High School Requirements

Applying to College
1

How strict is a college requirement list in order to be accepted to a particular university? For example, Clemson asks for 4 English, 3 Math, 1 Social Studies, 1 history, 3 science, 2-3 foreign language, and 1 visual/performing arts. Physical Education Required.

My son, once he graduates high school, will have:

5 Math (2 will be AP - 3 honors)
4 SS/History (2 AP - 2 honors)
7 Science (4 AP - 2 honors)
4 English (Honors)
4 Spanish (1 AP - 3 honors)
Physical Education - 4 years
Oral Communications (elective)
Foundations of Technology (elective)

GPA 4.17 on a 4.33 scale Unweighted
GPA 7.12 on a 7.83 scale Weighted
SAT 1360 - will take two more times
ACT 29 - will take one more time

National Honor Society
Mathematics Honor Society
Social Studies Honor Society
World Language Honor Society

Class Council

Prospective Major: Engineering

Not in band, choir, etc but is in several academic teams (Envirothon, Physics Olympics)

I guess my dilemma is since he did not take a visual/performing arts class will Clemson automatically exclude him from acceptance or will they still consider him? How strict are universities with their requirements?

Thank you!

2

While it is a requirement, depending on the prospective major and the statistics of the student, a University is usually willing to overlook that.

3

Clemson lists a “recommended” high school curriculum here:
http://www.clemson.edu/admissions/undergraduate/
http://www.clemson.edu/admissions/counselors.html#prereqs

Since it is not “required”, lacking a course in the “recommended” high school curriculum is presumably not an automatic disqualifier for a frosh applicant. However, if there is any subjective reading of the application, it may be a disadvantage to be missing some part of the “recommended” high school curriculum as a frosh applicant.

Other schools may have actual “required” courses in one’s high school curriculum.

4

how do you get a 4.33 uw and a 7.83 w GPA? How does that work out?

5

Probably based on a calculation that gives 4.33 for an A+ grade, and has extremely exaggerated weighting. For obvious reasons, weighted GPA is meaningless when the weighting system is not given.