Title explains it all. I heard that most competitive colleges prefer students to take physics in high school. Will it weaken my application if I do not take physics? I do not want to go into the STEM field in college.
The MOST competitive colleges want to see that you have taken a highly rigorous course load.
Most suggest the same general guidelines as Stanford.
"Recommended High School Curriculum
We respect the responsibility that high schools, principals and teachers should have in the development of courses and curricula for their students. For that reason, we do not have a set of required courses for admission to Stanford. We have found, though, that a curriculum emphasizing depth and breadth across the core academic subjects is the best preparation for the academic rigors at Stanford. Our experience has suggested that students who excel in a curriculum like the one below are well-suited for the demands of college academics:
English: four years, with significant emphasis on writing and literature.
Mathematics: four years, with significant emphasis on fundamental mathematical skills (algebra; trigonometry; plane, solid, and analytic geometry).
History/Social Studies: three or more years. Such courses should include the writing of essays.
Science: three or more years of laboratory science (including biology, chemistry and physics).
Foreign Language: three or more years of the same foreign language. Your study of a foreign language ought to include the development of four basic skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension.
"
http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html
so yes, a physics class should be taken.
To not do so will put you at a disadvantage compared to other applicants.
Most viable candidates to very competitive schools will have taken Physics in high school.
@menloparkmom @csdad Thanks for the advice! Since I am a junior now, I was planning on taking AP Enviro next year since it has a reputation of being a very fun class at my school. Would it be wise to drop that class and take AP Physics, or keep the class but take Honors Physics instead?
AP Physics will eat you alive if you have not had any prior physics class in HS.
Take Honors Physics and AP Enviro IF you have space for 2 science classes.
^Not necessarily true. AP Physics C does have Calc requirement though.
@menloparkmom @billcsho At my school people usually just go straight AP Physics(no pre-req physics classes except Bio and Chem), and Calc is required along with that course(which I will be taking next year). Thanks for the advice!
^ That is the same way my D’s school does too.
Are you talking about AP PHysics 1 or 2, or AP Physics C?
AP Physics 1, 2, or Honors Physics are perfectly fine if you don’t intend on going into Engineering.
As long as you have one year of Physics (which can be Physics AP1, AP2, or Honors, no penalty if you take Honors) you’re fine. If you have space, Honors Physics and APES can be good - APES isn’t very difficult but it’s one of the few classes in HS where you’ll be discussing what’s going on the world.
Are you covered for the “core curriculum” (Math up to calc or precalc, Foreign Language up to Level 4 or AP, 4 years each of English, Social Science, and Science)?
If so, then, make sure you have 1-2 classes that are “just for fun”. Could be choir, could be shop, could be cooking, could be 2D Art…
@MYOS1634 I’m talking about AP Physics C which is the first AP Physics course everyone at my school takes. At this point, I’m not sure if I want to take AP Enviro because I am definitely more of a humanities nerd(AP Psych and AP Micro next year). I am also covered for all of the core curriculum so my schedule for senior year is very flexible 
See your guidance counselor and check whether Honors Physics is offered. If you’re a Humanities person, Physics C (which is useful to engineers or very advanced science students) is way overkill and may be detrimental to your GPA even if at your school it’s done without any previous Physics (this seems hard to believe though, considering Physics C is one of these classes that has pre-requisites… I guess that the teacher may include elements of AP1 first semester, and present only part of Physics C with the M part only, because otherwise I don’t see how it can be done - intellectually and physically - to be both the first physics class people take and the most advanced physics class offered in the HS curriculum. Or perhaps everyone’s taken a Physics class, as in, Regular or Honors, before they take that AP. In that case, have you? If you have, then you don’t need a Physics AP.)
@MYOS1634 Oh wait, I got confused. I actually meant AP Physics 1, not AP Physics C. I haven’t taken any physics classes at all in high school. Most people at my school usually wait until they’re enrolled in Calc to take along with physics. In all honestly, science is definitely not my strong suit(not extremely awful at it though, AP Bio isn’t that bad so far), but I’ve heard from many people from my school that Honors Physics is almost the same as AP Physics. In this case, is it better for me to just take AP Physics even though it would be a struggle?
My D took AP Physics C (without M) directly in senior year without Honors Physics. That is the way at her HS.
My advise is an AP Physics class [ or 1] should ONLY be taken after an intro Physics class- whcih may be Honors in your case.
You will have a lot on your plate your first semester of Sr year- including the time consuming college application process. If you dont want your GPA to tank first semester dont try to take an AP class that you are not prepared for.
fwiw, I got into Brown without ever taking Physics. It’s recommended, but it won’t always doom your application not to have it.
FYI, with the introduction of AP Physics 1 and 2, many schools have eliminated Honors Physics. Without looking at the OP’s course catalog, it may be a case where you can’t take what’s not offered.
Plus, according to the College Board, no prior physics is needed.
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-physics-1-2-course-and-exam-description.pdf
However, 63% of the test takers failed the AP exam LY, so maybe the CB has a few kinks to work out. But, yes, the OP should take some type of physics.
“However, 63% of the test takers failed the AP exam LY, so maybe the CB has a few kinks to work out.”
I’d say so…
I guess it depends on the school and the student. Most, if not all, the students at my D’s school do not take honor physics if they choose to AP Physics C. The only other course with some physics would be the geophysics in 10th grade which has little to do with the physics later on anyway. The 6/7 hour schedule is very tight particularly most students take band or orchestra for all 4 years (it is one of the top schools in music program in the country). Many students cannot even get the 7th hour due to the limited budget in school district. Even my D1 did get 7th hour for 2 years, she could not fit AP Biology in her schedule as there is only space for 1 science each year and she took AP Chem and AP Physics instead. Nevertheless, most of the students do well in the AP Physics class and AP exam. I guess the students may be self selected. So even without previous Physics, it is still possible to get A and 5 in AP Physics C. OP should ask his GC and see how did the previous student do in the AP exam and if he is ready for it.
^This is absolutely not a "normal"situation, but since there’s such a paucity of classes perhaps your school compressed intro to physics and the half of Physic C they cover.
And I’m guessing you’re right, the students are self selected.
Ap physics 1/2 can be taken without prior physics but OP doesn’t have to. S/he can ask the Physics teacher what class s/he recommends in this case.
Now, if op has exceptional qualifications in another field - published research, Carnegie Hall soloist - physics won’t matter.
Otherwise open could present his/her Jr and sr year schedules and we could see whether the most competitive schools are even in play.
^ Yeah. Our school district almost dropped the 7th hour completely a couple years ago due to budget issue. So almost no one can take 2 sciences in a year. The sciences for the first 2 years are earth science and geophysics. Then high achieving students will take two of the three AP sciences in junior and senior. My D1 took AP Chem in Junior and AP Physics C in senior.