<p>My high school only requires 3 years of history class to graduate, im currently a junior and will meet that requirement at the end of this school year. If im interested in majoring in mechanical engineering, would it be better for me to not take a history class next year so that i can take another math/science course? I would be taking AP Calc BC and AP bio no matter what, but what about subbing in AP stats or AP envioronmental for history? Is this preffered by engineering colleges or do they not care? </p>
<p>Neither AP statistics nor AP environmental science is likely to be of any help in terms of subject credit in college for an engineering student. However, sometimes AP history credit may be helpful in meeting breadth requirements or allowing the student to take more advanced history courses within the breadth requirements.</p>
<p>A more worthwhile science than AP statistics or AP environmental science would be AP chemistry or AP physics C mechanics.</p>
<p>Okay thanks @ucbalumnus </p>
<p>Top schools, even CalTech, will tell you they all prefer candidates with 4 or even 5 years of social studies on their transcripts. That’s not necessarily history, although that does work. If you don’t have four years of social studies, make sure you take that extra class senior year.</p>
<p>@MrMom62 why is that? I would have thought that engineering colleges wud prefer double science or adding ap stats in substitution for history/social studies. </p>
<p>Most colleges (and all the top ones) believe in the liberal arts ideal - students who are well versed in all the humanities and sciences. Specialization is for when you progress further in your education. Schools do value additional sciences, but only the cores like biology, chemistry, and physics - not environmental science, and especially not at the expense of at least four social studies and English classes. In the context of the liberal arts, all the top schools do not wish themselves to be seen as trade schools, rather, they want well-rounded and educated citizens.</p>