<p>As a BioE hopeful, I was devastated to learn that most colleges REQUIRE or highly recommend taking physics in HS before enrollment in an engineering program. I, obviously, have never taken HS physics (I took honors bio, AP bio, honors chem and AP chem). Is there any way whatsoever to get around this requirement?</p>
<p>If possible, I would take a physics course at a CC over the summer after my senior year. Would that be okay?</p>
<p>Also, should I write about this under the additional information of the common app?</p>
<p>Thank you all so much. I feel as if I've been denied from every school I've yet to apply too...</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Ah, Mike, I feel as though we have discussed this before somewhere. Anyways, I spoke with the dean of engineering at my school and he highly, exceedingly recommends that engineering students take physics in high school. Now, understand that this may only be the case for my particular school, as it is well-known for its tough physics program and classes. </p>
<p>Anyway, even if you took physics at a community college, it would be calc-based and you would only cover mechanics in one semester. Since the summer semester is condensed, you would not be able to retain a lot of the information. You NEED to have algebra-based physics in high school or AP Physics, which is calc-based, before you take on college level calc-based physics classes. In these classes, even at community colleges, you will be expected to derive numerous sorts of equations and if you haven’t had algebra-based physics, it will be very, very tough.</p>
<p>ptontiger16 -</p>
<p>I believe we have discussed this before, yes! I just don’t know what to do. I cant take physics this year because my schedule is done (and changing it would require dropping 3 classes!!) so I’m just unsure of what to do…</p>
<p>I am basically watching my email screen for responses from my three schools… Thanks for your input though (even though it wasn’t what I wanted to hear). </p>
<p>(( what school are you talking about, by the way?))</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>I would email the engineering department directly. Admissions won’t have those answers. I was talking about Princeton, home to the Plasma Physics Laboratory.</p>
<p>I think you should either take the AP Physics test, or just not worry about it. It’s probably not going to be a big deal. You usually end up having to take physics again anyways.</p>
<p>Neo -</p>
<p>I really hope you’re correct. I feel that since every engineering student takes physics the first year, why would not taking it in HS break the application? Thank you.</p>
<p>ptontiger16 -</p>
<p>That’s a great idea, I will definitely do that tomorrow. And I guess we will not be competing for the same schools (even though I would LOVE to go to Princeton)!</p>
<p>haha we wouldn’t be competing anyways. I was admitted this year and will be graduating with the Class of 2016. Just keep in mind the difference between algebra-based physics and calc-based physics.</p>
<p>I think many schools list the requirements on their websites. Technically, you’d be okay for Northwestern though physics is “preferred”: [High</a> School Applicant FAQs: Office of Undergraduate Admission - Northwestern University](<a href=“http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/apply/frequently-asked-questions-and-resources/high-school-applicants-faqs.html]High”>http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/apply/frequently-asked-questions-and-resources/high-school-applicants-faqs.html)</p>
<p>But it’d be kinda odd for someone interested in engineering not to have taken any physics in high school. That said, I think you may be fine for many colleges except the top ones.</p>
<p>College physics courses for physics and engineering majors often recommend high school physics as a prerequisite; you may find those courses more difficult without the high school level overview of the subject.</p>
<p>Also, taking physics in high school gives you a very basic idea of the kinds of stuff you will be doing in college and using as the basis of designs in engineering.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>High school physics courses are not normally not calculus-based (except for AP physics C, if offered).</p>
<p>In college, physics courses for physics and engineering majors is calculus-based. The less rigorous courses for biology majors and pre-meds may or may not require calculus, depending on the college.</p>
<p>Well, Lehigh, as an example, requires one year of physics for its BioEngineering program. Schools that don’t admit you directly to a program might be more flexible. </p>
<p>The problem is that once you note two possible majors on the CA, adcoms can tend to frame your preparedness in that context. If you can’t show the prep (even low level,) they can’t get a sense you know the ropes and have an idea of the challenges. They also have no grade to use to judge your performance.</p>
<p>At some schools, a lot of practical experience- robotics, sci olympiad, etc, or related work experience- can show well. Do you feel you have that background? Or, you could apply as a potential bio major and work your way into bio-e. </p>
<p>Sorry about this situation. Can you take a DE/cc class this fall, even a night class? What classes would you need to drop to get in physics? Is the most important class you’d drop something you could then replace at cc, this fall- or online?</p>
