My daughter was admitted to Barnard College (Columbia U), NYU, GWU on your list.
She did take regular physics early-on, but not AP. She DID take AP Calc AB only, not BC, and AP Bio as science, and honors physiology.
She had applied undecided.
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Some colleges’ public health majors do require calculus as major requirement. So a student trying to avoid calculus may want to avoid colleges where that is true.
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Is that for undergrad or grad? If grad, PhD or Masters?
If undergrad, then it’s great info. If for grad, particularly PhD, there may not be as much relevance as a large proportion of most grad ratings relate to publication rates and tenure track placements. Both of which are not very relevant to the undergrad experience.
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Problem is, all of her competition will have taken calculus and physics. If she’s not open to taking classes in these core disciplines, admissions offices will wonder why.
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I’m not sure where this list came from but I think it’s talking about grad schools. Pitt currently doesn’t even have an undergrad public health major. They are starting one next year and have made quite a big deal about it which is why I know this (Pitt parent here). I do believe their grad program is very well regarded.
Undergraduate.
https://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/departments-instruction/public-health/
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Really confused about how links to undergrad programs at gwu and unc addresses my comment about how one of the schools on your list doesn’t even have an undergrad program. Here’s a link to the Pitt announcement.
https://www.pitt.edu/pittwire/features-articles/new-pitt-public-health-program
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Ok, now you’ve edited to add a link to the new program they are starting.
You’re welcome. (smile emoji) My post listing the websites was not made in response to your post.
P.S. Pitt’s new program wasn’t a secret. Great school !
If stats are high enough to be applying to all of those high reach (and expensive) schools, she should get merit at the OOS public schools.
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I suggest that your daughter take calculus and physics. My daughter was a public health major at one of the schools listed on this thread (she ended up switching to bio/chem after she was accepted to public health) and I can attest to the fact that Public Health is a very competitive admit in many schools. Applying to the top 10 is even more competitive.
Do you mean Top 10 universities, or Top 10 schools for PH? As noted, there is a difference.
Stats is a really important course for nearly all students. But it does not replace Calc in any sense.
If it was one of my kids, I say suck it up. A high school level math/science course even AP will not be as difficult as a college level course in her field esp at T10. I’d tell my kid to take both stats and calc if possible even if stats had to be done during the Summer.
If she’s weak in math, she could take Calc as a Summer course online and then launch into Senior year with a cushion.
Public health and public policy is a tough admit. Many kids who straddle humanities and STEM go into it. Also, post Covid there is more interest in Public health. And some want to use it as a launch into med school.
Can your daughter take any classes over the Summer to shore up her skills for next year?
Also, I’d get her to focus less on T10 and more on fit. The T10’s are a reach for all and can be very disappointing for an outstanding kid.
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Correct - short of a few that don’t offer - but even those schools - UNC, Michigan (not cheap), Florida (cheap) and a few others will be much less.
Then you have plenty that will give merit - with the Arizona, Florida State, and Alabamas of the world being downright cheap. Arizona has a solid public health degree and Honors College - and if the family is full pay - total cost would be $90K or less (depending on stats) vs. $350K - for a major that will have huge limitations no matter where you get it (at the undergrad level)…jobs will be had but not high paying.
That’s why these schools plus U of SC, Miami Ohio and so many more have such diverse and often incredibly accomplished student bodies (or at least portions of student bodies) that are turning down Ivy and others for the Honors Colleges - which save mom and dad often hundreds of thousands of dollars (I thank my kids for this every time I pay their bills!!)
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The one clarification would be is she considering a different science and math or none at all? Taking AP stats would be a nice alternative and is a better foundation for a Public Health Degree than Calc.
I’m not sure that tippy top colleges expect to see calculus as mush as they expect to see physics. I do suggest she suck it up and at least take physics. Not taking one of those won’t doom her app, but not taking both might.
If, as you say, she’s an amazing student otherwise with excellent ECs, teacher recs and essays, I don’t think the lack of calc will put her in the reject pile on its own.
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If you wouldn’t permit her to skip world history or junior year English, I don’t think she should skip foundational stem courses like physics or calculus either.
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I just looked at the specific public health majors offered within the general school of public health… at my daughter’s school… and found that physics is a prerequisite for some. Could not figure out which math was required.
I suggest your D take calc and physics.
I don’t know that I would “make” a rising senior take certain classes but would explain that by avoiding them she is less competitive for schools. If she understands not taking calc and physics makes acceptances at some schools less likely, that is her choice. Or maybe she could take one but not the other if they will both make her miserable.
This is such a confusing post.
At a minimum she should take physics. I think most selective colleges like to see that students have taken the full suite of core lab sciences: bio, chem & physics. I would imagine that is especially true at T10s.
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