely major in a pharmaceutical degree, seems wise doesn't it?

Yes, where you go doesn't matter as long as you get a good GPA, good MCAT, and have the opportunity to get plenty of volunteering and shadowing done. Medical schools don't give you a "pass" for getting a low GPA at a hard school. I'd argue that it's much harder to get a good GPA at a top school, so go somewhere where your SAT scores are in the top 25%. Saving money is also a big plus.

I typed this out on another forum

This is a common misconception. Prestige is negligible.

There are 141 allopathic medical schools in the US, many of which are attached to large, non-prestigious state schools. There is no substitute for a top GPA and MCAT score. Medical schools do not give you a pass for going to a prestigious school.

They look at the applicant as a person and assess if they will be successful in medical school. The first thing is sGPA and then overall GPA. Did this person take all of the required classes and excel in them? What else did this person take and are they successful in those pursuits? Then they look at MCAT score. The MCAT makes or breaks most applicants. If both of these check out, they look at your ECs and your writing to see if you have the desire to stick with medicine and become a doctor. THEN, you MIGHT get an interview, if all of those check out.

All of this matters so much more than the name of where you go. As long as you go to an accredited school and have an academic major, prestige is such a non-factor. I'd also bet that it'll be much harder to get that high GPA at a prestigious school with the same amount of work at a less prestigious school. They tend to cost much more too lol.

As for rigor, I'm majoring in biochemistry. It'll be rigorous no matter where I go. Any of the sciences are like the engineering fields, all rigorous at every school.

 

[Arayh]

An A in a regular math class is by no means viewed in the same light as an A in AP calc, as far as colleges are concerned... Not sure why everyone is talking about med school so much, why would a med school care if you took AP English or Chem or whatever?

Medical schools care about undergraduate courses for pre-requisite purposes. Where this ties in with APs, is if you take AP Chemistry and place out of Gen Chem 1/2 in college, some medical schools may not accept that AP credit for the pre-requisite, and require you to take college level chemistry. This also goes for many of the other pre-requisites.

The one exception that's commonly heard of, is say you're a biology major, then you place out of Gen Bio 1/2 with AP Bio, but since you're a biology major, you're taking the upper level bio courses in college, like Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell Biology...etc, then medical schools will overlook that you placed out of the Gen Bio pre-requisite and let you substitute the AP Bio credit for it, since you've proven yourself with the upper level biology courses.

Of course this goes for other majors too, like if you were a Chem major and placed out of Gen Chem 1/2 with AP, but then took upper level chemistry courses to demonstrate your mastery.

 

[aspiringdoc123]

@phantomcello would you reccommend that I just "re-take" Gen Bio 1/2 so my GPA won't go down?

but will it look bed to top medical colleges that I started from Gen Bio (or the lower bio class) and didn't get as advanced as other applicants?

 

[pointystar]

Yes, where you go doesn't matter as long as you get a good GPA, good MCAT, and have the opportunity to get plenty of volunteering and shadowing done. Medical schools don't give you a "pass" for getting a low GPA at a hard school. I'd argue that it's much harder to get a good GPA at a top school, so go somewhere where your SAT scores are in the top 25%. Saving money is also a big plus.

I typed this out on another forum

Thank you for your insight. According to you and arayh, AP science courses don't really matter. I'll have to take them again in undergrad. So I'll drop physics, but I'll keep the rest, to get ready for college coursework.

 

[MarylandMatt]

Thank you for your insight. According to you and arayh, AP science courses don't really matter. I'll have to take them again in undergrad. So I'll drop physics, but I'll keep the rest, to get ready for college coursework.

You'd probably want to take them. You can abandon the credit and take intro if you want. There's going to be students who took AP science and students who didn't in the intro classes and it's going to be clear who knows the material.

Physics is eh. I take it most pre-meds will take physics soph/junior year.

 

[pointystar]

You'd probably want to take them. You can abandon the credit and take intro if you want. There's going to be students who took AP science and students who didn't in the intro classes and it's going to be clear who knows the material.

Physics is eh. I take it most pre-meds will take physics soph/junior year.

AP Physics is a two year course, so that means I'll have to do AP bio, anatomy and physics next year, which I don't think would be possible. And what do you mean by intro classes? Are those different from the general classes? And last question, how important is networking? My dad works in the finance industry and he has like 600 contacts on his phone.

