Hello everyone, colleges that I am looking into a lot are RPI and URochester. A very important factor in their admissions is Rigor of Secondary School Courses. My high school offers Multivariable Calc and AP Physics C. However, I am only going to be able to take Calc BC and AP Physics I. Is this a big problem, or something I shouldn’t look too into.
Your math track is what it is. Calc BC will be just fine. You may want to consider AP Physics C if it’s offered. If it truly doesn’t work in your schedule, have your GC say so in their LOR.
I’m taking AP Bio, Lang, and US History as a Junior and AP Physics I, BC, World History, Lit, and Stat as a senior.
For colleges that use a counselor report or recommendation, ask your counselor whether your course options will affect whether s/he marks the “most demanding” choice for evaluating how difficult your overall course selection has been.
If you are only a rising junior, then you do have time to change your courses. Forget Stats and take AP Physics C as a senior. Where is AP chem?
My high school runs one AP Chem class period 6 and 7 for lab. I don’t know if it’ll conflict with another one of my AP classes since most only run once a day. Should I have my GC note this in my LOR?
OP - you have two very STEM focused schools who are clear about wanting to see course rigor. Typically AP chem, AP physics C, and the highest level of math you are offered is what they are expecting. Scheduling those classes should be your focus. My daughter was awarded a large merit scholarship at RPI. She only got to AB calc because nothing else was offered at her school, but she had AP chem, AP physics C, CS, stats, H organic chem, and three pre-engineering classes on her transcript in addition to the APs in her history sequence, AP lang, and a couple of dual credit courses. This seemed to be typical of the students applying for STEM majors so you need to make yourself as attractive as possible. Your GC can only try to explain away so much and as previously mentioned, you need to be taking enough courses that your GC check off the “highest rigor” box.
I don’t think it is an issue that you “only” get to Calc BC rather than Multivariable.
Talk to your GC and ask if your schedule would be checked for “most rigorous”…which doesn’t actually mean that you take everyone of the hardest classes, but that you are not stopping at Pre-calc.
Bc is perfectly fine. Physics 1 is fine too - do the atrelr phycis c if you’ve never taken physics before.