<p>Continued:</p>
<p>The one thing that highly selective colleges will all glance at first in your counselor/school rec is the little check box says your kid took the “most rigorous courses available”
If the other students took 4 years of science and yours took 2 and replaced them with electives, they probably will check a lower level - severely hampering his odds of getting into selective schools.</p>
<p>Whoops, just got the international thing - contact the college directly. YOur system in Toronto, as I understand it, is different than most us schools.</p>
<p>I think its different for students from Canadian highschools, as each province is different but quite unlike the US system from what I gather reading CC. </p>
<p>At least in our province, its a spiral curriculum for the first 3 years of HS (grade 8 to 10) so you must take science 8, 9 and 10 and it covers bio, chem and physics every year. Then in grade 11, you can take 3 full year courses each in bio chem and physics, and in grade 12, do another 3 full year courses each in bio chem and physics. The future science majors tend to do this. So I have no idea how that fits with the requirements of ‘3 sciences’.</p>
<p>Well it looked like the OP was talking about American AP courses even if the school is in Canada. The student isn’t dropping science to take any old elective, they are taking AP courses, just not in science. I do think it’s risky, but was surprised to see that at least two colleges on the list aren’t insisting on 3 to 4 years of science.</p>
<p>starbright, thanks for that clarification. I knew Canadian schools were different but didn’t know in what way they were different. </p>
<p>Dragonmom brings up the most important point, IMHO, and that is what is actually offered and expected at the OP’s HS. If there is a Science offered in eleventh and twelfth grade then it would make sense for the OP’s son to take it.</p>
<p>Go to the CollegeBoard website and look up the requirements for each school you are considering.</p>
<p>Even the Tier 3 LAC’s that my son has applied to require 3 years of science.</p>
<p>Student 1: Bio, Chem, Physics, Advanced Chem
Student 2: Bio, Chem, Physics, Intro to Photography</p>
<p>Which student gets into the Ivy League school?</p>
<p>Take 4 years of science, math, and language.</p>
<p>Your D/S will have a tough time deciding which school to go to amongst all the acceptances.</p>