Hi! I’m a high school student at a competitive private school. I’m currently needing to choose between taking AP Bio or AP Phys 1 - unfortunately I can’t take both with my current schedule. I’m a really good student, I have great grades, and solid extracurriculars. I intend to double major in biology and computer science. Right now, I’ve taken biology, chemistry accelerated (honors), AP Chem, anatomy & physiology, and robotics engineering (elective science classes). I’m a junior entering my senior year. I will take AP Computer Science, AP Calc BC, and other classes next year. I’m also in the most advanced math level for my school. I don’t have any physics on my transcript yet, but considering I want to major in bio and I’ve taken AP Chem, I’m leaning towards bio? Also, apparently phys is pretty awful at my school. I really want to go to a top tier college like Brown, Yale, or Stanford. Thoughts?
A few comments:
– The guidance counselor at your competitive private HS would likely be the best source of advice.
– Many colleges look for students to complete a sequence of bio, chem, and physics in HS so I’d suggest a physics class (doesn’t necessarily have to be AP level).
–Unsolicited advice – do not focus your college hopes on a few hyper-competitive colleges.
Physics. Many schools will want to see physics, biology, and chemistry on the h.s. transcript (even if you plan on majoring in biology).
I would be inclined to take at least one physics class and at least one biology class at some point in high school. If you have already taken regular biology, but have not yet taken any physics class, then IMHO physics makes more sense.
However, I agree that your guidance counselor should know what makes sense.
One thing to think about (but you have a LOT of time to figure this out), is what you intend to do with a double major in biology and computer science. One thing that occurs to me is that a lot of stuff is automated in biology and medicine, and someone needs to program the medical equipment. Just as one example, a number of years ago I had robot assisted surgery (which went well), and someone must have programmed the robot. On the other hand, if premed is a possibility, then my understanding is that premed students need to take some physics, and having taken a physics class in high school would be very helpful before you get to university level physics.
Another vote for Physics! It’s a foundational science and not taking it could hurt you at the schools you’re targeting.
Take Physics.
You have a great record and I wish you luck.
But don’t fall in love with top tier - whatever that means.
I hope they happen but please ensure you have an affordable and ensured acceptance school on your list. Many top students who apply only to top 20 strike out.
Keep up the good work and best of luck.
thanks for the advice everyone! I appreciate the concern about the top tier colleges comment — the colleges I listed are definitely not the only ones I’m applying to, I’m trying my best not to hang all my hopes and dreams on schools with -5% admission rates!
In regards to the counselor stuff, at my school we have a college counselor and an academic advisor. I asked both of them already, my advisor said bio would be a better fit (my advisor is also a proponent of taking classes you like instead of checking boxes). When I asked my college counselor, she talked to the other counselors and told me that they just didn’t know how it would read either way, and she couldn’t give me an answer (hence why I’m in this situation). It seems to me like bio would make me happier, while physics would help my admissions - but if my college counselor couldn’t tell me I wasn’t sure if that would actually be true. Especially considering the depth>breadth thing I thought bio would stick with that, but I guess not?
Since you have not taken any kind of physics, taking physics is likely the better option. Biology majors in college typically have to take physics in college, and computer science majors in college sometimes have to take physics in college. Better to have previewed it in high school before taking it in college.
My friend who is a cardiology professor says that it’s important for everyone interested in biology to take physics in high school AND college. She says you can’t properly understand biology without physics, and that it’s frustrating to teach students who don’t have at least a basic physics background.
This came up when my daughter, currently a high school junior, was talking to my friend about her senior year schedule. My daughter already had 9th grade physics, but my friend still advised her to take AP Physics as her senior science elective.
Can you take AP Biology at your school and non AP Physics? Can you use one of your electives for that? If not - take AP Physics. Physics is definitely a must with selective majors you are targeting and selective schools.
It sounds like you’re doing all the right things talking to counselor and advisor, that’s unfortunate there isn’t more clarity there for your particular school based on past outcomes.
My kid could relate to your dilemma. Clear bio/chem interests and only took Physics 1 to check a box.
They are now a pre-med freshman at Brown, the AP Bio and AP Chem have been enormously helpful in making no gap year an option as the orgo sequence is only offered spring/fall. The physics 1 was only beneficial as far as however it helped in admissions.
All that to say, I wonder if it’s at least worth asking the school whether this is a case for putting scheduling conflict in classes in additional information section to explain the no Physics if you decide to go that route. Not suggesting you should or shouldn’t take it, but maybe address it if you don’t? Or, is a summer physics class an option?