<p>Taking the AP test can reflect your knowledge, as far as the test goes, but doesn’t replace the project/problem-solving exerience or the collaboration and mentoring in a class.</p>
<p>Kids who miss a “highly recommended” class can explain in Addl Info- but this is usually where, eg, you couldn’t schedule lang 4 (or even sometimes Lang3) because you really wanted multivariable or some high level course related to your plans. If you do take physics in cc this fall, you would also briefly explain in Addl Info.</p>
<p>You might want to check to see if any of the schools you have in mind have an engineering supp for applications- get an idea of the sorts of questions.</p>
<p>One of the girls on my all-engineering floor never took physics in high school because she did an IB diploma and didn’t have time. Therefore, she took a basic, algebra-based physics class first semester and calculus-based physics second semester. So it’s entirely possible to get into an engineering program and be up to the level of taking engineering physics without high school physics.</p>
<p>In order to put AP physics into my schedule I would have to drop two of these: AP English, AP psych, and AP euro. </p>
<p>I think you’re right, I’ll think I’ll have to do bio an then work my way into BioE (that is possible, right?)</p>
<p>I wanted to do a CC class after senior year (during the summer), but would that be a bad idea? Like would colleges not care that I said I will take a course?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help thus far,
<p>They probably wouldn’t look at it as highly as if you actually took it before you applied because after they render their decision, you could always just drop the class and they wouldn’t want that. AP Psych is very easy to study for and several schools I know don’t even accept it for credit. You probably wouldn’t need it for BioE anyway - look at your major requirements. Same with AP Euro. As I and many others have said before, physics is a must. I’m entering ChemE this year and the first thing my adviser asked me was if I had taken high school physics.</p>
<p>You’re right… Looking forward I don’t need Psych or euro</p>
<p>Some kids will drop back to honors English (or even reg Engl) to accommodate their STEM requirements. Not a big problem. Justifiable. Fine by me, fwiw. You just explain in one or two lines (schedule conflict) in Addl Info. Right, you don’t need psych- that’s more for kids aiming in that direction in humanities or close to it. Eg, if a hs doesn’t offer AP econ or anything IR, the kid delves into that humanities direction. And, if you already took AP US or world, well then, you don’t need AP Euro.</p>
<p>Just be sure you meet all the college’s core hs admissions reqs (not the major) and your hs is okay with this. If you have to plead your case with the hs, go for it- and bring in your parents, if needed. Taking the class after hs grad shows nothing to adcoms. And, there could be a question why you didn’t pursue that cc class during 12th grade, to show motivation and an understanding that it’s a needed class.</p>
<p>Whether you can move into bio-e depends on the school- something to carefully check.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I got high A’s in calc based Phys 1 & 2 without any prior high school physics experience and without taking any other soft physics classes. I don’t know what most schools require, but if you are reasonably bright and work hard you should not have much trouble in college physics. Kids who had prior physics experience had an advantage for the first couple weeks of Physics 1 and then it didn’t seem to matter.</p>
<p>^Was it the rigorous class engineers take? Or was it for humanities majors?</p>
<p>Thanks again!! You guys really helped me out. </p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>I think it’s more important to get high school courses out of the way in high school before taking college level courses (especially if the college-level, AP courses are in the humanities and you want to be an engineer).</p>
<p>You don’t have to take AP Physics - you can take high school, algebra-based physics instead - but physics is a core course for an engineer. At my high school, algebra-based physics was a prerequisite for AP Physics - your school appears to be different. Your high school physics performance is more likely to get you into Lehigh or into Princeton’s engineering department than would your performance on AP Psychology. </p>
<p>Yes, KamelAkbar made it through calculus-based physics without taking any physics in high school (and you have no idea who he is or how brilliant he is - he could have an IQ of 189). My college roommate, a chemical engineer, also took college, calculus-based physics his freshman year without having taken high school physics, but it was brutal, and he was one of those people who functioned completely normally on four hours of sleep (they’re called light sleepers by sleep researchers, and only a tiny percentage of humans are in that category). He was the only engineer I ever met who hadn’t taken physics before college.</p>
<p>Probably the biggest engineer-killer (or engineering weeder course) is freshman, calculus-based physics. I can remember all of the engineers moaning about it, and virtually all had taken and excelled at high school physics already. Be as well-prepared for that course as you can.</p>