<p>The high school my kids attend only allows one to take 6 classes per year. They both also love being in chorus, and would enjoy taking some art or computer classes as well, but want to keep enough of the core classes to not eliminate any potential schools. My older daughter is currently a sophomore and is interested in humanities and maybe social sciences. She has a knack for languages and started a second language this year which she would like to continue. The current plan has her graduating with the following:</p>
<p>4 years math
4 years english
3 years science (bio, chem, phys)
3 years history
4 or 5 years latin (either one or both of the AP classes)
3 years chinese
3 years chorus
1 extra slot senior year which she is thinking may be additional hist or engl</p>
<p>In the small amount of browsing (she is afterall just a sophomore) of college websites and common data sets, we thought this should be sufficient for most LACs or general university admissions. She will probably be looking at LACs at this stage, of course that could change, it definitely wouldn't be anything specialized like engineering. The point is she doesn't want to eliminate herself from consideration for any general program.</p>
<p>One of her friends mentioned to her recently that Syracuse requires 4 years of science and history. I know many places may recommend thatbut this is the first time I heard of a school requiring it. What I am looking for is info on other schools who have such a requirement. She would not be considering Syracuse, but we are interested in how many others are like this.</p>
<p>Other comments on her schedule are welcome, but there is little room for changing, unless she needs to drop another year of chorus, which she would really not like to do. She needed to drop it this year after the school required she (all students) take a study hall and wouldn't let her sit in and audit the class. She currently plans to skip science next year. Science is her least favorite subject, I know they are all very different from each other, I thought she would like chem better than bio but she doesn't like that much either. She will hopefully like physics more as she enjoys math, but who knows.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>The schedule you mention sounds quite solid, and shouldn’t be a problem in and of itself for any college. Some of the colleges with the toughest recommended course loads in high school are RECOMMENDING, not requiring, so generally any particular course can have a year or more waived if everything else the student is doing is solid.</p>
<p>thanks tokenadult. I agree it looks like a decent schedule from my POV and will definitely be tops for rigor at her school. Her grades, PSAT scores, ECs are also good so she should not have any severe gaps in her overall package.</p>
<p>I also understand that when a school recommends something, they will look at the larger picture and see how the rest stands up. What I am wondering is if there are other instances of REQUIREMENTS of 4 years of all the core subjects such as Syracuse, where it would be a bigger disadvantage than just not meeting a recommended level.</p>
<p>I agree with Tokenadult that she has a very solid schedule for someone who is interested in pursuing a major in the humanities/social sciences, although she may want to consider adding that fourth year of history/social studies. It is true that Syracuse University states on its website that 4 years of math, science, history and english are required (along with 3 years of a foreign language). I would find it hard to believe that SU would disqualify her application, however, considering that she has opted to take 3 or more years in two foreign languages. If Syracuse is indeed a school that she is seriously interested in I would suggest you speak to someone in the admissions office about your daughter’s dilemma. Sometimes what is stated on a college website in what appears to be black & white is more nuanced than it first appears.</p>
<p>if you need an extra slot in your day, see if it’s possible to drop lunch. I know at our school some of the more “driven” students do so, and if your school only has 6 available periods, it might make even more sense.</p>
<p>EDIT: NYU seems to require 4 years of history ([College</a> Search - New York University - NYU - Admission](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board))</p>
<p>DCforMe, thanks for adding another school to the list requiring 4 years in one of these subjects. </p>
<p>Alas there is not an option to add another class, the school is very firm in their limit of 6 classes max per year even with 7 available class periods they want everyone to have a free period and not be so “driven” even if they wish to take an elective like chorus it is not allowed…</p>
<p>hudsonvalley, she is planning to take the AP Psych test, she did study psych at a summer program last year and I’m encouraging her to prep and take the test. However that wouldn’t count as a HS course.</p>
<p>Syracuse and NYU are both schools she would not be interested in, and if the trend shows to be larger universities then we will probably be good. I assume the smaller schools and LACs which is probably what she would prefer would have more wiggle room, that’s what I am trying to validate.</p>