<p>Heyy!</p>
<p>So I am applying as engineering to top universities such as MIT, Stanford, and Upenn M&T program; however, I have not yet taken AP Physics. I have taken AP Chem and AP Biology and other rigorous honors/AP classes such as calc BC and such but I am a little worried about applying for engineering w/o having AP Physics. Does this factor put me at a major disadvantage?</p>
<p>Thanks for any advice!</p>
<p>Was AP Physics an option to you? If it wasn’t, the top schools generally won’t hold it against you if you don’t have it. If it was an option and you didn’t take it, then it could hurt your chances.</p>
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<p>Does taking an AP chemistry class over an AP physics class hurt your chances for engineering at a lower prestige school like LSU or A&M?</p>
<p>thanks for the input boneh3ad.
it actually was offered at my school, but I did not have room in my schedule to fit it in 
how much do you think it could hurt? </p>
<p>also, unfortunately most of my ec’s are geared towards business, so I was kind of keeping that as my “second” major, because I am interested in business and engineering. For schools like stanford, could it be possible to apply as an econ major (where not having taken ap physics might not be looked bad upon persay) and then perhaps switch to engineering? I dont know how hard it is to switch majors at stanford. I am sure it is hard at places like berkeley and mit…</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>My son (HS junior) just started AP Physics. After just 3 days he hates it. If he continues to hate physics, would that be telling him he should not major in engineering?</p>
<p>AP chemistry and AP physics are both hard core subjects. To emphasis the point I made: people just like to see AP scores on your supplemental. Very often your HS college office will have to include the school’s courses catalog to the schools you applied.</p>
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Maybe it isn’t his time yet to accept the fun of physics?
Maybe he’s good at other sciences?
Maybe the teacher is boring?</p>
<p>There are way too many possibilities to say. Speak with him, and see why he hates it. There must be a reason for it.
Regardless, most people on this planets are not genius. Many good engineers today work very hard in college to pull good GPA. Personally I have to go through 3 different sources to understand every concept from the bottom of my heart: textbook, online lecture pdf, and reference books I have from library.</p>
<p>He just finds it mind numbingly boring so far. He complained of this after doing the homework, so I can’t say it’s a boring teacher. In all his years, this is the first time he has felt this way about a class.</p>
<p>He was good at the other sciences, straight A+, just never loved them. Didn’t like bio (no premed for him), but never said it was boring. He’s in Project Lead the Way (a college level engineering program), which he loves. That’s what got him interested in majoring in engineering. However, if he really hates physics, I fear he may be making a mistake. AFAIK, physics is the basic building block for engineering. Am I wrong?</p>
<p>No, you are not wrong. Physics indeed is a building block for science and engineering. Chemistry and biology comes in next. Without physics, there is no chemistry, certainly.
Physics governs the laws of nature. Some centuries ago, people decided to split up math, and chemistry from physics. </p>
<p>And your concern is right. If he has a dislike for the physics material, it can turn down his motivations while in college. College workload is quite heavy. </p>
<p>If he doesn’t like AP Physics, it would be his benefit to drop the class.
Is the homework too easy? By the way, is he taking Physics B, or Physics C?
B is algebra-based, while C is more calculus-based. </p>
<p>I am not familiar with Project Lead the Way. But if he likes being in the program, and he thinks engineering is enjoyable, then by all means apply to an engineering school.</p>
<p>He still has time to come back to like physics. Maybe he wants more than classroom work. Too easy? I felt doing the problems in AP physics class was boring too back then.
I suppose there are good engineers that never liked physics. They just like the upper-level courses, which is true.
But if he wants to study engineering, he has to pull his teeth to pass physics.</p>
<p>It’s AP Physics B. I’m not too concerned after just 3 days. I know he may very well come to like (or at least tolerate) physics. Dropping the class is a highly unlikely option. I’m sure he will adjust.</p>
<p>Figured I would follow up here. Son just got 95 on his first physics test. He says most of the class didn’t even finish the test. After 3 days, he hated physics. After 3 weeks, he says it’s hard but he gets it. Guess that’s a good thing.</p>