<p>Heh. I just got a preliminary schedule (for Senior year) recently (it shows what classes you have, but it doesn't give you teachers/periods), and one of the classes I signed up for, Astronomy/Geology, didn't get offered. I got my second choice, "Ethnic Studies". </p>
<p>I knew that Astronomy/Geology probably wasn't being going to be offered, but I still decided to make it my third year of science. The problem with my school, is that my school is overwhelmingly Asian (85+%) and extremely science-intensive. I'm the high-school equivalent of an English major at MIT. If MIT was in China. </p>
<p>Astronomy/Geology was the only Science class left of reasonable difficulty. Even our CP Physics (not AP or even honors) has been known to slap down hordes of students with Cs and Ds. I barely passed Biology and Chemistry and I worked WAY harder in those classes than I did with say: all four of my AP classes this year. It took a fraction of effort to get As in four APs (USH, WH, Psych, Stats), than to barely pass Biology and Chemistry. </p>
<p>Not to mention my grades in chemistry and biology pretty much trashed my otherwise fine GPA. Even if I passed, I don't know if my grades could take a third beating like that. And some of the most brilliant students I know (I couldn't even understand most of what they said when I asked them about scheduling) come off with Bs in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. I wouldn't even have a glimmer of hope in even getting a D in any three of them.</p>
<p>But I'm still worried about graduating school with two years of Science. Do you think this would significantly handicap me? I'm obviously planning to stay very far away from a Science major, but could that reflect on me relatively poorly? Should I change my schedule, or just keep it the way it is?</p>
<p>Most of the colleges I’ve been looking at say that 3+ years of science is best. I would say change, but then you aren’t a strong science student and it would tear ya’ down…
I dunno…</p>
<p>Astronomy/Geology sounds like such a fun class too =</p>
<p>The teacher who teaches it is a really cool teacher and he loves teaching the class, but not enough kids signed up. It’s not an AP class like the others, so all of the kids looking to pad their resumes just don’t sign up (at least 95% of the Asian kids), and so we usually just don’t get a class. We got one last year, (he tries to get one every year), but we didn’t this year. I knew I should I signed up last year, I’ve heard the class is awesome. -_-</p>
<p>The fact that you can get away with only 2 years amazes me. My school requires 3 lab sciences and recommends 4.</p>
<p>Your chances in a college may be hindered, because many colleges do require 3 years of science, and at least 2 lab sciences.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would try to take the easiest science class you can, even if it means hurting your GPA a little. Without that science, it may bar you from even applying to many schools. With a hurt GPA, at least you are in the consideration and the admissions committee can see that you are not a strong science student, but otherwise you are a strong student.</p>
<p>Up until the class before mine, my school only required two as well, so I can see where the OP is coming from. I think it’s going to be a hindrance, but it’s probably something you can get over. I hope you’re not applying to top schools, though; they are DEFINITELY going to care.</p>
<p>A D or an F will hurt my GPA beyond repair. The problem is that the “easiest” science class just got canceled because nobody but me wants to take it. And the only ones left are bloody-impossible.</p>
<p>And yeah, I’ve got a lot of prestigious schools in my application plans, but none of them specifically request more than two years of science, though a lot of them ‘recommend’ three. That still could be be very bad. But three years isn’t an admissions requirement, but it’s still a recommendation. </p>
<p>I’ll be graduating with six years of Math. Can that at least partially mitigate my problems with Science?</p>
<p>Like other posters have said, it’s far from the end of the world. But having six math classes… no, I don’t think that helps. Since math and science usually go together, I would say it hurts you. If you had, for example, five years of English and six years of social studies… it might be a different story if you only had two sciences.</p>
<p>Depends on how good you are with other subjects. Good schools get plenty of applicants who are well-rounded and have taken 3-4 rigorous classes in all major core areas of study. You need to give them a reason to take you over people who don’t have an academic “weakness”.</p>
<p>Wow this is scary, I think I go to the same school because everything you wrote sounds disturbingly familiar.</p>
<p>You should just keep your schedule. I think colleges would rather see that you take more classes relevant to your intended major than to take classes simply to meet the 2+ years of science requirement for some colleges. You have two years already anyway right?</p>
<p>I’ll actually end up graduating with 7 years of Social Science and 4 years of English on top of the six years of Math. I didn’t take many electives in school (read: any). </p>
<p>I’m planning on majoring in Business and Psychology. I’ve already taken AP Stats and AP Psych, so I think that’s pretty much all I can do.</p>
<p>And speaking of that, I’ve only got two years of foreign language too…</p>
<p>And I wouldn’t be THAT surprised if you went to a school at least in my general geographical area.</p>
<p>wait, what? how can you have 6 years of math? AP stats counts as an elective not a real math class like precalc or geometry or whatnot.</p>
<p>and how can you have 7 YEARS of social sciences? thats a lot you know. see, for me, it would be world history in soph. year and APUSH in my junior year. So I have two years. Even the people taking world history 10th grade +US history+ AP world will have a max of 3 years. Psych is a social science but doesnt count toward social science credits, its counted as an elective because its not required.</p>
<p>Depends what colleges you are interested in applying to. College Board web site will show the minimum science requirements for each college you input. Many want three years with labs, many do not.</p>