<p>For example, on collegeboard.com, Columbia's HS unit recommendations are as follows:</p>
<p>Recommended units:
Electives 4
English 4
Foreign Language 4
History 4
Math 4
Science 4
Science Lab 4</p>
<p>...? FOUR sciences? Would that be Bio, Chem, Physics AND AP Environmental?</p>
<p>Four sciences…a science a year…doesn’t seem too unreasonable…</p>
<p>So it could be Bio, Chem, Physics, and Psych…or environmental, or AP any science.</p>
<p>What are you confused about?</p>
<p>It just seems like a lot. And to take AP any of those at my school would be impossible (they’re yearlong whereas regular would be 1/2 year…), plus regular science at my school is a JOKE, and in Psych you make posters about your personality and your hobbies.</p>
<p>Well, there are a lot of sciences to choose from. At my school, there’s:
-Honors/Regents Physics
-AP Physics B
-AP Physics C
-Honors/Regents Chem
-AP Chem
-Honors/Regents Bio
-AP Bio
-AP Environmental
-Regents Earth Science
-Sports Medicine
-Marine Biology</p>
<p>A lot of students would have a “regular” or “honors” class in ninth grade before taking any AP courses.</p>
<p>seven classes a day/ don’t know any school that does that</p>
<p>so collegeboard doesn’t live in the real world for many students</p>
<p>Do you think it would hinder my chances at a top/good school if I took 3 sciences (regular Bio, Chem & Physics)? Especially if science is not my strong point/I’m not planning on going into a science-related field?</p>
<p>Looks very realistic to me. That’s typically what applicants to top colleges have taken.</p>
<p>citygirlsmom – Seven classes doesn’t necessarily have to mean seven classes per day. At my school, we have a total of seven classes, but have each class four days a week (so we have 6 classes on M/W/F, 5 classes on Tu/Th). So it’s definitely possible to have a schedule like that.</p>
<p>Do what you’re passionate about and that’s what important. If you maintain a hard course load than it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t focus on science, but instead on something like the humanities.</p>
<p>^^ There are schools that have 8 classes a day… like mine for example.</p>
<p>Starting with the class of '11, the state of Texas requires that every high school student take 4 years of math and 4 years of science. State law requires bio, chem and physics, with the last year being an elective (an AP, or something like meteorology).</p>
<p>well, of all the kids my Ds know, at a dozen different schools, not ONE has seven different classes a week…however, many get into amazing schools…imagine that</p>
<p>Science and Science Lab must be the same. Most Science has lab with it.</p>
<p>Citygirlsmom:
What’s wrong about 7 classes a day? Is it too many or too few? DD’s school has 9 (10-period day with one period reserved for lunch). AP sciences that come with labs are double periods. Even if you take two sciences with labs simultaneously you still can keep English, history, math and foreign language, and have the last spot for PE or another requirement (or elective). </p>
<p>Halie: it all depends upon what else you take. Kids interested in science are likely to take 4 years of English (with two APs), 4 years of history (alsoo couple APs), 4 years of foreign language (again one or two APs)… You got my point - to be excused from taking AP sciences you should take more of other classes (honors or AP). Also, kids interested in science are likely to take at least 2 or 3 science APs, so taking at least one is probably expected from a non-science kid.</p>
<p>Seven classes a day is standard around here. Some students take a study hall for one of them, but many do not.</p>
<p>Most high schools that I know of offer both a basic and Level 2 or AP version of bio and chem. Some have two levels of physics.</p>
<p>Four years of science is not at all unreasonable, in my opinion.</p>
<p>I sacrifice my lunch to take an extra class (-10 minutes for two classes since lunch is shorter than regular period). That possibly makes seven classes a day except I don’t take 7th period.</p>
<p>My school is 9 periods a day… Most people have lunches and study halls, but many do not.</p>
<p>^what, so like 40 minutes per period? mine is 55 min plus 5 min passing</p>
<p>Yeah 40 mins each period with 4 minutes in between each. And then we have Day A and Day B. where PE and either a study hall or lab period switch everyday.</p>
<p>Are those four electives meant to be in addition to the other classes listed? </p>
<p>At my hs a typical load for regular track is; English required each year, math for two, f lang for two, sci for two and hist for two, = 12 classes/4 years + electives like art, social science and whatever, enough to fill up five class periods per day = 20 classes/4 yrs.
College track kids select as their electives the extra two classes each in math, f lang, hist and science (science w/lab is one extra period per week tacked to the sci class - you give up your lunch period once a week). That totals 5classes/day, 20 classes/4yrs. The school day runs 7 periods so you still have open times to add more if you want. The upper half of the students usually do, some taking one extra elective per year, some two on some years and a few two extras every year (as I did).</p>
<p>Over all you can take anywhere between 20 - 28 classes over the four years.</p>
<p>Then again, I won’t be going to Columbia, nor has anyone from my hs.</p>
<p>Sara</p>