I never took physics. I was a lousy math student; only the top two/three “math girls” were encouraged to take physics at my HS (nobody worried about women in STEM back then).
My kids LOVED physics. Their HS strongly encouraged everyone to take it, and there were several levels of physics geared to a kids math capabilities. But it was easily one of the most popular classes at the school, whether you opted for the AP/intense version or the more user-friendly version.
Building catapults, constructing bridges out of household items, throwing stuff retrieved from the garbage and recycling bins- lots and lots of marbles and children’s toys-- every week brought mayhem and a lot of laughs and a big mess. Along the way, they were taught the scientific method, how to construct a replicable experiment, how to measure results and then test to make sure they were accurate… plus all the actual physics formulae and theories.
Don’t deprive yourself of physics, regardless of how it “looks” for college. If you want to be a scientist- or a HS librarian-- or a social worker-- or a sculptor- everyone should understand the basics of how the physical world operates. I have few regrets in life, but not taking physics is one of them, and it’s high on my list for my post-retirement life.
I echo other posters. The only little bit of data we have from a highly rejective college that physics is important is from Wesleyan’s class profile. For Class of 2028 admitted students, 79% had taken bio, chem, and physics in HS. And this is from a school with a not-insignificant proportion of non-STEM students.
- HS Preparation:
- 85% have taken calculus
- 79% have taken biology, chemistry and physics
- 77% have a fourth year (or equivalent) of one foreign language
I would expect other schools look for all three as well. At the school where I read apps, we would always make a note if an applicant doesn’t have one of the three.
You might contact your admissions rep at the schools on your list and ask them if it’s important to have bio, chem, and physics. Some might not directly answer, but some will.
This definitely makes it seem like Physics is the safer choice. You might end up liking it more than you think, I was inspired the post above too. Good luck!
Not to pile on, but you are going into a stem field. You need some level of HS physics. And if you are aiming for a top tier school like you suggested in your original post, I’d recommend AP physics.
My daughter went to a much less reachy school and this is what Purdue says: “Students interested in applying for technical programs (engineering, science, health-related majors, technology, and agriculture, etc.) should take as much advanced coursework as possible in math and science (pre-calculus, AP/IB Calculus, AP/IB Biology, AP/IB Chemistry, and AP/IB Physics).”
Notice there is no “or”, it’s “and”. ; )
You will also need to take physics in college and you don’t want your first exposure to happen in a fast pace college course.
Again just piling on, but . . .
Chemistry is fundamental to college Biology.
Physics is fundamental to college Biology both directly, and also via college Chemistry.
I don’t think you need to take AP Physics in HS before being a Bio major, meaning it would be OK if you only took HS Physics. Indeed, likely in college you could take a Calc-based intro Physics sequence to fulfill the Bio major Physics requirement, one designated in some way as the intro sequence for science and engineering students. This would be in distinction from the sort of intro Physics sequence non-STEM students might take (which might only be Algebra-based), and possibly the sort of Honors intro Physics sequence that Physics majors (and maybe some Engineers) would take.
But I would advise against going into college with no Physics at all. In part that is because that Calc-based Physics for STEM majors sequence will likely be a lot easier if you are not entirely new to Physics (indeed, a good chunk of those students may actually have taken AP Physics but are doing that sequence anyway). In addition, you may actually take that required Physics sequence after some intro Chem and Bio classes (the more challenging sequences designed for Bio and Chem majors), which will implicitly assume at least a HS-level Physics background.
As for admissions, my two cents is that to the extent colleges may be looking for Physics on your transcript, it is not some arbitrary hoop they are making you jump through. They just basically see all this more or less the same way I was sketching out, and they may even have data showing that students who try to go through the introductory sequences in science and engineering majors without any prior Physics at all are at a relative disadvantage. And they typically want to be confident their enrolled students are well-prepared to succeed, so they understandably typically want to see their successful applicants having taken the classes in HS that will make them reasonably well-prepared.
Usually, introductory physics in college would be in the following different levels:
- For non majors, minimal math.
- For biology majors and premeds, single variable calculus or algebra only.
- For physics and engineering majors, calculus with multivariable calculus for E&M.
- Honors courses for physics majors.
The latter two or three often recommend high school physics as a prerequisite, in addition to math prerequisites. In any case, having seen physics at the high school level will make introductory physics in college more understandable.