<p>I asked this elsewhere, but, was suggested I ask here.</p>
<p>Here goes.</p>
<p>Spoke to the admissions counselor today that is assigned to our area. We are in Texas. It was mentioned that my daughter may be majoring in a math/science type major. (but she is not sure). But it also came up that my daughter is not enrolled in any math or science this year. She is self studying calculus right now (not an official AP course). The counselor told us that unless my daughter has AP math and AP science in her junior year, so she has taken the AP exams prior to applying in the fall, she will not likely get in. It is not a requirement to apply, it is just highly unlikely. She said that the students who get in have done way above and beyond.</p>
<p>I find this shocking. It seems to me that my daughter is taking all that she can take, at her public high school. Were we told this because of the math/science major? Or does this apply to anyone else? And I really do not get the impression that the admissions counselor did not know what she was talking about. The conversation was very clear and thorough.</p>
<p>This is extremely upsetting because no junior in our district could have taken AP science, and Ap English, and APUSH, and AP foreign language, and AP math in their junior year. Our district is on a block system which makes it impossible. But, I have never ever known anyone from our schools to go to any sort of selective colleges or universities.</p>
<p>Well if the admissions counselor is a legitimate admissions counselor then they might be right. All websites and counselors I have spoken to say that all course-loads are viewed in the context of the school. So if the school only has one AP class, then kids better have taken that one AP in order to meet the most rigorous curriculum. It would be difficult to answer this question completely but it sounds like your daughter is already doing a lot. However, it is very strange that your school does not, for some reason, allow AP math in the junior year, it is really not that outrageous a request. If it makes you feel better, some of the Rice early admits at my school took a PreAP math (PreCal) junior year and then took BC Calculus senior year and still made it into rice.</p>
<p>It is not that they do not allow AP math junior year, but rather that it has a block system. So, 4 classes in the fall, and 4 in the spring. And the AP classes are 2 credits. So, for example, if you were taking regular level course (or even preAP) you might take it just in the fall, or just in the spring. But if you take AP science, any AP science, it will last an entire class period in the fall, and also the spring…equally 2 credits. </p>
<p>She has AP English 3, APUSH, French 3/4 (4 is considered an AP but only goes the spring term, 3 is in the fall) and orchestra (all year course for 2 credits). She already had completed all the AP math and the 3 preAP science courses, physics, biology, and chem. In order to take AP math or AP science this year, she could not have actually. She has to take English and US history. She needed the French 3 and AP science never starts in the spring. It always starts in the fall. So it only made sense that she continued through the AP French. See what I mean? If she skipped the French or whatever, she could have fit in an AP science or AP math. But then, she would not have had the foreign language she needed.</p>
<p>I would not worry about it at all. However, I would recommend that she try to make her senior schedule more math/science oriented if that is what she will be applying to major in. If I understand correctly, she will still have 4 credits each by the time graduation comes around (she will take the senior year?), so it should not be a problem.</p>
<p>The counselors will fill out a form that puts her schedule in the context of her school and what she is able to take. I definitely understand your concerns, though. I am currently a HS senior, admitted Early Decision to Rice. My junior year I took regulars physics and Honors Pre-Cal, and that spring I visited Rice. I made an appointment with a biochemistry professor, since at the time, that was my intended major. If you plan on visiting, I definitely recommend meeting with someone in your daughter’s department of interest. Anyway, when I met with him I mentioned I was trying to decide between taking AP Chemistry and AP Physics senior year. He asked me why I was not taking AP Chem, AP Physics, and AP Bio. I can only imagine the look on my face… I am sure some students could manage all three AP science courses in one year, but I am not one of them!</p>
<p>As I mentioned, in the end it all worked out. I did not take an AP science or math course until senior year (I am currently in AP Chem and Calc AB), and I was still admitted. I did take an otherwise challenging schedule of AP classes in English and History, among others, like your daughter did. Rice looks at far more than your schedule. However, I ultimately decided that I wasn’t sure going into a field that solely focused on science was right for me, so I applied to the Cognitive Science major instead (it is an interdisciplinary major between the School of Social Science and School of Natural Sciences). </p>
<p>Hope this helps! Sorry for such a long reply.</p>
<p>Her schedule sounds very similar to mine. I don’t know how her grades/scores/EC’s are, but as long as everything else is up to par and she writes good essays, the schedule should not be a reason to be denied. Definitely check out the other majors as well though, as you never know. Also, it is my understanding that Rice admits you to the University itself, not to the specific school/division of your major, allowing for much greater flexibility in switching majors, double majoring, etc. My sister is at UT-Austin, and has changed her mind about her major a few times. It has been a nightmare having to apply into the new school of interest, wait to be accepted, and then be the last to be able to register for classes in that new major, classes are full, etc. I am really glad that Rice does things differently.</p>
Do you mean AP calculus BC? That should be fine for a senior year schedule. Agree that something makes no sense. My s is a Rice grad (agree-- GREAT school!) and, IIRC, took Calc his senior year. That said, he had a lot of math/sciences on his transcript, which it sounds like your daughter may not.</p>
<p>Perhaps they confused AP with SAT2 when talking to you? Your dau should consider taking a math (level2) and science SAT2 and hopefully do well, so she can submit that as part of her app. </p>
<p>Sounds like you are in the Dallas area. It would be most surprising that your school does not know what Rice wants to see on an applicant’s transcript. Did your dau talk to her school/college counselor before setting up her course schedule?</p>
<p>Of course, another solution would be to sick your crazy neighbor’s kid on the Rice adcomm to break her kneecaps :D</p>
<p>Lol…ha ha about the neighbor kid. That would work!</p>
<p>We caught him playing with fire now. A few days ago, he was also setting off fireworks. Many neighbors called about it to the police. Fireworks are illegal where we live. Oh well. We will be spending the summer out of state again, so if he blows something up while we are gone, we won’t be here to see it.</p>
<p>Oh, I did call to clarify today and they did say that the issue was having NO science this year, not AP specific. When she graduates, she will have 6 credits of math and 6 in science. I really think she is going to be fine if we just stay our current course.</p>
<p>You said she is self studying calculus right now? College board does not require that you be in an official AP course to take the AP test. If she feels confident that she could do well, maybe she should take the AP Calc AB test. You should be able to sign up through your school or some school nearby even though she’s not taking the course. If she scores well, it will tell Rice and other colleges that she has had exposure to Calc at the AP level and will show that she has done work outside of a classroom in addition to her heavy junior year class load.</p>
<p>If it helps any, I was accepted Early Decision to Rice as a Biochemistry major, and I never took an AP math or science course until my senior year. The only math/science course my school allowed me to take junior year was Statistics, and I chose to take extra history AP classes instead of that last year. Of course everyone’s situation is different, but what they really care about I think is that you are taking the most rigorous courses you can and scoring well, even if you aren’t taking very many that have to do with your intended major. I’m sure they understand that schedules don’t always allow every student’s first choice of class; it shouldn’t be a big problem.</p>