Hi I’m a current sophomore in HS and we’re doing course selections right now. I plan to take a pre med track in college but I’m not sure what classes I should take junior year to prepare the best.
First, does a Chem major/premed track require taking a language during college? I’m currently on my 3rd year of French and I don’t really want to continue it for junior/senior year, unless it would get me out of taking it in college. My current plan is to replace French with AP Bio and then take Chem, English, calc, and history (all AP). So if a college’s website says they want 4 years of a language, does that apply to a premed track student? If it does, then I’ll probably drop bio and add AP/IB French 4 . If not I would keep my schedule as it is.
Second, does that schedule sound good for junior year? I think it might be a bit rigorous and I’m not sure if I should lighten it up a bit
Thanks so much
These are some of the required courses needed when applying for Medical School. Any exposure to these areas in HS, will make your college courses a little easier.
Medical school admission requirements vary from school to school. In general, most medical schools will expect applicants to have taken the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®), and to have completed the following types of courses:
One year of biology
One year of physics
One year of English
Two years of chemistry (through organic chemistry)
Gumbymom, my main concern at the moment is if I need to take a language in college during a pre med track
A college language requirement will be dependent upon which college you attend and which major you plan to pursue as an undergrad.
I would plan on being a chemistry major and the college I’m looking at, Northeastern, and its not very specific about if a science major would need language
This is a question you should ask your chem department academic advisor (who knows what the graduation requirements are for chemistry majors at your college).
Most 4 year colleges have some kind of language requirement for admissions (stated as a ‘preference for x years’) and once you matriculate, some will require that you either take classes to achieve a certain level of competence in a second language or demonstrate the you have already achieved that level of competence (a 4 or 5 on an AP exam, an SAT II over a certain score, etc…) It’s usually part of the distribution requirements and applies to all students. You will have to check each school individually for this information. (There are also a few schools with no distribution requirements, by the way.) Then, in addition, certain majors may have language requirements. If you are majoring in Chemistry, there isn’t usually a language requirement to graduate with that particular major a most schools and medical schools do not require proficiency with a second language.
Every college is different. My son is a premed with chemistry major. At his UG there is a required 3 years of language. By taking 4 years of Spanish and taking a placement exam, he placed out of 2 years of it and only needed one. My daughter is going into undergraduate business school this fall. There is no language requirement at her school at all. You’re only a sophomore. You don’t know which college you’ll be applying to or will get into. Iin addition colleges like to see 4 years of language in high school. Another thing to consider, some med school would like to see a year of Spanish. If you want to be competitive for college acceptances I don’t suggest you drop a language now. Do at least 3 years.
I doubt that you’ll need a 4th year of French. After the 3rd year, Sign up to take the French CLEP exam…you’ll probably score high enough to get enough credits to complete college req’ts.
Take all the AP science and math classes that you can.
College admission vary from one college to another. Why don’t you contact the adcom(s) of the college(s) that you are planning to apply?
For example, I do not know how many years of language was required at D’s college to be accepted to her major. However, her major required college class of Foreign language. Also the whole freshman class (no matter what major) required to take a Foreign language placement test (and math placement test) before they could register for the fall sememster of freshman year. So, based on the placement test score, D. ended up taking 3rd year Spanish in college, which happened to be one of her best college classes.
Anyway, I am telling you all of the above because these requirements maybe different at other colleges. So, ask colleges and then make your plans.