Considering a high AP load and doing school during the summer, would it be possible to get a concentration in physics in 1.5/2 years at Harvard? How about a joint concentration in math and physics (many required classes are shared)?
Harvard awards a max of 32 credits for AP exams, 5 required in all AP exams.
https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/apexams
I see that you are currently a high school sophomore so you are getting way ahead of yourself in planning.
Harvard will no longer be allowing AP credit towards the degree from 2020: https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/advanced-standing
Absolutely!! Just transfer in as a junior. Otherwise, no. Which was the same answer you were told when you asked the same question about MIT.
And this only applies if you graduate in 3 years,or stay for a 4th year to do a BA/MA (which is not an option in many departments).And, as noted, the class entering in 2019 is the last who can take advantage of AP credit.
Also, Harvard gives no credit for college courses taken before HS graduation and only takes summer school credit from Harvard Summer School (exceot for select study abroud programs).And the only Summer School courses they offer that can be applied to a physics degree are Math 21a and 21b (MVC and LA). On top of that, regardless of the college’s AP credit policies, AP Physics C credit cannot be applied to the major, so physics concentrators retake them at Harvard.
Additionally, here are the requirements for a physics concentration (Harvard-speak for major):
https://handbook.fas.harvard.edu/book/physics
The major requires Physics 15a, 15b, 15c, and 143a. The department frowns on doubling up on those courses, so just the intro sequence, which is the prereq for almost every physics course above 143a, will take 2 years.
Some other things to keep in mind:
• Harvard has fairly extensive gen ed requirements
https://generaleducation.fas.harvard.edu/new-requirements-beginning-fall-2019
• With the exception of foreign languages, AP credits cannot be used to fulfill gen ed requirements.
• Many courses above the introductory level are only offered every other year. A not insignificant number are only offered every third year.
• Most courses are only offered with one lecture section; scheduling conflicts are a real thing.
• First-year students are limited to 4 courses in the Fall.
• In subsequent semesters, students who take more than 4 courses with the purpose of accelerating their degree incur a financial penalty.
So, again, graduating in 1.5-2 years is not an option at Harvard nor at most private colleges at that tier. If your goal is to graduate in fewer than 3 years, a public university is your better option.
OP, it’s time to start doing this research for yourself, not counting on others. Each time someone posts a link for you, you could have found the same info. The willingness to pursue info is part of the mindset top colleges look for. They want kids who do the digging, evaluate info. Try.
Why would anyone want to attend for a short time when the experience at Harvard or whatever school you choose is valuable in itself? Is this for financial reasons? That would be a legitimate concern. But spending 1.5-3 years at any school just to get a piece of paper might mean missing out on some formative years for growth and acquisition of skills.
In any case, wait at least a year before thinking about college. Don’t load up on AP to a stressful level just to get into a certain college. Enjoy high school. Don’t have some sort of rigid grand plan for life, let it happen for now.
Anyway, Harvard wont recognize all these APs. APs are just the default preparation for 1st year classes there.
If you’re truly of a mindset that you want to go through such an experience as fast as possible, you might want to take a gap year working to grow and mature.
Years ago I was at an information session at Brown, and a young woman asked pretty much the same question - could she commute (3 years mandatory on campus at Brown), take summer classes, and graduate in 2 years. The admissions officers visibly winced - it was probably the worst question anyone could have asked because it completely discounted everything they had just spoken about - campus culture, community, intellectual growth, etc.
Chances are, the kid who just wants a tippy top for the paper won’t get admitted.
What OP doesn’t understand is a major benefit of going to Harvard (and other top schools) is actually being at Harvard. The overall experience, vast opportunities, deep friendships, network and professional opportunities are to be savored. If you want to rush through that, don’t go to Harvard (or any top school)… Plenty of good state Us that will take all your HS credits and let you start as a sophomore / junior. Lots of people do that, but they don’t graduate from Harvard.
Who knows?
Harvard Prof. George Church graduated from Duke with double majors in Chemistry and Zoology in 2 years.
I’m sure that wasn’t thought possible, nor did it dampen his career trajectory!
He also graduated in 1974. Rules were undoubtedly different then. And Duke’s academic policies, then and now, differ from Harvard’s.
Plainly.
But for that for the very, very rare person with extraordinary capability, focus, and drive in a particular field, there can be better things to do than spend four years as an undergrad, and usually ways to make it happen
Not necessarily true, even for that kind of person:
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2007/05/28/valedictorian-capitalizes-time-princeton
Weyl is a pretty flashy public intellectual, and has already had his ticket punched at Harvard and Chicago as well as Princeton. I think it’s safe to say that his career was not impaired by staying the full undergraduate course at Princeton.
But these tippy tops are not looking for kids who want to race through. These schools see themselves as much more than a fast paced diploma and your future career.
The very fact of asking about 2 years makes one wonder if OP understands from the tippy top college’s perspective. Race through ar some lower tier school that doesn’t care.
But OP hasn’t been back in over a week.
The people I know who were physics undergrads at Harvard and are faculty members now all took graduate-level physics courses while they were undergrads. They typically outperformed the grad students in them. Most of the serious Harvard science majors I have known did undergraduate research as well, some with publications. This sets one up much better for grad school.