My grades in precalc were good enough for me to advance to calculus regular but I did badly on my placement test and now I got recommended for probability and discrete math regular instead. All my other classes for senior year are going to be honors/AP and math is my one weak spot. I heard that calculus looks good but will it damage my chances of acceptance? Also, Im taking AP environmental science instead of the Physics regular and my guidance counselor told me that colleges usually prefer the three main sciences: biology, chemisty, and physics (i took the first two).
Your GC is correct, I would take physics. For your career aspirations, I don’t think not taking calculus will be a deal breaker, but if you are applying for a highly competitive college, you might want to rethink, as many colleges do not admit by major.
It depends on where you’re applying. I don’t think you would be automatically disqualified from any colleges, but the most selective ones might favor someone who had one year of the three principal sciences. My son actually did two years of Biology (“Honors,” as a sophomore, and IB/HL as a Senior), and one of Chemistry. He took AP Statistics instead of Calculus as a senior (which folks here on CC insist is a mortal error). He applied to no Ivies, or other ultra-selective colleges, but got into ten respected schools as a Poli.Sci./Public Policy/Government wonk. If you don’t get into Harvard or Stanford, you can blame your senior schedule until you learn that thousands of students who took Calculus and Physics were also rejected.
I’m thinking of applying to nyu and my gpa is around the average gpa of accepted students. would nyu be considered highly competitive?
Yes, NYU is highly competitive.
Also, don’t think in terms of the average - keep in mind that the bottom 25% don’t count, since they’re legacies, athletes, and students who overcam obstacles. So, you need to be closer to the 75% than to the 50% mark to make the university a match. Anything else and it’s a reach, especially when the university is as selective as NYU.
APES is fine as long as you have 2 among AP USH, AP Euro, AP World and as many as you can from AP Econ, AP Gov, AP Foreign Language, AP Lit.
okay, thanks so much
Demanding curricular rigor is principally designed to ensure your ability to succeed in difficult undergraduate academic work and to assess your intellectual potential. It has NOTHING to do with your current – and likely to change – career plans or major. Your premise, that tough secondary school courses should relate to your intended future, is flawed.