Lanayru

Cal Tech has a list of high school courses they require (or recommend?) and I'm taking a physics course next school year (senior year.) Will not having my physics grade in yet affect anything during early action?

mazewanderer

It depends on the entire package. If you have a good reason to show why you did not take Physics till the senior year, it will not be a factor if your records indicates that you will do well in the class.

Otherwise, they could defer the decision and then you have a chance to update them with your grades and you will considered in regular decision.

So if you have concerns, it might be better to wait and apply for RD and show the 1st semester grades. Physics is important to Caltech admissions, but not having the grades at the time of application is not a dis-qualifier. You need to look at your package and decide if you want to take the chance with EA (and risk rejection) or wait until RD where you have chance to show the physics grades and appear a little stronger.

Lanayru

Thanks for replying! The reason is that junior year schedule was filled to the brim. The usual extra space got taken up by AP Calculus double class and the usual science spot I used for AP bio, my intended major (I know that BME is radically different, but I probably would enjoy that field too.) I can stomach waiting, so I might try REA at one school instead of EA at several.

joszacem

You should be fine, my S1 took his ap physics course sr year and is now a jr at Caltech.

mazewanderer

I think that the OP meant the first physics course, not an AP course. Also he wants to apply ED not RD.

joszacem

^ap physics is a first year physics course at our school. To the op- If your app gets you in it gets you in, not taking physics til Sr year should not matter.