 

[MarylandMatt]

AP Physics is a two year course, so that means I'll have to do AP bio, anatomy and physics next year, which I don't think would be possible. And what do you mean by intro classes? Are those different from the general classes? And last question, how important is networking? My dad works in the finance industry and he has like 600 contacts on his phone.

Intro: very first science classes you take in each subject matter. AKA common pre-reqs. Say you test out of intro bio, you will have to take a harder classes to get the same med school pre req.

 

[whynot7]

Try to take classes you know you will take in college. I took a ton of classes, esp. my senior year, that I knew I wasn't going to get credits for, but I wanted to learn before college. If you learn the material beforehand, you won't need to work as hard at understanding the material in college, and you can focus on extracurriculars. Also, some classes you can AP out of, like English (which I absolutely hated so I didn't want to take in college) and History, which would otherwise require a lot of work and time, and you might not have done as well in.

 

[Uafl112]

before you graduate, take your pre med prereqs. take AP bio, AP chem, AP physics, and AP calculus. If you do well in those classes, they should make the first two semesters in college very bearable

 

[Uafl112]

oh, and stop being lazy. It wont help you where you're going

 

[phantomcello]

@phantomcello would you reccommend that I just "re-take" Gen Bio 1/2 so my GPA won't go down?

but will it look bed to top medical colleges that I started from Gen Bio (or the lower bio class) and didn't get as advanced as other applicants?

You can do that, and no that doesn't look bad. You will still have plenty of opportunities to take advanced biology courses. The intro bio sequence is a year long course. If you're planning on being in college for four years, you will have an additional three years to find advanced biology courses that interest you.

 

[papi89]

Medical schools care about undergraduate courses for pre-requisite purposes. Where this ties in with APs, is if you take AP Chemistry and place out of Gen Chem 1/2 in college, some medical schools may not accept that AP credit for the pre-requisite, and require you to take college level chemistry. This also goes for many of the other pre-requisites.

The one exception that's commonly heard of, is say you're a biology major, then you place out of Gen Bio 1/2 with AP Bio, but since you're a biology major, you're taking the upper level bio courses in college, like Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell Biology...etc, then medical schools will overlook that you placed out of the Gen Bio pre-requisite and let you substitute the AP Bio credit for it, since you've proven yourself with the upper level biology courses.

Of course this goes for other majors too, like if you were a Chem major and placed out of Gen Chem 1/2 with AP, but then took upper level chemistry courses to demonstrate your mastery.

Except this guy is barely half way through high-school... focus should be on doing well in HS and going to a good UG. Taking HS courses to get you ready for med school is a pretty bad idea, and only worrying about AP classes that will give you credit for sciences is an even worse idea.

 

[Arayh]

Except this guy is barely half way through high-school... focus should be on doing well in HS and going to a good UG. Taking HS courses to get you ready for med school is a pretty bad idea, and only worrying about AP classes that will give you credit for sciences is an even worse idea.

I don't believe he's taking high school courses to get ready for medical school, (besides maybe his Anatomy course, which will probably end up being somewhat useless for medical school.) The rest of the courses are AP courses, which are high school courses for college. No one said those were for medical school. What those are for is the pre-requisites to apply to medical school, since you can't even apply to most medical schools without taking the year of Bio, Chem, Physics, Calculus, Organic Chem...etc. Most of these AP courses won't be helpful at all in medical school.

And you do have to take into account what AP courses you take if you're already set on medical school. There are conflicts depending on what undergrad you go to. There are some universities that are extremely annoying when it comes to re-taking courses that you received AP credit for, which would make it more annoying to apply to medical school since some medical schools require that you take college level pre-requisites and don't accept AP credit.

There's a difference between learning the content for college and taking a lot of AP classes to impress / get into a good college... in my HS, there was definitely a strong correlation between loading up on AP classes and going to a strong UG.

An A in a regular math class is by no means viewed in the same light as an A in AP calc, as far as colleges are concerned... Not sure why everyone is talking about med school so much, why would a med school care if you took AP English or Chem or whatever?

And to clarify your earlier question/post/my answer, you asked, why would medical schools care if you took AP courses. Well, they care because many of them don't like accepting AP credit for courses in lieu of college level courses. So if he took AP biology and decided to use that to place out of Gen Bio 1+2 without taking any higher level biology courses, then many medical schools won't accept that as fulfilling the pre-requisite to apply.

 

[pointystar]

Except this guy is barely half way through high-school... focus should be on doing well in HS and going to a good UG. Taking HS courses to get you ready for med school is a pretty bad idea, and only worrying about AP classes that will give you credit for sciences is an even worse idea.

