I’m a rising Senior in HS and I have the option to take IB Physics SL next year. I was planning on taking both AP Bio and IB Physics SL but I was just notified that it doesn’t fit in my schedule. I have to choose one. I want to go with AP Bio but I’m afraid college admissions won’t like that I haven’t taken physics in my high school years. What should I do? I have no interest in going into a science field major
You should take physics. Colleges generally prefer bio, chem, and physics.
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A full science curriculum is Bio, Chem, and Physics. While colleges like to se you study what interests you, that is only after you meet the basic requirements. It is less about what you want to study in college and more about what you have done when compared to the rest of the applicants.
The answer is: it depends. It depends on the college. It depends on your overall schedule. It depends, to a lesser extent, on career aspirations.
In general, more selective colleges will want a year each of Bio, chem, and physics, plus a 4th year. That said, I never took bio and I did OK with admissions.
Where are you thinking of applying to college?
Since you aren’t applying for a science field, check what some colleges you like want.
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I always encourage my kids to follow their interests, regardless of college admissions concerns, and it worked out very well for them. Only one of my 3 took physics (AP, 5) but retook intro physics at college anyway. The other two did just as well with admissions, but they were involved in the performing arts.
In terms of admissions, think it really depends on what else you might contribute to the school and the mix of the class, in terms of your interests, activities and accomplishments.
I would echo @thumper1 to check with the schools you are interested in. But I doubt physics is a requirement and I really hope you take the bio!
I would also add that you can explain, or the guidance counselor can explain, that you love bio and had a scheduling issue that prevented you from taking both bio and physics. Our guidance counselor did that because our school had many scheduling issues and one kid could not take math and music theory, and dropped math. The college understood.
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Have you looked into other physics class(es), would it fit your schedule? A ‘regular’ physics is better than none.
What’s the rest of your schedule like?
What sciences have you taken so far?
What colleges are you aiming for?
What’s your GPA (and what grades did you get in math and science this year?)
Neither of our kids took physics or calculus in high school. And one was a college STEM major
One took a DE anatomy and physiology course senior year, the other took no science senior year.
Both got accepted to college🙄
YMMV depending on what colleges you are looking at
Hey guys thx for replying I really appreciate all the advice. I’ll answer y’all questions now
I think it will not matter in most instances. Of course, if you are thinking at all of a career in the sciences - It matters a lot more.
I haven’t really decided yet but I plan on applying to my state school Rutgers as a safety and then maybe a couple of top 30 (according to US News) schools. I’m also looking at Villanova, Lehigh, Northeastern, Boston U, and Boston college. My reaches are Emory, Umich, Carnegie Mellon, tufts, UCLA, Berkeley, and Georgetown and the ones I listed above. I’m thinking of majoring in these areas: Business, Econ, Legal Studies, Polic Sci. I might do ED Emory, Northeastern, or CMU
Thx for the suggestion but I don’t plan on taking a regular physics class. I did ask my GD if honors physics could replace IB Physics. Still waiting for response
Schedule:
AP World
IB HL Math
IB HL English
Honors Chem
Sociology
Honors Spanish 3
Honors Psych
Sciences I’ve taken so far:
Environmental Science
Bio
Chem
Colleges I’m aiming for listed in one of the replies above
Current GPA: 4.44
Here’s how my school does GPA
I am currently doing terrible in IB HL math with a C+ :(((((
I have an A+ in chem rn.
Besides my math grade everything else is an A+ as of rn
I plan on taking honors calculus over the summer to hopefully show admissions that IB HL Math is just a difficult class. My school is known for having a really difficult math teacher and having to learn everything online while going at a fast pace due to new online schedule was rlly hard for me to keep up. No doubt the C will bring me down tho
If you are taking IB math A&A HL, then a typical single variable calculus course would be a subset of the material and look like grade grubbing. If you are taking IB math A&I HL, there will still be substantial overlap, which could still look like grade grubbing.
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In my school IB HL and SL Math 1 is just precalc but with SL being honors and HL being a lot more advanced. I’m taking honors calc in the summer regardless cause I need it to go to AP Calc next year. So basically I’m learning calc over summer to take advanced calc since my grade doesn’t qualify me to take AP Calc or HL Math 2. Also summer courses don’t affect GPA for my school
Summer (high school or college) courses and their grades will have to be reported on college applications, so colleges will see that you are taking calculus twice.
I’m okay with that. I’m taking it to advance to AP Calc
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that’s an excellent reason 
In addition, taking a “bridge” course to qualify for a more advanced course because you didn’t master enough of the material in the course prior to next-in-sequence wouldn’t likely look like “grade grubbing” but rather something wise and mature, ie., recognizing you need to master the material rather than giving up or blaming the teacher for your C.
For clarification: you already had CP Chem, and now you’re taking Honors Chem? This seems like a duplicate class, even if it is at an honors level. You’re also taking 2 Social Science classes; are they one semester classes?