No Science Senior Year for Intended Econ/Math Major?

S is selecting courses for senior year and his preferred schedule would leave him without a science class. Through junior year, he’ll have bio, chem, and AP Physics, plus an engineering class that counts as a science credit in his school. Next year, he would like to take Calc BC, Stats, and Euro, with the remaining four slots going to English, Band, FL, and PE (required for graduation). He’s interested in studying some combination of economics (really enjoyed and did well in AP Econ) and math/stats in college. Should he take AP Chem instead of Stats to ensure 4 years of science? There’s no guarantee it will even be offered (small high school, so it’s not offered every year, and he definitely wouldn’t want to take it via VHS), and he would very much prefer to take Stats. Or will the bio/chem/physics/engineering sequence be sufficient given his intended areas of study? He’s planning to apply primarily to LACs, including a few of the more selective ones. Some “recommend” four years of science, but none requires.

If you are looking for an opinion…

He has three lab sciences and an additional science related course. And it looks like he has all the other core areas, and the arts covered.

My opinion…he does not need a science his senior year.

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I would take the Stats. He’s gotten the 3 major sciences completed. Stats will be more needed for his intended major.

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Yes, just looking for some opinions to inform mine when he asks for it! Thank you!

He has the 3 major sciences plus one more course, so colleges that expect 4 units would be okay. Considering his choice of major (Quantitative Economics it sounds like) doubling up in Math makes more sense.

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Agree with the others.

Except for math and English, 4 years and 4 credits can be used interchangeably, generally. He’s got the 4 credits, and AP Chem is unrelated to anything he’ll need

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I’m going to be a bit of a contrarian here. Many schools consider engineering/PLTW courses as electives, regardless how the HS classifies them. With that said, do I think this senior year schedule will be ok at many schools? Yep. But as always, it depends on the school and/or its level of selectiveness. Just to take one example which I’ve posted before, Wesleyan is directly stating in their admissions sessions that applicants without four years in each of the five core areas are at a disadvantage in their process. I don’t know if they would consider engineering to be a core science, but that’s an easy question for OP’s S to ask his AO.

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It depends on where he plans on applying to college. There’s differences from 1 school to another.

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For example:
Right now, D26 is really interested in applying to Univ of Arizona. Their high school course requirements are listed at High School Competency Requirements | University of Arizona Admissions. They have an 80+% admit rate. They only require 3 yr of a lab science.

Last year, 1 of the LACs that D24 applied to was Centre College in KY. It says this on their website at https://www.centre.edu/apply/admission-requirements:
“Most of our students completed high school programs with honors, advanced, AP, or IB courses. Competitive applicants will have taken the most demanding courses available at their high schools. The committee will carefully consider your high school profile and the options offered at that school.”

Some colleges will consider an engineering class to count as a science requirement while others will consider it an elective.

This would be a good question to ask both the counselor at school (and I wouldn’t be surprised if you get a non-helpful answer) AND to ask an admissions officer/staff member at a couple of the colleges your son is really interested in.

If it was me, I’d probably go with the senior course selections that your son is thinking of.

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As a tangential suggestion, your son may benefit from considering colleges with an available major in data science. This major combines math, computing and an applied domain, such as economics. Such an approach would not preclude an additional major in economics.

This analysis may be helpful: Economics rankings: US Economics Departments at Liberal Arts Colleges | IDEAS/RePEc.

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He’s planning to ask his counselor at school, but I’m not expecting a helpful answer. My D also did not take a science class senior year and did not have any physics (took APES as her third science), and the counselor never suggested it might be a problem (she was also applying to selective LACs). I’ll suggest he reach out to AOs at the schools to ask if he’s concerned.

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Yes, he is looking at these programs, too! Thank you.

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No, AP Stats isn’t calculus based, it’s irrelevant to the stats you’ll do in college. Take a science course instead.

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100% dependent on where they are applying. Look at their suggested high school prep.

At most schools, it’ll be fine at three.

Was no issue for my top social science kid at 2nd tier publics and LACs like UF, UGA and W&L.

At Harvard, maybe not.

Good luck.

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Personally, I wouldn’t bother with AP stats - it’s about as rigorous as AP precalculus or AP physics 1. He would be better off with a science and self studying, e.g,

This was pre-Covid, but I had a child get into Hopkins, Georgetown, and UVA with just 3 years of science. S doubled up foreign language every year (including a difficult language - think Russian/Arabic/Chinese), won the school language award in both languages, and also doubled up social studies junior and senior year. Took AP stats as a senior after precalc as a junior (no calc). Had a good narrative about interest in foreign service career, awards, ECs that all fit, etc. 790 verbal SAT (690 math), all 5s on APs.