Hello!
So I got an information packet from Wesleyan and it said that they have an admission requirement (or at least strong recommendation) to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. It was recently announced that my school is cutting physics and chemistry is rumored to be next to go. I haven’t taken physics yet (I was signed up to take it this year but it was cut so I no longer can) and I am taking chemistry this year as long as it stays. I’ve already taken Adv. Biology so I’m doing IB Biology HL this year. I’ve already had to deal with Latin being cut (I’m now doing online Spanish so that I can hopefully get “4 years of the same foreign language” done).
Should I look into taking physics (and maybe chemistry) online, or do a similar program wherever I can find it, or should I just write it into an application that it was cut before I could take it? Any other ideas would be helpful as well, though I should say I’m in the public school that I’m districted for so it would be difficult to transfer.
As you might’ve guessed from physics being cut, I don’t have a lot of other options for a similar credit. My school is transitioning to pre-professional classes in the wake of major budget cuts and teachers leaving.
I referenced Wesleyan before but I know that other colleges have similar requirements this is just what brought it to my attention. I have goals for a liberal arts college, molecular biology/biochemistry major, and future MD-PhD in the sciences so this was quite jarring to my “plan”.
Thank you so much
Is there a nearby college that you can take courses at while in high school?
@ucbalumnus There are multiple colleges nearby, but dual credit is gone too so I don’t know how to navigate that. The graduation requirement is for 3 science credits which I already have so my school “doesn’t understand” why I would need to take physics since I’ve met the requirements for graduation and in state college admission.
If you do not need the college courses to fulfill high school graduation requirements, could you take them as electives while still in high school?
Look into doing them online. Are there private schools nearby that offer individual courses?
If you school does not offer a class, and that is very clear from the school profile that your guidance counselor sends to the colleges you are applying to, then the college will not expect you to take the class. This sort of thing is exactly why the word “recommendation” is used. If the class is at your school, then you really need to have a very good reason for not taking it. But if the class is not offered, you don’t have to go out of your way to cover the material.
I’m deeply curious… besides biology, exactly what will your school be offering for science if they are eliminating chemistry and physics? This seems dangerously short-sighted.
While it won’t be counted against you, it seems that it would put you and all the other students in a very disadvantaged position. Are they just not planning to send any more students to STEM colleges or majors?
@happymomof1 is exactly right. You are not expected to take classes that are not offered at your high school. You are expected to make the most of the opportunities you have— to take the most rigorous courses your high school offers.
If online courses that will prepare you for your desired major are available, it would show good initiative to take them.
It seems strange that your high school would not offer ANY classes in chemistry or physics. Talk out your choices with your guidance counselor or principal and see if they can help you find the coursework you desire. Maybe they can set up an online course for you at their expense. I know the school district where I work recently did that for an advanced math student who was ready for multivariable calculus.
Thank you all for the great responses.
Graduation requirements are Science 1, Science 2, and Biology 1 (I think it could be substituted for chemistry or physics but I haven’t needed to ask).
Last year they had dual credit physics but not adv, standard, or IB. This year they have standard chemistry, IB chemistry, adv. biology, standard biology (I think), and IB biology. I’ve heard that if budgets aren’t corrected in some way then next year they will cut IB chemistry and maybe standard as well, but these are just rumors from teachers I know. They are moving towards pre-professional classes (hospitality, intro to nursing, etc.). Other schools in the area still have science classes to my knowledge. Maybe having the IB is costly? I’m not sure, but we seem to be hit harder or at least they’re being forced to change more. I also think there might be online classes available, but it obviously wouldn’t allow labs.
Hopefully this will be fixed shortly.
It looks like the high school is transitioning from IB to tech ed. That may make good sense within the school district. At some point in the near future, perhaps students who want IB will be bused to a nearby High school with an IB program, while others who are interested in tech ed get bused to this one. Our school district does things like that.
Meanwhile, given your longer-range interests, if even just standard physics is offered at your high school, you should take that. When you get to college and have to take physics, you won’t be seeing the material for the very first time. If it isn’t offered at all at your high school, don’t worry about missing it for college admission, but do find a way to study up on it on your own before you take that first college physics class. Even just reading the textbook the summer before the class will make a diference.