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<p>Often, it is the other way around – transferring from a non-engineering division to an engineering division is difficult.</p>
<p>The effect of an A (assuming you get an A), in one non weighted course on your overall GPA, whether calculated based on 3 years of hs, even less if first semester of senior year is included, would be minimal. Take the physics course.</p>
<p>“If you’ve done calc 1, you’ve likely already solved word problems in physics involving velocity & acceleration. Picking up basic physics will be a snap.”</p>
<p>@GMTplus7 - This is completely the opposite of my experience. What you described is week 1 of Physics in a good engineering program. </p>
<p>Take Physics. </p>
<p>If you want to be an engineer, you need this course. Take it and love it, this confirms your decision. Take it and hate it, look for a new major. Don’t play the GPA protection game over Physics. </p>
<p>Another vote for taking physics in HS. The difference in your weighted GPA will be like a raindrop in an ocean, and most colleges will look at your UW GPA or recalculate to their own measures.</p>
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<p>Yes, velocity and acceleration are just week 1 of a good physics course, but you don’t know what the OP’s physics course covers either. My high school’s physics class took a semester to do velocity and acceleration, without the benefit of assuming that the students are familiar with calculus. Physics can be pretty badly taught, and it seems as silly to take a poorly taught physics course so that it shows up on the transcript as it does to not take it to get a higher ranking.</p>
<p>Whether the OP should take physics probably depends on a lot of other factors, including what his other courses are. I think the best option though would be to either take AP Physics online (I found EPGY to be good, though a bit expensive), or to take physics at a local community college or university.</p>
<p>Take physics.</p>
<p>I have a relative who has worked in college admissions for more than 20 years. He says that “every” adcom looks for a physics class in an applicant’s high school record ESPECIALLY if the applicant is a prospective engineering student. Supposedly there’s some gross correlation between taking physics and succeeding in college - I’ll have to ask him what the study says.</p>
<p>Anyway, he said that one piece of advice he gives to any high schooler looking at ways to boost his/her chances at college admissions is “take physics.”</p>
<p>My daughter never took physics in high school. She didn’t take calculus in high school either. She has an engineering degree from Santa Clara University.</p>
<p>@thumper1 Did you daughter have the opportunity to take physics or calculus? For many, if you start with Algebra in 9th grade and stay on track, you won’t get to Calculus. But there are 4 years and only 3 basic sciences so it should be able to be fit in.</p>
<p>My daughter took anatomy and physiology her senior year (dual credit with a CC) instead of physics. </p>
<p>She was not accelerated in math so once that decision was made at the end of. 7th grade, she would have needed to take a summer math course to take calculus.</p>
<p>That’s not my point…my point to the OP…you can be an engineering major in college without HS physics…or calculus.</p>
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<p>However, it is generally advantageous for a prospective engineering major to take high school physics if one has the opportunity to do so, even if it is not strictly required. Same with calculus if one is a year ahead of the normal high school math sequence.</p>
<p>Maybe. But it is very possible to get an engineering degree without taking those courses in high school. It is.</p>
<p>Make life easier by taking high school Physics. Reason being, in Physics for Engineering, you’re not only learning Physics but also Engineering principles. </p>
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What Engineering principles?</p>
<p>I read somewhere that only about 30% of HS students nationwide take physics, so that would give you a leg up, admissions-wise, on 70% of the population</p>
<p>@MADad, and what fraction of HS students nationwide are applying to college?</p>
<p>And it’s that 30% OP needs to worry about, if he/she is thinking of highly sought after colleges with lots of competition for engineering. </p>
<p>“Do you think it is a bad idea to try to go in to engineering without taking physics in high school?” - Yes, I think it’s a bad idea. </p>
<p>Most of my engineeiring classmates DID take hs physics yet still struggled with college physics. If you take physics in hs, you will improve the odds of 1)knowing engineering is a good fit 2) doing well in college physics.</p>
<p>As others point out, there may be better options than the class at the hs. Ask your guidance counselor about options. </p>
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<p>However, the overall high school population is not the best comparison group. The proper comparison group would be those applying to four year colleges with intended major of engineering.</p>
<p>Physics is not only a good idea if one’s considering an engineering major, it’s also a good idea if one’s seriously considering pursuing training/apprenticeship in some skilled trades such as being an electrician. </p>