<p>(This topic has been discussed, but I haven't found the answer to this specific question...)</p>
<p>Most selective colleges appear to have recommendations of 4 years of a foreign language and 2-3 years of history. I am fortunate enough to attend a high school which offers enough advanced science, math, and engineering courses that I can schedule a full courseload with only one year of foreign language and one of history. Would pursuing this track have a definitively negative impact on my admissions portfolio to most universities? What about to MIT/Caltech?</p>
<p>Rather than ask for opinions on CC, you should speak with your guidance counselor, who must fill out a Secondary School Report (SSR) on your behalf. Specifically, your GC is asked to rate the rigor of your course load, as compared to other college bound students at your high school. See page 2, top right hand corner of the above pdf.</p>
<p>All selective colleges – including MIT/Caltech – are looking for students who take the MOST DEMANDING course load at their high school. If other students at your school are taking AP History courses and AP Foreign Language courses, while you are not, how will your GC rate the rigor of your couse load? Would they rate you as having the most demanding course load if you took more science and math courses instead? That’s really the question here – and your GC is the only one who can answer it!</p>
<p>The recommendation of high rank colleges is three years of social science not exclusively history, e.g., a goverment course also qualifies. If a high ranked school recommends a certain level of course work such as three or four years of foreign language and three years of social science, you should assume that most who apply are going to have that coursework and for science and engineering colleges like MIT and Caltech, they are not only going to have that but they are also going to have all those math and science courses with high grades in everything. In other words, you will be competing with those who look better than you on paper because they followed the college’s recommendation. It does not mean you will be automatically rejected but it is a element of weakness on your transcript.</p>
<p>Also be aware that there are many colleges that actually require, not just recommend, more than a year of foreign language and more than a year of social science and if you do not meet those requirements you will be rejected absent a valid excuse such as your school does not offer those courses. It appears you are from Chicago and thus you should be aware that one of those colleges is UIUC (requires two years of language and two of social science and recommends four of each). Moreover if you are attending high school in Illinois you need two years of social science to even graduate from high school.</p>
<p>I would be replacing history/FL with AP science, math, and economics courses, so course rigor and meeting state requirements won’t be issues. I am concerned that schools would interpret my actions as avoiding humanities courses rather than interest in science</p>
<p>“I am concerned that schools would interpret my actions as avoiding humanities courses rather than interest in science”</p>
<p>That’s EXACTLY how all colleges will interpret your actions, as everyone wants well rounded students! That’s true for HYPS, and it’s also true for MIT and Caltech.</p>
<p>C5. Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended.
Units Recommended<br>
English - 4
Mathematics - 4
Science -4 (Of these, units that must be lab)<br>
Foreign language - 2
Social studies - 2</p>
<p>C5. Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended.
Units Recommended<br>
English - 4
Mathematics - 4
Science -4 (Of these, units that must be lab)<br>
Foreign language - 3
Social studies - 3
History -1</p>
<p>I see. I guess I’ll continue to take FL, but I might put a couple of history courses off until senior year. I understand that colleges like well-rounded candidates, but in their efforts to “craft a class,” they seem to also want students who specialize. Furthermore, despite their recommendations, admissions appeared to be flexible in the past when students have chosen challenging, albeit lop-sided, classes, although I hadn’t seen anything to the extent I’d proposed.</p>
<p>I ask only because it benefits me to take lots of stem early in providing foundations for my independent work, and since my parents are against me attending IMSA, I’ll have to do so at the expense of other courses. But hopefully self-studying will work out… </p>