<p>Is it required to take calculus and physics to even be considered?</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>But it does help quite a bit freshman year if you've already taken the classes -- take it from me, it's pretty painful to take intro physics at MIT when you've never seen the material before and basically everybody else has.</p>
<p>It's not required, but if you had a chance to do so and no good explanation as to why you didn't, it may look bad for you. A lot of the kids who haven't taken physics or calculus (I think about 5% of incoming frosh any given year haven't taken physics) come from schools/districts where they aren't offered.</p>
<p>Thanks. I asked because our school does not either of them. The counseling office is in a frenzy trying to find a way to get them because i thought that they were required.</p>
<p>You can try community college if you really want to take them!</p>
<p>You can also order programs through Thinkwell (<a href="http://www.thinkwell.com)%5B/url%5D">www.thinkwell.com)</a>. It is cheaper than doing a distance education class, but would require a lot of commitment on your part since it would be self-study. I agree with MollieB that starting out without those subjects would make freshman year difficult. I had both classes in high school, but my physics was liberal arts physics (think physics for poets) and my year of high school calculus zipped by in the first month of 18.01. It was a tough way to start (but the P/no record system took off a lot of the pressure), and I didn't feel I was at a disadvantage by the time I was a sophomore. Also, you might want to look at the physics course in MIT Open CourseWare. Watch the videos anad follow along in a textbook - doing problems on your own. Are there any teachers who could help you if you decided to self study these subjects?</p>
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I didn't feel I was at a disadvantage by the time I was a sophomore.
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Oh, I definitely agree -- I felt pretty caught up by the time I was a second-semester freshman, even. I like the GIRs because I feel like they allow students from not-so-great high school backgrounds like mine to catch up. It's just the process of catching up that can be a little tough sometimes. :)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, ous school is quite small with only about 600 students and our science and math program is somewhat non-existence, There are a few teachers that would be able to help at least with the calculus. It seems as though our school is doomed with physics cuse for the past couple of years every single physics teacher quits or refuses to teach it anymore.</p>