Environmental Systems vs Physics

My daughter is trying to decide whether to take Environmental Systems or Physics class. The goal is to get into top 10% at her school and maximize her chances for getting into a decent college. She plans to major in Biology or Biochemistry. She does not know where she wants to apply to yet, so she can’t check if colleges on her list require Physics. UT Austin, which is on the list (but not 1st choice) does not require Physics. Her GPA right now is 4.3, but she does not know her rank, because her class is not ranked until the junior year and she needs to make a decision by April. She is not interested in either of the courses, but I feel like she needs at least basic knowledge of Physics to go into natural sciences. The options are:
Option 1: IB Environmental Systems SL – a 5.0 course that doubles as an AP credit and is an easy A to get (according to our program coordinator).
Option 2: Physics 1 IB SL – a 4.5 course, not an AP course. She is probably capable of getting an A in it, but not as sure as an A in Environmental Systems, since she has never taken Physics before.
Option 3: take Environmental Systems at school and Physics 1 at e-school. Physics 1 is a 4.0 course, not counted towards GPA, but is on the transcript. She already needs to take two other classes at e-school to meet graduation requirements, so I am not sure about adding another class to her workload and not sure, if this class is going to make any difference for admission since it is only a basic class.
So, a chance of a higher GPA or more challenging course load?
Any thoughts on that? Thank you for any advice or input!

All the other stuff aside, any science student aiming at selective colleges will take all 3 sciences. IBES is apparently a fluff class. Take physics.

If she has interest in ES then take that, if it’s all the same to her than take Physics, everyone knows ES is a blow off class taken to artificially inflate GPA, it’s not going to reflect well.

Selective colleges will want to see physics, even at regular level.
However for Texas rankings IBES is better (it’ll help get into UT and tamu … BUT she’ll need physics to get her major.)
Solution: to take regular physics over the summer?

What about the on-line option for physics? Any use for admission purposes?

Physics makes more sense to me too, but I am afraid that it is going to lower her GPA just enough not to get automatically admitted to UT Austin. So wish I had more information on where she stands.

The online option is a possibility too, as long as it’s listed on the transcript. But, to alleviate what sounds like a really tough year, is there no way for her to get rid of it over the summer?

Yes, summer is definitely preferable. Looking at the options right now.

She should take physics in high school, because she will need to take physics in college. Physics in college will be more difficult if she does not take at least high school physics.

Since she must play the rank game in Texas, can she take the rank-gaming course junior year and take physics senior year?

Unfortunately, she does not have enough room in her schedule for both unless she gives up one of the electives. One of them (music) is not a true elective because she wants to minor in it and the second one is something she is really passionate about. I already talked her into dropping it for one year to make room for Calculus and I think this is as far as I am going to get with it.

In that case taking physics over next summer or online are her only options.

I would have her sign up for the physics class. She will be able to ascertain once she’s in the class for a couple of weeks whether or not she thinks she can - literally - “make the grade” and be in a situation where she improves her rank and takes the class she needs for college. If, after a couple of weeks of classes, she finds that physics is going to be too difficult, will she be able to switch classes?

I am not concerned about her not making a good grade in physics. I think she can do it. It is just that no matter how well she does in physics, her grade in ES is going to add more to her GPA just because it is a 5.0 class and physics is not. And I am not sure if she’ll be allowed to switch classes. I don’t think our school allows it with IB classes. Looks like it is going to be on-line physics for her.

Poor kid. :frowning: I remember when schools started weighting classes it seemed like a great thing because it meant that kids taking harder courses would be recognized for their efforts. But now, we have kids taking tons of AP and IB classes they have no interest in, and some kids approaching nervous breakdowns, because they feel they have to have these outrageous GPAs and class ranks. I wish there was a way we could find a nice middle where kids are rewarded for rigor yet are still able to take courses that actually interest them - maybe limit the number of APs and IBs or something.

The way the Ranking Game is played in Texas she has to take both - physics to get into private universities and to get her chosen major at the public university where she’s been admitted, and IBES because it’ll keep her in the top 10% necessary to have a good shot at UT when not part of the 7% and to guarantee admission somewhere in the state (because anything IB adds to the weighted average).
The organization of it will depend on whether you can find a summer/online or summer ‘blended on campus class’ , or no summer class.

Yikes- needing to play the course points game in Texas. Son’s Wisconsin HS did not weight grades, nor does UW-Madison use weighted grades (nor do they have that 10% admission rule). If you didn’t need to game the system I would definitely recommend Physics because having an exposure to it before college will be helpful when doing college science.

Look at things this way- if your D is that close to the margins that one course choice will make-or break her admissions perhaps ignoring that will be best. Let her take the course that will be most beneficial for her academically, not playing an admissions game. Looks like unintended consequences come into play for Texas.

Just one more question. So, it looks like to be included in the transcript our school allows online courses just from 2 places - our ISD e-school and Texas Tech. Both offer courses you can enroll in at any time, so it won’t be a problem to do it over the summer, but they only offer Physics 1. At school she would take an equivalent to Honors Physics. ISD summer school does not offer Honors/AP classes either. Would Physics 1 be any help? Thank you!

Yes, Physics 1 is okay. The only thing that matters in terms of preparing for her chosen field of study as well as for admissions is for her to have Physics. If only Physics1 is offered, it’s fine.
However, note that Physics1 at Texas Tech is likely to be much more rigorous than a Physics1 class at the HS level.