<p>My son decided today to drop Honors Physics in favor of Creative Writing. He plans on taking it his senior year instead. He is probably applying to BFA Acting Programs but if he changes his mind and applies to a liberal arts college instead will this completely ruin his chances? He has already taking Honors Bio and Honors Chem.</p>
<p>No it won’t. He’ll have three years of science before he graduates. That said that probably isn’t a demanding enough schedule for some colleges where even non-science focused kids have 1 or 2 science APs. But not every liberal arts college out there expects their students to have taken the most rigorous schedule possible. There are plenty of places where two or three years of science is enough.</p>
<p>Is it better for him to take AP Bio senior year or Honors Physics?</p>
<p>Has he already taken a Bio? If so, then Physics (IMO). Otherwise it doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>Thanks. I’m not familiar with IMO?</p>
<p>In My Opinion.</p>
<p>I would tend to agree that it would be better to finish the science sequence at the honors level than to skip Physics in favor of repeating Bio. “Take Physics” was a piece of advice I heard several times at info sessions at elite schools.</p>
<p>Of course, as mathmom points out, at those schools successful applicants are likely to have all three sciences plus calc, with several–if not all-- at the AP level, even if the kid is a future humanities or social science major. But not all schools expect that. In fact, it would probably be accurate to say that most don’t. :)</p>
<p>^ I agree with that he should take Physics. When D was choosing classes for Senior year she was considering AP Chem instead. We called several of the schools she was interested in (she was not planning to major in anything science related). Every admissions officer we spoke with recommended Physics.</p>
<p>Thanks. All so nerve-wracking! Yet, I know that if I insisted he take Honors Physics that would simply backfire. He’s a very creative kid who loves writing and music and theater. I’ll never understand why so many colleges insist on such rigid standards. How many people do you know who are good at everything?</p>
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<p>A lot of students are good at everything or most things at the high school level (e.g. they may get A+/A grades in their “good” subjects and A-/B+ grades in their “bad” subjects).</p>
<p>Universities know that many students change their majors, so they prefer to have students with high school preparation that can lead them to majors in any area that they may consider.</p>
<p>I always thought ‘liberal arts’ meant education across a broad spectrum of subjects. Not that one has to be good at everything, but has some knowledge.</p>
<p>Is the goal to get into a certain college? Or is the goal to provide the student the best possible education for her/his interests? In my opinion, it is appropriate to let the student make the choice - knowing what the possible consequences will be.</p>
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<p>One of mine didn’t care for math and science, even though he was good enough at it, in the most rigorous courses, and always made a perfect grade. He had a different area of study that he wanted to spend all his time on. He was a real unpleasant person to live with when he had to do math and science because it was taking time away from his real interests. We had the same discussion you are having and allowed him to make up his own mind about continuing math/science after basic requirements had been met. We pointed out he had been to all the college information sessions we had and all of them said they wanted those honors/AP math/science courses and this would probably limit his college choices but that there would be excellent and appropriate colleges for his area of interest and that he could probably go to a more competitive college for graduate school.</p>
<p>Instead of doing any chemistry, calculus, physics at all, he took classes in his area of interest at the local university. He did very well in undergraduate admissions (at universities where he had hoped and intended to go all along, and at liberal arts colleges where we kept trying unsuccessfully to direct him :)) even though he hadn’t followed the standard advice, but we were prepared for a very different result.</p>
<p>Good Luck!!!</p>
<p>Thanks, Alh. So encouraging! It’s not that I don’t believe in the benefits of a broad, liberal arts education. It’s just that my son has such a passion for his interests that he doesn’t want to spend the time doing busy work in subjects he finds dull.</p>