Hi all!
My youngest is a rising 10th grader. At their school, the “honors” sophomore science option is dual credit chemistry.
The person who taught it for years just left the school, and we got an email saying that the class will now be replaced by an online dual credit chemistry course. However, the lab portion will no longer be offered.
Is this going to be a problem when they apply to colleges?
Thanks so much for any insights you might have! 
No. One can only take what the school offers.
Although the bigger issue will be the perception of a high school that doesn’t offer chemistry
It does look like there may be a regular (non-honors) chemistry or other sophomore science option:
Yep, that’s true! The other two classes they offer to sophomores are regular chem and AP Environmental Science. (It’s not a really an option to switch into these though. 60ish kids were signed up to take dual credit chem—and the other science classes are already at or near capacity.)
I would recommend trying to push for regular chem with lab over online without the lab. The GC can explain in their LOR that the honors lab course wasn’t being offered this year. IMO, if there were so many kids signed up for DE w/lab, they should add a class (or two) for these students.
In which case, I’d opt for regular chem. Push back on the school to figure it out; that’s their job.
Agree about regular chem with the lab as the preferred option. If you go this route ask the guidance counselor to note in his/her recommendation to colleges that regular chem was chosen as it was the only option which included a lab component.
I was a weak chem student in HS (full disclosure) but the lab was where it all started to make sense. I can’t imagine just doing the formulae and calculations and memorization without the hands on component! Try to get whatever chem class plus lab you can get scheduled. Chem can be a real slog without labs!
When we visited colleges with our daughter, we found that many wanted three lab sciences. Luckily we found this out early enough for her to make that happen as she took a physical science (not lab) course in 9th grade.
I’d just want to make sure my kid had 3 years of lab science. I would have my kids opt for the in person course…with lab. Not an online course minus the lab. But that’s my opinion.
And agree…the school should be figuring this out!
Hey! That’s a big change. While the online dual credit chem course is still great, the lack of lab experience might raise some flags. Colleges value hands-on lab work, especially in STEM.
It’s not a deal-breaker, but your kid might want to consider taking a lab-based science course elsewhere to show their skills. Just something to keep an eye on when applying to colleges!
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