<p>My son is preparing his senior class schedule and he would like to skip science since he has no interest in AP Physics and thinks AP Chem would result in his early death. Will this hurt his chances for HYPS? He took Honors Chem in 10th grade and is taking AP Bio now. His senior schedule would have AP English, AP World History, AP American Politics/Government, AP Comparation Politics/Government, Advanced Topics in Mathematics Honors (it's the class after AP Calc BC), Independent Study in Latin and he'd like to do an Independent Study in Middle East studies. He'll take Physics if it's a must -- is it?</p>
<p>So he will have 3 lab sciences upon graduation?</p>
<p>For HYPS, I think a fourth year of science pretty much is a must. I don't know that it has to be physics, though.</p>
<p>If he already took BC, Physics should be a breeze. I think it would hurt his chances at HYP just because they have to look for reasons to reject so many qualified applicants.</p>
<p>jmmom,</p>
<p>Yes, technically three years of lab science, but....In 9th grade he took Biology, 10th grade Honors Chem, and this year AP Bio. My concern is that's basically two years of Bio, one of Chem and no Physics.</p>
<p>I will defer to those with more direct experience. I know you will find some whose kids got into HYPS without the recommended preparation. But my take on it is this - as food for thought only. He seems to be fashioning a senior schedule which really allows him to pursue his passions and it is rather pointed in the history and govt direction. This is understandable. But you might think about whether starting to, in effect, specialize this early is as important as having the rounded education. Especially when, as raindrop says, it is so easy for the adcom to "deduct" for the lack of recommended prep. Is it worth the risk?</p>
<p>If he doesn't want the pressure, could he not do Honors Physics?</p>
<p>I got into MIT with no science AP's and no physics beyond a semester of Foundations in Physical Science (lots of rolling balls down inclined planes, but very little else). True story. :)</p>
<p>My daughter was just accepted to Harvard - she took Honors Bio, Honors Chem, AP Physics B and now AP Chem. I can't say whether that is the norm or not for acceptances ... however she is taking Calc BC now and had no Calc when she took AP Physics B. She did well, though my disclaimer is that she did have a great teacher and does enjoy science. However, just this week she commented that Physics would have been a lot easier if she had known Calculus at the time. So odds are, your son should do okay if he is willing to put effort into the course. I would think that most schools of that caliber are looking for a fourth year of science - but who knows?</p>
<p>AP Environmental Science?</p>
<p>DS had AP Calc BC last year, and yes as the other posters have suggested his AP Physics class this year is much easier for him than the other students in the class that have NOT had calc. He has had AP Bio Chem and honors bio/chem/physics so he did take AP Enviro last semester (block) and surprisingly enjoyed it. The surprise being the talk was it was an AP lite, but since he had done a summer internship with the EPA he was able to give and get much, much more out of it and in turn the class become something more than most hoped for.</p>
<p>So, if not AP physics, maybe enviro?</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>I would argue that everyone should know physics, but I don't think it needs to be full-on AP physics. Isn't there a nice ordinary physics course he could take?</p>
<p>It seems that he's good at math, so why not Physics? At least for my school, they practically go together.</p>
<p>At my kids' HS, the physics & calc teachers coordinate so they are covering complementary work & make the classes mesh. This really helped son when he took SATII Math II in the fall of senior year. Since he's so fond of math, he should find physics pretty easy & maybe could consider regular physics if he doesn't want to do AP Physics. The physics department could explain the difference in the courses to him & let him choose.</p>
<p>Of all the sciences physics is closest to math, and for people who like math physics is much easier and more interesting than chemistry.</p>
<p>Not everyone finds math and physics equally congenial, or even close to equally congenial.</p>
<p>My son loves physics, but is much less enamored with math.</p>
<p>He also had a combined AP Physics/BC Calc class in high school. According to him, it was quite common in that class for a kid to be strong and happy with physics but not math, and vice versa. He felt that the physics appealed to applications-oriented people, engineering types, while the math appealed to more theoretical types.</p>
<p>He should just take AP physics. He can blow off the test since by the time they test nobody is going to take back his acceptance offers.
For a kid with that much math it just isn't going to be that hard. My daughter's doing it this year and it's not easy, but it's not anywhere near as brutal as the honors chem class her friends are taking.</p>
<p>I would like to offer a slightly dissenting view.</p>
<p>If your son's ultimate goal is to get into HYP, and he thinks he would do reasonably well in Physics, you are probably all right. Not having the physics (or other science) could make achieving his goal tricky.</p>
<p>However, if the goal is to be a happy high school student, learning what one is interested in, while still getting into college somewhere, then physics should not be the be all and end all.</p>
<p>For example, in my senior year, I was urged to take AP French. I despised it, and was angry that I wasn't taking the EMT training course that I really wanted to take (The EMT course was certainly less "academic," less "what admissions officers will want" and weighted lower - knocking me out of top 5% contention).
To make this story short, I lasted 2 weeks in AP French before switching to EMT. I loved EMT class! And, I was accepted to my first choice school (not HYP), but more importantly, I had a good senior year.
I decided that a school that put emphasis on learning for admission's sake rather than learning for learning's sake was not a school that I wanted to attend anyway. </p>
<p>I did ask my guidance counselor to address the reason for the lower than expected GPA, but I don't know if he did or not.</p>
<p>jenskate1,</p>
<p>What a refreshing perspective. Thanks for posting!</p>
<p>I have taken a science every year but I didn't have the opportunity to take physics, which is a joke at my school anyways. 9th - Natural Science, 10th - Biology, 11th - Advanced Chemistry, 12th - AP Biology</p>
<p>Burnthis,</p>
<p>After it has all been said and done, your son is going to be evaluated as to whether or not he has taken the most rigerous cirriculum his school offers and if he has done well. While no school is going to hold against your son him not taking something the school does not offer, they may think otherwise if they think (and this is where there is a lot of gray area) that he is not academically challenging himself.</p>
<p>Most schools will list "their recommended requirements" If your school offers them, then you should take them.</p>
<p>Harvard states;</p>
<p>*There is no single academic path we expect all students to follow, but the strongest applicants take the most rigorous secondary school curricula available to them. An ideal four-year preparatory program includes four years of English, with extensive practice in writing; four years of math; four years of science: biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course in one of these subjects; three years of history, including American and European history; and four years of one foreign language. *</p>
<p>Princeton states the following:</p>
<p>*Therefore, there are no fixed unit or course prerequisites that must be completed before admission. We recognize that not all high schools offer the same opportunities and we will give full consideration to any applicant who has been unable to pursue studies to the extent recommended below if the record otherwise shows clear promise. </p>
<p>The following is recommended as basic preparation for study at Princeton: </p>
<p>four years of English (including continued practice in writing)
four years of mathematics
four years of one foreign language
at least two years of laboratory science
at least two years of history (including that of a country or an area outside the United States)
some study of the visual arts, music, or theater.
We also encourage students to take the most rigorous courses possible in their secondary schools, including honors and advanced placement courses where available. Applicants should consult with their school advisers to plan the program that is best for them. In no case is a particular course an absolute requirement for admission to Princeton. </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Keep in mind that he is going to be evaluated in a pool where students have taken the minimum requirements and students have taken more that what is required.</p>
<p>Okay, it seems like the consensus is if he does want to stand a chance at the HYPS schools, he should take the AP Physics class. If his primary concern is having a great senior year, skip Physics and take the Independent Study on the Middle East he's planning. At least that helps focus the issue, now it's up to him. Thanks for the help!</p>