<p>I was wondering if I should take more science classes my senior year in order to fully round out my classes from my 4 years.</p>
<p>So, to start off, I’m going to be a visual arts major and would like to get into the dual degree program between brown and risd. That being said, I’m not going into a science field at all. However, would it up my chances of admission into these schools if I took more AP science classes?</p>
<p>Science is my worst subject, so I’m not focusing on those classes during high school. This is the layout for my honors/ap classes (total after four years)</p>
<p>science: 3 honors, 1 AP (physics, so it’s more like math)
math: 1 honors, 2-3 AP (depending on if I take stats, which I won’t if I take more science my senior year. I will have calc AB and BC already so I think I’ll be set)
english: 3 honors, 1 AP (AP Lit, only english offered)
foreign language: 1 honor, 1 AP
social studies: 0 honors, 5 AP (human geo, us history, gov/pol, econ, psych)
art: 2 AP (history, studio)</p>
<p>I’ve basically taken all that is available in all subject areas EXCEPT for science (bio, chem, environ. sci are all offered as well) so I was wondering if I should take one more AP science my senior year, or if they really won’t care if I’m well rounded in either all subjects or all minus 1. </p>
<p>I’d imagine that something like this would be handled on a case-by-case basis (and so it’s hard for us to say). FWIW I got in with more depth than breadth, having 2 years of history (no APs) and no chemistry at all, despite immense offerings in these areas at my school. In its place, though, I had 2 years of post-AP math and a term of post-AP physics. I think what’s most important is that you take the most rigorous schedule possible and do well, based on what I’ve heard.</p>
<p>Are you asking if instead of taking a science honors class senior year you should take a science AP class? Or are you planning on taking no science classes? Is that physics AP class being taken senior year? Or do you want to know if you should take two science classes senior year? </p>
<p>Based on what you wrote, you’ll have taken 12 AP classes, which is quite a lot. You’ve taken a science class every year, and taken Calc BC. That’s a pretty rigorous schedule even for a science major.</p>
<p>Since we’re not admissions officers, it’s hard to say if taking more science classes would “up” your chances. Your chance of getting in is so low (less than 10%), that I doubt one extra class is going to make much difference. You should take what you want, what you enjoy to study, and not what you think will help you get into a selective college.</p>
<p>The overall chance of anyone getting in is very low. Plenty of unqualified people apply. I think this applicant has a better than 10 percent chance of getting in by what is shown here. Let’s not rain on the parade.</p>
<p>Colleges are looking for a well-rounded student body, not well-rounded students. You should take whatever classes you enjoy, and try to excel in your field of interest instead of focussing on overall roundness, in which case depth is hard to obtain.</p>
<p>Directly from admissions ppl at Brown over the years:
Want to see:
Taken classes at the highest level offered by that student’s school.
relatively well rounded: English at highest level all years, 3 years of a language, science every year (level will depend on school. for instance at my students prep, almost none take AP level until senior year, but have “honors” level in chem,bio,physics before that, and rare to have 2 AP sciences.) Brown does expect calculus at schools highest level if applying in a concentration likely to have any math. (and have seen this be the reason for “borderline” student not getting in). These are the only “requirements” that ad coms have quoted to me as reasons for “not getting in” deficiencies. I have seen students with Stats as their “math” sr year, and no calculus, who were outstanding arts etc students get in, but that is a rare exception.
Having a “go beyond” academic experience, which is not part of “well rounded” , but shows self motivation can be more “valuable” than any one “missing” well rounded course. ie the student who didn’t take all their usual high school science track because they were in a program doing a mentorship in a lab at the local university, or the arts student at a half day magnet school who only had 2 years of a language due to that time conflict. (these are the exception students and don’t worry if you haven’t done these things, it’s NOT expected!)</p>
<p>Specifically for you , Emma:
If you can trade that science AP you are not so keen on in for something directly connected to your passion (Art?) that is even out of the box and shows your self motivation, I think that would be great! (I’m not an ad com, so this is just my opinion.) Can you talk a teacher into an in depth independent study or studio? Does your school system allow you to switch out your last class for a local college class?
Just don’t have your senior year schedule look like you opted for the “easier” path.</p>
<p>Hi,
I’m in the same boat. I don’t have a math or science this senior year, but my humanities side is very much emphasized throughout. My highest level math is Honors Precal and science is AP Biology/ Honors Chem. Will this hurt me?
P/s: I have an internship at a major newspaper last semester, and other classes are required to graduate. My family’s also poor so we couldn’t afford math and science to be taken anywhere else. I don’t plan to major in Math or Science.</p>
<p>I’m afraid that from what I have heard from admissions, and seen in the past that not having a math or science, let alone “and” is very likely to hurt your admission chances at Brown. There might be an exception to that if you are unable to take them because they meet in your school at the same time that your internship is, and your college counselor explains that in the letter from them, but otherwise it is going to be a hard case to make that “you have taken the most challenging curriculum that your HS has to offer.”</p>
<p>Yes, both are true. It’s at the same time as my internship, and I believe my college counselor explained it on the letter. Even if she doesn’t, I did on common app. Do you think that sometimes it’s good to be a little imperfect?</p>
<p>To give some motte insight, I would probably be choosing a social concentration like gender studies or sociology, I haven’t really decided yet, though. What I’m asking, to clarify, is if I should take more than just ap physics my senior year. The classes I have listed are the ones I’m taking for sure, and I’m asking if I should add ap environmental science or ap biology (both courses I would enjoy) to my senior schedule or if my rigor would look basically the same if I left a second ap science out.</p>