<p>One of my children ended up with no math or science this year. We got told by her top choice school that this would likely end in her not being able to be admitted. She is not 100% certain what she wants to major in. I am suspecting that what they meant is she could not be admitted to math and science majors because she had no math or science this year? Also, she was ahead of grade level and all she has left that she can take of those subjects is AP classes and those would not fit in to her schedule. </p>
<p>She is seriously considering majoring in math/science type major. She will have AP Chemistry and AP Math b/c next year. But she plans to apply early admission to this particular school. Would she be better off just putting a non-science/math major as her area of interest on the application and then worry about her major once there? They already told us that she can major in whatever she wants, she is not bound to a major based on her application. She has several interests.</p>
<p>That’s a pretty bizarre exchange as you’ve described it. I would think that no math or science junior year would raise a red flag for competitive schools all things being equal, and that’s what the school was conveying. However if there are valid reasons why she can’t take them, and she’ll have the required courses by the time she graduates, I wouldn’t think they’d penalize her. Were they aware of all these extenuating circumstances?</p>
<p>Is this a school that admits to specific departments? It doesn’t sound like it. If not, I’d have her be honest about what she wants to major in and the reasons why. That makes for a stronger application than some cooked up version of what you think they want to hear.</p>
<p>I suspect what they mean is that they will not admit her for any major. Regardless of intended future major, an acquaintance with HS level math and science is something an educated person ought to have. A junior that skips a year of that education is probably not competitive in their pool of applicants. But I could be wrong. I suppose you’ll know for sure what they meant after she applies EA and sees what happens.</p>
<p>She needs to make an appointment with the head of admissions at that U, and bring along a copy if her completed transcript, rather than just having telephone chats with someone who is probably a work-study student.</p>
<p>Math through precalculus, and a year each of bio, chem, and physics, plus one year of some other science or the AP version of b, c, or p really truly is good enough. Ideally a math/science major manages to squeeze calculus in as well. It really truly is Ok to have a year in HS without math or science if there also are years when the coursework is “doubled up”. Things like this can happen due to schedule conflicts even when a HS does not have block scheduling.</p>
<p>The requirements are spelled out on the college’s admissions website. Read it carefully since it may say “X units are required” but in the footnotes “Y is preferred”.</p>
<p>I think you are WAY too worried about this (this is the third thread I’ve seen tonight from you on this topic). A typical kid headed for a top college:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Does not take Calculus until senior year. A few have more advanced math tracks at their HS, but most don’t. If your D takes AP Calc senior year AND gets a good grade first semester, no school (including Rice, her first choice) is going to blink.</p></li>
<li><p>She has already taken bio, chem, and physics, right? So she can take an AP science next year. Again… my kid’s school offers no AP classes in the sciences, and she got into U of Chicago EA this year as a planned physics major. </p></li>
<li><p>That is what the additional info section and school guidance counselors are for – to describe if the school has a scheduling limitation that meant your D had to take things out of sequence or that blocked a “normal” sequence of classes.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>If you are really in that much of a sweat about it, have her take Calculus at a community college this summer. This is just blown way out of proportion…</p>