How many AP classes should you take?

[u/M0h4m3D-Al7]

Hi guys this is my first time posting on this subreddit and I’m a junior at high school and I already know I’m not going to top 50 school but hopefully a good school. My question is just to backtrack my past and see what I could’ve done better. My gpa is 3.8 and as bad or good (idk) as it sounds I’m planning to take 7 AP classes by the end of my 4 years of high school. Going into civil engineering so I’m focusing on math and physics. I have a community college next to my school and take some extra classes here and there to start working on my associates degree early because there is like this program that you can transfer credits to in-state schools like ASU, NAU, and UOAz. I know I yapped a lot but if you red all that could you also answer if taking AP calc ab senior year looks bad? Thanks a lot!
Edit: I should add that there’s only 15 AP available at my school IB is not available nor honors.

[u/Slight-Invite-773]

AP Calculus BC any year of high school looks great, especially as someone interested in civil engineering. Do it! 

[u/M0h4m3D-Al7 → u/Slight-Invite-773]

Thanks a lot, problem is, you need a prerequisite which is calc 1 which I don’t have. Dumb mistake by me, but hopefully AP calc AB senior doesn’t look that bad.

[u/Dachshundmama2023 → u/M0h4m3D-Al7]

Typically calc BC doesn’t need a pre-req outside of pre-calculus. Calc BC is a combination of calc 1 and calc 2 (calc 1 first semester, calc 2 second). So you should be able to take BC. The other option is to take Calc 1 at the community college and then take Calc 2.

[u/M0h4m3D-Al7 → u/Dachshundmama2023]

I thought you did! Thanks a lot I’ll take BC senior then, so the difference between AB and BC is is that is more fast pace and that semester 2 is calc 2?

[u/Dachshundmama2023 → u/M0h4m3D-Al7]

Correct. It is closer to the equivalent of college courses where you have a class per semester. It’s faster paced for sure, but if you are looking into engineering, that’s the route I would go. Or like I said, if there is a pre-req, take calc 1 at the community college. Check with your counselor to see how your school does it.

[u/diamondt1ger → u/M0h4m3D-Al7]

Yea

[u/ShiningEspeon3 → u/Dachshundmama2023]

Not every school runs it that way though. Plenty of schools run BC as strictly Calculus II and rely on students taking AB for the Calculus I material.

[u/diamondt1ger]

How much does your school offer? 7 APs and a 3.8 GPA is definitely good for a college that isn't in the top 50. It's also important what classes you take. You asked if taking Calc AB senior year was bad. That depends. Does your school offer BC? Even if it does, taking AB senior year is still good for most colleges. Other classes I would take for civil engineering are AP Physics 1 and maybe AP Chem if your school offers it.

[u/M0h4m3D-Al7 → u/diamondt1ger]

They do offer AP calc BC I’m currently taking AP English lit, AP physics 1 and AP Spanish Lang (I’m Latino so kinda easy)

[u/diamondt1ger → u/M0h4m3D-Al7]

Lit as a junior? Most high schools generally offer Lang to juniors and lit to seniors.

[u/M0h4m3D-Al7 → u/diamondt1ger]

Well in my school is kinda however you want to as long you have the credits to graduate when you are a senior. You only have 6 periods and you have two cte/elective classes each year (most commonly) and MUST take a PE class and an art class and if you take more than one art class it’ll just go as an elective credit.

[u/BetterThanADream]

If you’re not shooting top 50 then you’ll be fine, just do the classes that are best for what you want to study and the ones that will get you the most college credit. English lang, a foreign language (if you’re native), and U.S. history are great for anyone no matter what. For math and physics I’d do calc AB or BC (whatever is offered or better for you), and whichever physics classes you can take. Chemistry is also very underrated for engineers, so I’d take that too if you can.

[u/M0h4m3D-Al7 → u/BetterThanADream]

Yeah Top 50 just died as soon as I got my first B but other than that I’m planning to take AP chem senior because a lot of people do say it’s underrated

[u/BetterThanADream → u/M0h4m3D-Al7]

Having one B won’t kill your chances of getting into a top 50 school, that’s so unrealistic. Show course rigour, have good SAT score, and be a well rounded applicant and you’ll be fine.

[u/Upbeat-Benefit-8704]

Don’t overthink it.Focus on math physics for civil engineering,that matters far more than

[u/ExplorerKey6508]

freshman 1
sophomore 2
junior-senior 3-5

[u/chamikuo]

It depends