<p>Iglooo- most colleges required at minimum 1 yr of a life science (Biology) and 1 yr of a physical science (could be Physics or Chemistry).
My son took Gate Physics. Chemistry and Bio. No AP Sciences. His aim was mid level Liberal Arts colleges such as Willamette and Univ of Puget Sound.
My D took Bio, Honors Chem and AP Bio. She never took Physics. She got into BC, George Washington and schools in that range.
It is interesting to see the high level of course selection. At my D’s HS the only AP available to soph is AP Euro which few kids take. Also for AP Bio or AP Chem you have to have first taken Bio and Chem.
We haven’t had course selection yet.
But if she stays at present school will probably be"
AP US Hist
Spanish 5/6
Chemistry
AP English Language or the dual enrolled CC Engl class that is taught at the HS
Algebra 3/4
Hopefully an Art class (she has already taken one and due to budget cuts will be lucky if she is allowed to taken a 2nd) if not will try to take an Art class at the CC.
Our school day is 6 periods
She is an above average student. Not interested in top colleges.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why a one year science class will be a waste of time? It’s going to go deeper into the subject than a year intro class.<br>
I am assuming the GS told you that because your D did very well in the Intro class, but taking only one science seems like she is specializing.</p>
<p>My D’s GC was disturbed because it’s only one science that my D is taking. GC had seen kids with chem 1 and phys 1 get in top colleges but not yet with phys 1 and phys 2. No one tried that. To me it doesn’t make sense to take half chem (or bio) and half phys. She could take physics 2 and chem 1 next year. It still leaves chem unfinished unless she takes chem 2 in the 12th.</p>
<p>pulling hair - It’s because one year courses are not challenging. They track kids at her school.</p>
<p>In our high school, there are 2 Physics AP classes. Students generally take one or the other, but not both.</p>
<p>Physics B AP does not require Calculus and is followed by the 3 hour Physics B AP exam.</p>
<p>Physics C AP does require some Calculus and is followed by TWO 1 1/2 hour Physics AP exams, Mechanics and then Electricity and Magnetism (and yes you get to pay double).</p>
<p>The topics covered in these classes overlap and are described on collegeboard.</p>
<p>Old Fort - Did your D1 take other science courses than AP physics?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Are their regular courses as tough as APs? Do they devote lots of time/energy to ECs?</p>
<p>By the way, is anyone here interested in ECs? How do you help your kids pursue one or two?</p>
<p>No. She took Hon Bio 9th grade, Hon Chem 10th, Hon Physics 11th, then AP Physics C 12th. She basically took ONE science, math, english, history, language and an elective every year. She was accepted to Cornell and Duke. She took AP exams without taking the course. Her school is pretty competitive, so many honors courses are equivalent to APs, but the school is not a big believer of APs. Their focus is giving kids a good education. 35% of those kids go to top 20 schools. She is a math/econ major right now. She went straight to level 200/300 math classes, and felt perfectly comfortable.</p>
<p>I do not understand the need of taking so many science courses (especially AP) every year.</p>
<p>Iglooo- I am in Ca and the UC’s and Cal States require both a life and physical science.</p>
<p>I also checked Stanford they suggest 3 or more years of lab science to include Chemistry, Biology and Physics.</p>
<p>Some kids in D1’s class pushed themselves in taking multi variable while in high school. It back fired on them because some of them ended up getting Cs in the class. It is better to take just enough difficult courses for the GC to check off the box of “taking most rigorous courses” without going overboard.</p>
<p>I would say it depends on why you’re taking the classes. </p>
<p>If you’re a math/science person, it looks weird to have a year without math and the logical follow-on to AP Calc BC is multivariable (although it could be linear algebra in some places).</p>
<p>My daughter loves math and would have HATED being held back just so that she didn’t get too far in math too soon. We’ve done all sorts of math enrichment things (LM1 & LM2 from eIMACS, MathCounts, AMC-8, AMC-10, AMC-12, AIME, AoPS courses and books), but she’s still well ahead of “normal”.</p>
<p>Mom60 - My D would have had 3 years of science, just not chem or bio. Do they specify bio chem phys like that? Where do you look it up? I went to Yale wensite. I thought it was vague, like rigorous courses, etc.</p>
<p>We are not into taking too many AP’s. It’s just that the regular science courses are hard to stay awake. They teach the same thing for over a month with some kids still interrupting, “I don’t understand. Could you explain it again?”</p>
<p>Science: three or more years of laboratory science (including biology, chemistry and physics).
Igloo- the above is cut and pasted from the undergrad admissions website of Stanford.</p>
<p>Brown and Columbia information sessions mentioned that they would like to see bio, chem, physics.</p>
<p>Igloo -</p>
<p>The omission of both bio and chem from your daughter’s application would be noticed at the top schools, whether she is a science major or not. Also, the overwhelming evidence is that they want to see four years of science. As to whether AP or not, it depends on what is offered at your daughter’s school. Our school only allows seniors to take AP level, so colleges could not expect to see 10 APs.</p>
<p>I am wondering if she can take science classes at a CC.</p>
<p>The omission of a life science would also be noticed at mid range schools. If she can only add Chem or Bio I would go for the Bio.</p>
<p>Thank you for replies. I am beginning to understand. Science courses are usually a year long not two. Three years of science would imply chem, bio, phys. I didn’t know. It will be tough to fit in chem and phys this year. If she does, she will have to drop writer’s workshop that she wanted to take badly.</p>
<p>Mom60 - I don’t know what she has against bio. She will put up with chem but not bio. It’s not a life science for her, more like death sentence.</p>
<p>Iglooo- my oldest was that way about Physics. There was no way she was going to take it.</p>
<p>In our area all the HS’s private and public require both a Life Science and a Physical Science to even graduate HS. Most kids take Biology. Some who are not planning on college at all take a course titled “Life Science”.</p>
<p>Physics is so logical it doesn’t make sense. My D has issues with cell structure, DNA’s, etc. They don’t make sense to her. According to her, there’s no a priori reason that it came to be. Therefore, it’s bogus(?). Does that make sense? When she was choosing courses for her sophomore year, she wanted to take world history that was elective instead of adv chem 1 as others were doing. It made sense to me. Her main interest is humanities. She wanted to know what’s happening around the world. How do you say no to that?</p>