Hi, I’m a junior who studies at an international school in Tokyo.
I plan to apply for a CS Major and something in business as a minor at a US university in 2019 fall. I’m looking towards the more prestigious US Universities (Yale, Harvard, Georgia Tech). However, I’m not able to find much on whether they want chemistry for CS… it also doesnt seem right…
I am CURRENTLY taking PHYSICS HL, MATH HL, ECON HL, ITGS SL, LANG&LIT SL, and JAPANESE B SL.
If you think its imperative that I take chemistry I will let you know I already have 0.5 credits for a chemistry class I took in sophomore year… is that enough? Do I need 1 credit in total? Does it need to be chemistry HL or can I just do SL… if im doing the class for the credit I’m allowed to opt out for the final exam? (the school says i can if the colleges let me)
You need 1 credit of chemistry for any college admissions… check the requirements for colleges in the US… when we transfered to US high school from overseas they not only required chemistry but also that the transcripts had to state that. If it says science it will not be accepted
Since you are following the IB curriculum, you are bound by the rules of that system and US colleges understand this… Your schedule is basically as sciency as it gets. You need to make sure your MYP transcripts (or IGCSE results) state that you studied specific science(s) before your IB program.
I didn’t take MYP. An in my middle school years each class was just Science. In 9th grade I just have Science 9. It is only in 10th grade where I got the opportunity to do specific sciences (Chemistry 10 which was 0.5 credits) and (Physics 10 which was 0.5 credits)… Am I good or is this a problem that I have 0.5 credit for chemistry and not 1 credit (although I have 0.5 credit physics + 0.5 chemistry which might be helpful?)
What do you think about this @MYOS1634 and ESPECIALLY what do you think about @airway1 's comments because you guys are conflicting eachother so now I’m confused because I have heard that chemistry is required regardless…?
@titanrey15 IB is for 1 credit in the US for chemistry and other sciences and for some reason .5 credit international … my kids were in an IB school with the same issue overseas. You need your school to identify the science 9 and I am assuming it’s the same for math… when we moved to the US my kids science, math and social science did not transfer over at their US IB school.
It’s annoying but you must get this cleared as it was a headache for us… GCSE is not the same as IB even that you have to explain as there is two grading systems in GCSE ( I graduated from an English school back in the day)
The situation is different if you apply for college or if you apply for/transfer to a secondary school in the us.
Even us candidates from IB schools are not expected to have all three from bio, chem, and Physics. College adcoms know full well that the IB asks you to go mire in depth in fewer subjects.
Did you attend a Japanese school (ie., following the national 7-9 curriculum?) If so, college adcoms will 1) know the curriculum and 2) accept it if your GC translates the ‘science’ line with the actual subject studied, for example term 1 Introduction to Biology; Term 2 Introduction to Chemistry; Term 3 Introduction to Physics. Then have 10th grade listed as Chemistry 1 and Physics 1.
The grading scale MUST be provided, with percentage reaching each level nationally and in your school.
I’m a junior who studies at an international school in Tokyo. Not a Japanese school. I’m applying to the U.S… and no my grade 9 science is just listed as Grade 9 Science… My counsellors said to take IB Chemistry SL (without the final exam) in my senior year just to get the 0.5 credit I need. So should I take the course or not?
You don’t. Even IB kids in the US ARE NOT constrained by the “usual” lists. They typically only have 2 sciences but at a much more in-depth level.
In your case, your file will be reviewed by the counselor specializing in your region of the world. Your transcript will be compared to other kids applying from international schools in Asia. Although it’ll be processed with Domestic applicants overall, the transcript will be examined with region-specific criteria in mind.
What curriculum did your school in grade 9 and 10 follow?
Your GC must MAKE CLEAR what the Grade 9 and Grade 10 curriculum entails. If the transcript is directly in English, the GC needs to explain that “Science Grade 9 includes …, …, …” In some cases Grade 8 classes “count” wrt the US HS curriculum. The general Grade8-9 science curricula cover several different subjects at an introductory level and are thus not specified, yet follow a strict curriculum. Typically this would be a combination of Introduction to Biology, Introduction to Chemistry, Introduction to Physics, Introduction to Geology. Then there’s a science at level 2.
Since you’re a junior, when you say “I’m applying to the US” you mean “I’m applying to US universities/colleges”. The situation is different than trying to transfer to a US high school where you need to meet HS graduation requirements.
You could also email all US colleges you’re considering, stating:
-you’re enrolled in an international school
your curriculum includes : Grade9: introduction to the major sciences Grade 10: Physics&Chemistry then Grade 11&12: IB science for the IBD, and you chose two, Physics HL and IGTS SL.
your current curriculum does not include chemistry. Do you need to take the Chemistry SL class to get an extra credit in chemistry as per their requirements?
Check with your parents that they can afford full fees at GeorgiaTech since it’s a public university that would only provide financial aid to GA residents.