I'm not taking these AP courses for medical school, a bit early for that. I'm taking it to familiarize myself with the content and also to snap myself to college mentality and put a stop to the laziness.

I believe this question has gone unanswered, how important is networking?

 

[papi89]

I'm not taking these AP courses for medical school, a bit early for that. I'm taking it to familiarize myself with the content and also to snap myself to college mentality and put a stop to the laziness.

I believe this question has gone unanswered, how important is networking?

Like how important is it in general? For med school?

 

[frosted_flake]

AP classes?
Enjoy high school while you are still a kid. AP can help you get ahead, but what for? So you don't have to take a few intro classes?
I am so against the idea of AP courses it is unbelievable, but that's just my opinion. I think it is crazy that advisors,teachers and counselors are pushing kids to take these classes. Save the hard work for college when it really counts!
Short story... I remember a girl who started bawling in AP bio because she got a C. She literally made it out to be the end of the world for her. That was the biggest issue in her life. What was my biggest problem? I couldn't decide which bat I wanted to use at my softball game later that night.
We all grow up too quickly anyways, don't rush it
EDIT: I was 'lazy' in high school, I still got into each UG I applied to, and I am working towards medical school. It can work.

 

[JPodel]

I took some AP classes (calc, bio, psych ect.) but to be completely honest, I am not going to use any of those credits besides Calc and my dual enrollment english credits in college. "Retaking" the class in college will refresh material that will be on the MCAT and if you took the AP version of that class, you will most likely not have a problem getting an A in the college class.

Senior year, which I am in now, don't expect to always be on top of things. Once you get your acceptance letters and finalize your college choice, its hard to stay on point and if you have a crazy ALL AP class schedule, you're final GPA might get f***** up.

Enjoy the easiness of high school while you can.

 

[frosted_flake]

I took some AP classes (calc, bio, psych ect.) but to be completely honest, I am not going to use any of those credits besides Calc and my dual enrollment english credits in college. "Retaking" the class in college will refresh material that will be on the MCAT and if you took the AP version of that class, you will most likely not have a problem getting an A in the college class.

Senior year, which I am in now, don't expect to always be on top of things. Once you get your acceptance letters and finalize your college choice, its hard to stay on point and if you have a crazy ALL AP class schedule, you're final GPA might get f***** up.

Enjoy the easiness of high school while you can.

 

[Arayh]

Taking AP courses ALONG WITH getting a 4/5 in the AP exam will show colleges that you are a stronger applicant. If you're applying to high tier undergrads or Ivies, then most of the applicants you are competing with will have several APs under their belt.

If you can handle the AP courses + AP exam, then take the courses (or if you want to be competitive for higher tiered undergrads). Not only will the course give you some good background for undergrad, especially if you're planning on taking Gen Bio/Chem/Physics...etc.

*Note that some high schools won't teach the same material/won't teach it as well as others. For example, one high school may be rigorous so kids getting a B in AP bio end up with 5's in the AP exam, while another school may not teach it well, and students who get an A in the course, end up with 3's on the Exam. So do NOT use your grade in the AP course to judge your knowledge base. You MUST take the exam if you want to see how well you actually know the material. Make sure you use review books along with your class notes to supplement your knowledge to what the AP EXAM wants you to know, not what your high school teacher wants you to know.

Furthermore, without the AP exam, there's no point really to take the course besides maybe an introduction to the course material. Of course colleges will then look at your transcript and see the course but no AP Exam grade and wonder what happened to you.

But for Med School purposes, AP courses may not satisfy the course requirements as pre-requisites for applying. Like I said earlier in the thread, make sure you look at the med school's website to see what they say about AP courses as pre-requisites. I know that for many schools, if you place out of Gen Bio pre-requisite with AP bio, they will want to see harder 300-400 biology courses to supplement your Bio pre-requisite.

Finally, Med Schools don't really care about what undergrad you go to, so you can go to any undergrad whether it's an Ivy or a lower tier. As long as you have a good GPA and a good MCAT score supplemented by your ECs.

However, I will say this, going to a higher tier undergrad myself, compared to some of my friends who went to other schools, I found myself working less when preparing for the MCAT to achieve a good score, because the higher tier undergrad really taught me the material in depth and helped me retain it. Especially for you guys taking the 2015 MCAT with Biochemistry.

 

[aspiringdoc123]

does AP Comp sci help for medical field?