<p>Will it lower my chances significantly if I only took Physics in senior year and did not take SAT Physics or Chem? I'm hoping to do engineering in college, but I only decided this recently and so I haven't taken physics. I'm taking AP Chem next year (senior year) as well. I took SAT Biology this year, however, and I'm planning to take SAT MATH II this November. Do you think SAT bio is OK instead of taking physics and chem?
Thanks.</p>
<p>All schools do not require SAT subject tests so it doesn’t matter if you haven’t taken those.</p>
<p>As long as you’re taking the most challenging classes offered at your school, you have nothing to be worried about.</p>
<p>some colleges say that they recommend you do subject tests in your intended area of studies though. so wouldn’t they prefer someone who took sat physics/chem</p>
<p>
Good enough.</p>
<p>
Good. Kill general chemistry. AP Chem covers more than your first general chemistry (well it also vary from school to school… but in general I think AP Chemistry covers too much… like forcing you to memorzing all those crazy names…)</p>
<p>like harvardhottie said, some schools recommend you to have those, for example, MIT admission. You can still get into MIT (from what I read in the past) without having amazing AP and SAT Subjects. But the admission is competitive and selective. If you are thinking about big schools, your admission chance may become lower. But other things such as GPA, extracirrucluars should make up and should be more important than being book nerds.</p>
<p>Anyhow. You are fine. What about your math? Does your school offer high school calculus (not necessarily AP calculus).</p>
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<p>Like I said in the other thread, you must must must take the following two courses if you want to get into a good college:</p>
<ol>
<li>AP Senior Fun</li>
<li>AP Senior Anti-seniorities.</li>
</ol>
<p>Without these two AP classes, you are screwed for life. I am serious. O_O.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that engineering, mathematics, computer science and physics programs are designed based on a student coming in with no AP credits and ready to take Calculus I. Plenty of students graduate from the engineering and sciences without AP credits.</p>
<p>…including yours truly :-)</p>
<p>My first choice is Northwestern. I’m taking AP Calculus AB next year as well. So if i’m applying to top schools, it would lower my chances?</p>
<p>@harvardhottie
Not taking AP Calculus AB can lower your chance. Did I say the opposite?</p>
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</p>
<p>You might impress them a bit more if you take AP Calculus BC if available.</p>
<p>As noted above, almost* all schools structure the curriculum for students who do not have any AP credit. Having AP credit is a bonus, usually effectively allowing the student additional free electives later due to not having to take some introductory courses. Score of 5 on AP Calculus BC is the most generally useful.</p>
<ul>
<li>There are three super-elite science and engineering schools that stuff a normal year of freshman calculus into a semester (probably at what would be considered at an honors level everywhere else), which would probably be pretty hard to handle without prior exposure to calculus in high school, which probably just about every student at those schools has had anyway. There is one other school whose sample engineering schedules start at second semester calculus instead of first semester calculus.</li>
</ul>
<p>Depends on which engineering schools you are applying to. MIT and Caltech expect one Math (II for Caltech) and one science SAT II. Most schools like to see you doing Calculus in or by senior year if you want to be an engineering major.</p>