Bad science background in high school, please help?

Applying to College
1

<p>I’m a junior going into my senior year at a competitive public high school in California and totally flipping out about college right now.</p>

<p>One of the reasons that I’m so stressed is that after a rocky past few years, I haven’t gotten to take all of the classes that I wanted to, particularly in the ways of science. Since I go to a competitive public high school, schedule changes are VERY inflexible and oftentimes people don’t always get what they want and are placed in random classes.</p>

<p>I in particular feel REALLY screwed though because after getting my senior schedule, I realized that odds are, I won’t be able to graduate with any physics background nor AP Biology. My freshman and sophomore years I got Biology and Chem Honors cause both were required at my school, but then my junior year I signed up for APES but was placed in Zoology instead with no chance to get out or double science (that REALLY ****ed me off).</p>

<p>Over the summer I tried to take a community college class in physics but I tried to get into 3 separate cc’s and one I missed the deadline for and the class was full in the other two. Then I tried out this young scholars program that I wanted to get into physics for scientists and engineers but they denied my request saying it would be EXTREMELY difficult for a high schooler and placed me in a microeconomics class instead.</p>

<p>Just yesterday my requested schedule change from APES this year into AP physics got denied as well because our school doesn’t allow for double sciences and there is a huge wait list for the class. I also spoke with my guidance counselor about taking an online courses and she said most colleges won’t take it since online courses don’t include labs.</p>

<p>So now I just feel so defeated and that any chance to do any science-related thing in college or declare a science-oriented major will get me rejected since I don’t have a strong science background in high school despite all my efforts to improve myself. My guidance counselor recommended that if I really wanna improve myself I can try to self-study for bio or physics subject tests and try those and keep looking for any other opportunities to take a class outside of high school, as well as make a note of these unfortunate events on my apps, but I can’t help feeling like I just got hosed for high school (and possible college) science :(</p>

<p>What I expected my science schedule in high school to look like as a freshman:</p>

<p>Bio Honors
Chem Honors
APES
AP Bio or AP Physics</p>

<p>What I will got</p>

<p>Regular Bio
Chem Honors
Zoology
APES
(*Also of note, took a class in Marine Invertebrates down in UCSD summer sophomore year and also have a job at Maxim Health Care and have worked with autistic children and animal shelters my whole life, sooo that’s kinda science-y? :stuck_out_tongue: )</p>

<p>:/</p>

<p>My dream school is UC Davis, but I feel a sub-par science background would really hurt my chances to get in, expecially since the life/enviornmental sciences there are so impacted. My guidance counselor also said I can make a note of these unusual circumstances on my app but it still doesn’t make me feel any better.</p>

<p>If I don’t get into anything life/environmental science-oriented, my backup/alternate major would be something related to economics or psychology. Possibly computer science.</p>

<p>Any thoughts or advice?</p>

2

<p>You may want to consider the online class anyway. It would be a good way to learn the material even if the college doesn’t count it. It will also show the college that you have a background in physics, since you seem to believe that it is imperative that you take that class. You can also show a passion for science through other ways like research, self-studying a science AP, science fairs, etc.
And, whatever you do, don’t blame the school on the college app. It will make you seem whiny. It’s important that you make the best out of your situation rather than fixating on its inconvenience.</p>

3

<p>Thanks rachelm :)</p>

<p>Yeah, I think I might just take the online class anyways. It’s less than $100 but at least I can say I know the material. Basically it would be like taking conceptual physics in the sense that it’s more the theories and ideas behind physics without the lab, and on that level, it still might be helpful. Again, I’ll keep looking. I do have a good 3 and a half months before Apps are due.</p>

<p>To be more specific I’m really interested in UC Davis’ environmental science college, particular for their programs in Animal Biology, Enviornmental Policy and Planning, Managerial Economics or Nutritional health science.</p>

<p>On this level I can at least say that I do have a somewhat consistent background in life-sciences even if it wasn’t at the exact rigor I wanted.</p>

<p>I was simply concerned that at UC Davis in particular, with life sciences as their strongest selling point, to see an applicant without AP bio or one of the key fundamental sciences to apply would significantly lower my chances of admission.</p>

<p>Again I have other options, and could always try to transfer into a new program once I get in, but I still would like to see if all would not entirely be lost.</p>

<p>Oh and I wasn’t exactly planning to blame the school so to speak, but my guidance counselor mentioned that I can make a little note that I just didn’t get some of the classes I wanted to at a school with little room for flexibility, that’s all.</p>

<p>Do you think that might be too much though?</p>

4

<p>Can you take regular physics? While high school physics is recommended for those intending to major in any subject requiring the more rigorous calculus-based physics in college (i.e. physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, engineering, sometimes computer science), it is not required that it be an AP course.</p>

<p>Biology majors usually take less rigorous physics courses than the majors listed above take.</p>

5

<p>No. My school is EXTREMELY strict on double sciences. Basically if I wanted to take even a regular physic course, they’d have to rearrange my entire schedule, I’d lose APES for sure and odds are a few other classes IF they can even find a spot for me, which isn’t even garunteed at this point.</p>

<p>I think I actually did find a night community college class that I might be able to work with. I’m looking into that atm.</p>

<p>But let’s say the worst case scenario I’ll graduate without any physics under my belt.</p>

<p>The core areas that I am considering (though still somewhat undecided) of majoring/minoring in would be Biological/Life Sciences and/or Business/Social Sciences.</p>

<p>I don’t think it would be a huge loss if I don’t take physics in high school seeing as I’ll probably have to take it again in college anyways and none of my predicted majors/potential areas of study would require it I don’t think but for any of those fields, but do you think my options would be more limited if I didn’t go in with a high school physics course?</p>

6

<p>For biology, business, or social studies majors at most colleges, having high school physics is not essential for success in college.</p>

7

<p>Well that’s at least somewhat of a relief :)</p>

<p>Still disappointed my school schedule wouldn’t allow for that or AP Bio though… :/</p>

<p>Just gonna have to cross my fingers at this point and hope for the best</p>

8

<p>In general, how do colleges view Science courses taken online with a “virtual lab”? (for example, the BYU online University level courses that have virtual labs) If a non-science high school student took one of these University level virtual lab courses, how would it be viewed by admissions?</p>