<p>i'm from canada and i'm thinking about applying to universities in US.</p>
<p>in canada, it is not mandatory to take all 3 sciences in junior and senior year,
so now, i only have gr 9 general science (only science offered in gr 9), gr 10 general science(only science offered in gr 10), gr11 chemistry and gr 12 chemistry. physics and biology are also offered in gr 11 and 12, but i didn't take them.</p>
<p>i'm looking forward to major in economics/math/international relationships, so does the lack of gr 11 and 12 physics and biology hurt my chances of getting accepted to American universities?</p>
<p>I'm applying to some "lower ivies" and other respectable schools....my safeties would be canadian universities (for financial reasons) so do not criticize me for looking solely at good schools, please~</p>
<p>If you've taken only general science and chemistry, it would be hard to argue that you've taken your school's most demanding curriculum. You're also showing a significant gap in your education. So yes, a lack of science courses will hurt you. To what extent, who knows?</p>
<p>"it is not mandatory to take all 3 sciences in junior and senior year"</p>
<p>Well, it's more or less mandatory in the US (at least, for the top schools). While your chances aren't completely shot, it'll hurt. As greennblue said, though, who knows to what extent?</p>
<p>Unless you have 700+ test scores, your science may preclude you from the UCs which require:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Laboratory Science – 2 years required, 3 years recommended
Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in at least two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry and physics. Advanced laboratory science classes that have biology, chemistry or physics as prerequisites and offer substantial additional material may be used to fulfill this requirement, as may the final two years of an approved three-year integrated science program that provides rigorous coverage of at least two of the three foundational subjects.
<p>sorry, yz, I'm just not knowledgeable enough about your Gen Science to opine. Try e-mailing a UC campus or two and ask if your science background would fulfill its admission requirements.</p>
<p>It depends on whether you're going into a science related major or not, which by the sounds of it I don't think you are</p>
<p>Schools look at your courseload depending on what major you're applying for, they want to see devotion to that one thing.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about it too much, besides it's a little late now to be worrying about crap like that anyway, right? Just play up your strengths. We Americans aren't that shallow when judging people... er well I'd like to think so anyway</p>
<p>If you are looking to apply to an elite school, the net-net is that you are going be evaluated based on your taking the most rigerous curriculum that your school offers and doing well in those courses. </p>
<p>It would be one thing if your school did not offer bio and physics as if this were the case it would not hurt you. However, since your school does offer these courses, and you did not take them, greenblue is correct that it may hurt you. It is not unusual for student to take bio, chem, physics and even a honors/AP science course (if offered at the school).</p>
<p>It is not mandatory to take AP courses or honors classes but if the high school offers them, many students considering elite schools take these courses because it shows that the student is challenging him.herself by taking a more rigerous course load.</p>
<p>So US universities want potential english majors to have taken multiple courses in each of bio, chem and physics, just because they are considered "hard"?</p>
<p>Wait! It's bad not to take all 3 sciences? I just thought I had to study 4 years of science! I took Living Environment (what the state calls biology), Earth Science, Chemistry, AP Chem, and now AP Bio. I tried taking AP Psych (which is in the science dept. and counts as a science credit at our school) or AP Physics, but it didn't work out.</p>
<p>Sungchul: you should be fine -- you don't have to take all three, though it's good if you do. The UCs require you to have taken at least two of them, but taking advanced classes in them is best.</p>
<p>yihan, you can if you want, but seriously at this point I wouldn't worry about it.
just focus on your passion for the subject you're majoring in</p>
<p>soooo....kyledavid, are you saying that, if i take chem and physics, i will be fine? ( i will take them at the highest level offered?)</p>
<p>since i really dont know if i can put bio in my schedule and as a prospective econ major, i really want all those math/language/econ/social science in my time table...</p>