<p>My son, a high school junior, wants to know how critical it is in terms of admission and merit aid if he doesn't take a fourth year of science in HS. He does not intend to major in any science-related field in college, being more interested in the humanities. He has already taken biology, chemistry and AP Physics and really wants to wedge a music appreciation class into his tight senior-year schedule instead of science. </p>
<p>It makes sense from the standpoint of his interests -- he is in honors band and jazz band and loves the sax -- but obviously not if it jeopardizes his college opportunities. He is looking at liberal arts schools where he could score some significant merit aid (he's 8th in a class of 330 at this point), or possibly an OOS honors program such as Oregon or Arizona State. Any opinions would be appreciated.</p>
<p>what we have been told is that 3 years of lab science are required, some schools recommend a fourth year as well....it's going to depend on the school....</p>
<p>sounds like you are set in the first 3 year category....,make a few calls around to some of the reaches on his list....You are probably fine for Oregon or Ariz state IMO</p>
<p>ID - Many schools recommend four years, but I'm not sure it's commonly required. Three years of science plus 8 of 330 sounds pretty good to me. I second Rodney's suggestion about the phone calls. I suggest using some imagination in framing the question. Instead of "Do you require four years of science?" you might try "My S's Competition Band schedule conflicts with senior Physics. How would taking band over physics affect his application to your school."</p>
<p>I imagine that his school offers at least 6 slots per term for courses.
What else is he taking?
He still has about 10 months or so before he starts applying to colleges for the 2010-2011 school year & 19 months before he attends, providing he doesn't take a gap term.</p>
<p>The last senior year of high school students become ( often) more fully aware of the range of possibilities- and limiting a subject like science/math/history/english to less than the four years that many students are going to have, may limit his choices.</p>
<p>The last semester of senior year my daughter wanted to attend an art school- she had been one of the strongest students in her class & she was interested in going more indepth. Then she decided to take a year off ( to work on her portfolio among other things)
WHen she reapplied to college she added another school and ended up majoring in biology at a LAC.</p>
<p>Good suggestion on how to approach schools, NewHope33. One school he did e-mail with the more direct question, Occidental, came back and told him that 4 years is preferable but not required, I believe. He just doesn't want this to be a "tie-breaker" that costs him aid in the end, hoping they will see his passion for music behind the decision if they even feel the need to analyze it.</p>
<p>emeraldkity4, he's loaded up with AP classes, including U.S. History, Calculus AB, Language & Comp this year in addition to Physics B-Level. Next year I think he said he's planning on 5 more.</p>
<p>Sounds like he has a full load- my daughters school didn't offer APs, however they did have 7 slots for classes- I think senior year she had math/science/english/history/art/language/drama. ( actually I think it was vocal instead of drama- drama was after school)</p>
<p>I do think the honors classes at colleges are flexible and probably want to have a mix of students- so you wouldn't necessarily have to have all APs in core subjects</p>
<p>Try to find out from admitted students . IMO this is always a better way to go than asking adcoms. An answer "we reccomend four years but it is not required" will just add to your anxiety ;)</p>
<p>And then there's the oft recommended option of covering your bases by taking a science class during the summer, that's pre-approved by the HS for credit to show on the HS transcript.</p>
<p>In some ways, my S is similar to yours. By the end of Jr year, he will have had biology, honors chemistry and AP physics from the HS. Additionally and on his transcript will be three other three week summer sessions he took from JHU-CTY in electrical engineering, probability & game theory, and fast paced HS physics. </p>
<p>S is not interested in taking AP Bio next year (with budget cuts, it may be the only AP science class offered) since he's heard not great things about the teacher. This is ironic since he has a strong shot at a (non-paid) summer lab job working in the biophysics area. Right now, he's thinking of taking psychology, since he'll still have his accelerated math class next year in multivariate calculus.</p>
<p>And the answer is: Know all the options available in your area, what your S might major in and definitely what the colleges he will apply to are thinking.</p>
<p>My S got into Wash U with only 3 years of science--but he had 4 years of math, history, English, foreign language and a good number of Honors and AP's. As long as he's not interested in pursuing a science related major and with his good grades, I wouldn't worry about it.</p>
<p>Most (all?) schools have regional admissions reps, so there should be someone who covers your geographic area. I would recommend asking to speak to that person at a couple of schools where admission/merit aid is most important to him. Sometimes these reps come to your area for hs visits, and he could get a couple of minutes to chat about this with the rep.</p>
<p>Also if you have a good Guidance Counselor, s/he will have relationships with some schools. Even without a specific relationship, the GC could speak with admissions reps at a couple of schools about your son's specific situation.</p>
<p>D was waitlisted at a college she clearly had the stats, etc to get in. However, she only took 3 years of science, electing to take AP European History instead her senior year. We'll never know if that was the deciding factor, but it was certainly a reason to question her application.</p>
<p>"He is looking at liberal arts schools where he could score some significant merit aid (he's 8th in a class of 330 at this point), or possibly an OOS honors program such as Oregon or Arizona State. Any opinions would be appreciated."
If he were not looking for merit $$ then I would say he could safely stop his science courses with only 3 years. HOWEVER, colleges offer merit $$ to the MOST qualified applicants, and taking only 3 years of science would clearly have an impact on how qualified he would be considered to be in comparison to other applicants.</p>
<p>D got into an Ivy with only 3 years of science. She was not going into the sciences, and her substitute was a language that directly related to what she was going to major in.</p>
<p>Lots of schools recommend four years of science, but for example Harvard says they'd like to see bio, chem, physics and one year of advanced science. Given that your son has taken a science at an AP level I doubt that this will be a major problem, especially if he isn't looking at the tippy-top schools. I've also heard over and over again, that they like to see kids who have pursued their academic interests. My oldest didn't take four years of history, but had extra science. The only disadvantage to your son's proposed schedule is to what extent the extra music is considered sufficiently academic. I think it's unlikely that firefly's D was waitlisted for taking AP Euro instead of a science course, but of course the colleges never tell you why you were waitlisted. Perhaps mathson was waitlisted at Harvey Mudd because he didn't take AP Euro!</p>
<p>I think that for a humanities-oriented kid, 3 years of science, including AP Physics is plenty. He should follow his interests, and be very good at what he cares about, and the college admissions/scholarships, etc. will follow.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for valuable input. My son read it all over with interest last night and told me he's going to go ahead with his plan to omit that fourth year of science, more confident about it now. He did correct me, however -- it's Music Theory he'll be taking, not Music Appreciation. Dopey Dad.</p>
<p>While reading the beginning of this thread I was thinking, 'With his music background, he'd be fine if it were APTheory instead of Appreciation.'</p>
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In some ways, my S is similar to yours. By the end of Jr year, he will have had biology, honors chemistry and AP physics from the HS. Additionally and on his transcript will be three other three week summer sessions he took from JHU-CTY in electrical engineering, probability & game theory, and fast paced HS physics.
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<p>How do you get CTY classes on your transcript? That's a new one to me...</p>
<p>OP, I think the fact that he has taken all three sciences and finished with AP Physics is the key. That is quite different from a kid who has taken a freshman general science course and maybe bio and chem, but not finished the sequence with physics and not taken an AP.</p>