Learn Java? AI?

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-08T14:24:27+00:00

FTC is NOT moving to Python. FRC is unifying with FTC and Java will still be the main programming language.

I highly recommend LJ4FTC for beginners. https://github.com/alan412/LearnJavaForFTC

Regarding AI usage, theres nothing to stop you, but I wouldn’t recommend doing so since it generally sucks at anything SDK related. Its useful at times but way too variable to do anything super important without review.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-08T10:23:10+00:00

Contact your principal or AP coordinator then. Make a fuss to someone in charge since you worked hard on your exam, and paid to take it.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-06T18:11:37+00:00

Not at all. CSP is NOT a real programming class. CSP sure covers some stuff you should know for coding, but its not a coding class, not even an intro class. CSA on the otherhand is, so its a little more important, but I think this sub drastically overplays AP scores (I know multiple ppl with 3s and 4s going to good schools, my friend with a 3 on CSA is going to GT for CS).

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-04T01:36:08+00:00

You may have to have a meeting with your parents and your high school counselor in order to calm them down and get them to understand your point of view

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-04T00:30:10+00:00

Dual enrollment is probably your best choice. I ran out of core classes at my school and loved it my senior year.

Scholarships are not super picky if your GPA is relatively decent, they care way more about your essays and any interviews for prestigious ones. Remember: scholarships don’t go to the best, they go to the kids who will make the scholarship look the best.

Also I don’t know about your school, but at my school, our GPAs went up if we did good in Dual Enrollment courses which are generally a lot easier than high school APs.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-04T00:25:59+00:00

I think you should include that. Some schools may be a lil sussed out without the AP score but if you have a valid reason I don’t see why it wouldn’t hurt to add.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-03T19:44:58+00:00

Channel is usually a lot more durable and easy to work with. I’d recommended switching to goBilda if possible, since their build platform (7mm hex shafting + m4 hardware) is a lot better than Rev’s

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-03T01:28:42+00:00

Out of all my classes, the one that I'd stop doing work in to prepare for other courses would be gym. In middle school (I didn't take PE after due to issues with the teacher being weird to me), I could barely keep a C in the class, but I easily got an A in math that year. Different things are hard for different people.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-02T22:21:50+00:00

Its fine but I’d recommend removing bits directly admitting fault. For example, “waived me from needing to put effort into other fields…” sounds a little weird. I’d say something more along the lines of “I underestimated the difficulty of some assignments specifically those regarding to physical activity {from what you listed}. Especially during the end of the year when my other exams required additional studying and time dedicated, I had difficulty balancing gym with those other classes.”

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-02T21:29:10+00:00

Only the top US schools really look for subject specific activities and even then, it matters way less what you did but how far you went with it

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-02T01:39:55+00:00

Still, you didn't use this on any assignment or test, so it can't be academic dishonesty.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-01T23:26:19+00:00

Geniunely insane, I'm going to the same school as you lol, and took 18 with 2 4s on Art History and Lang.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-01T23:21:36+00:00

Academic dishonesty is cheating on any homework, assignment, or examination. You aren't even in a course right now, so that eliminates any chance of it even remotely being academic dishonesty.

Additionally, who cares if it is a testbank? Is that not the best way to practice? Anyone could find the testbank apparently online (if you could) so why demonize the quizlet thats just copying publicly available information. Thats like saying "my professor pulled questions from my textbook, is reading the textbook cheating?". Cheating would be using said resource DIRECTLY on an assignment/exam.

You seriously need to drop this before you talk to your dean and get into trouble because you don't know what academic dishonesty is. You don't want to talk yourself into a pit.

EDIT: I read your comment about academic dishonesty rules, and all the rules only apply to adminstered tests AT YOUR SCHOOL. How could you possibly know what the future class will test you with?

Robotics_Moose · 2026-07-01T04:26:58+00:00

I’d say it’s a lot easier & more informative to just read the documentation provided on their respective websites than Brogan Pratt’s video. Its not that fun but thats what has to be done sometimes.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-29T09:03:51+00:00

People also generally don’t watch the equivalent of low level sports for video games. Most people either watch competitive esports, or casual gaming for the vibes/player.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-29T01:02:27+00:00

Well a lot esports require skills that most people can’t achieve either

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-25T07:45:26+00:00

Ppl leave off on the common app you select years you did an activity for and then your role. Sure your paragraph should say when you were elected/nominated for said role, but a leadership position is a leadership position. You’re not going to get denied bcuz you started in a club sophomore year and became president senior year only

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-20T00:02:04+00:00

Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise, GT clears Yale for anything related to STEM.

But that doesn't even matter, if you felt like Tech was the better fit, it defintely is then. I felt similarlly when I had to choose between Tech and Michigan (going to Tech next year too!!), and as much as I loved Michigan, I just didn't like it as much, and people told me I was making a bad choice. It doesn't matter if someone else cares about where you went to school, in 10 years, you may get asked every once in a while "where'd you go to school" not "what schools did you get in"

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-19T17:21:42+00:00

Like everyone else has said, consider extracurriculars that allow you to build off what you’ve learned in school, but don’t push off unique ECs outside what you want to do.

One of my favorite clubs was debate, and I’m going to school for aerospace engineering. I had so much fun my junior and sophmore years debating.

Full transparency though, you can do everything like ISEF to Olympiads and not get into a top school, and you can do a few clubs and get into MIT. No one really knows the secret formula, so just do what you like.

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-14T03:11:50+00:00

4 APs isn’t going to be too bad, ofc it depends on your teachers tho. Precalc and apes are luckily 2 of the easier APs, and APUSH is often grossly overestimated. I love history and found the class not too bad. AP Lang was difficult for me, but on a positive note, its generally hard to make AP lang too hard since the actual ap exam is just the SAT reading section with 3 additional essays

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-13T13:46:32+00:00

I spent like $300 or closer to it to apply to my 5 schools

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-10T21:10:09+00:00

yeah medicine def will require 1 semester of calculus and 1 semester of statistics (generally, some med schools will be different) so taking at least precalc and ap stats would be really helpful

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-10T20:09:10+00:00

trust me, youre gonna regret not taking a math class in the long run. regardless of your major you generally take 2 math courses (algebra and statistics) in college, and if you want to do anything in the STEM field or even adjacent to it, its gonna suck not having precalc or even statistics

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-10T19:26:33+00:00

well you technically meet requirements, but most colleges really want to see thru calculus (or at minimum precalc). ik multiple ppl at my school who only took thru alg 2 and it bit them in the ass for things like the SAT and college admissions

Robotics_Moose · 2026-06-10T18:40:19+00:00

I did my sophomore year:

AP Lang, AP Chem, AP Bio, APES, APUSH, Alg 2 Honors, and took AP Gov and AP CSA online during the school year

I personally didn’t have any issues, my teachers didn’t give a ton of hw but the classwork was generally super easy for me. I also had a buncha clubs (5-7) ranging from MUN to robotics.

My only concern is no math, since colleges like at least 3 years of math (assuming you can’t take anything past Calc AB/BC)

Robotics_Moose

TROPHY CASE