<p>So heres the dilemma...</p>
<p>My school course load is rigorous and demanding and I have taken the requisites in each level, except physics. I took AP Biology in 11th grade and in 12th grade I am taking AP Chemistry. However, some people told me that not having a Physics course taken in high school will be bad for college applications...</p>
<p>. I am applying to these schools (My GPA and SAT's are good)
University of Hawaii
Creighton
University of Michigan
New York University
Boston University
University of Washington
Emory University
Boston College
University of Chicago
Tufts
Cornell</p>
<p>I plan on enrolling in pre-med.</p>
<p>Will not taking physics hurt my application?? (My guidance counselor told me that it unless I plan on going into engineering school, which I don't intend on doing, I should stick with AP chem...I'm so confused</p>
<p>What do you guys think?</p>
<p>(ps: I tried to search for options of taking physics via community colleges but that wasn't successful)</p>
<p>Since you’re going into pre-med, not taking physics will really hurt your application.</p>
<p>Most of the top colleges recommend 3-4 years of a laboratory science, often including 1 year of bio and 1 year of chem or physics. Some colleges suggest one year of bio, chem, and physics. However, at a quick glance, none of the schools on your list require all three. Four years of science with two at the AP level will be fine. There’s a reason why your guidance counselor is paid the big bucks :)) Listen to him/her.</p>
<p>What is your senior year schedule? Is there anyway you can switch out a class to take physics? Are there any classes that you don’t have to take that would still allow you to meet all the prerequisites. </p>
<p>I took Honors physics at my school my sophomore year and it had to be my least favorite science course (A-). I wasn’t planning on taking AP my senior year until I visited UChicago and the admissions counselor recommended taking it. </p>
<p>So I ended up doubling up (AP Bio + AP Physics) once I switched out AP Environmental Science for AP Physics C. </p>
<p>No room for extra science course in physics for 12th grade…</p>
<p>My schedule
9th grade: Biology
10th grade: Chemistry
11th grade: AP Biology
12th grade: AP Chemistry </p>
<p>You could possibly self-study physics yourself, but it won’t be easy. </p>
<p>@tola2015 next year I am taking AP Chem, AP USHistory, and AP English </p>
<p>@tola2015 how can I “self study” for physics and get credit? </p>
<p>What other non-AP classes are you taking?</p>
<p>
Yeah, except that it won’t.</p>
<p>You could always still end up taking the AP exam. You would not get school credit, but you would at least have an understanding of physics for when you take it in college. </p>
<p>@skieurope so you believe that it is ok to not take physics?</p>
<p>@tola2015 AP English, AP Chem, AP US History, Pre-cal, Spanish 4, Senior Independence (required), Econ/Bible (required). </p>
<p>There is an option for AP Physics but I will need to drop AP Chem (or another AP)…my GPA is very fragile right now and I don’t want to tank it, especially considering the fact that I am not very strong in mathematics </p>
<p>It’s hard to say that not taking physics will have no effect on your chances since you’ll be compared to applicants who have taken physics. Also it’s good to have a good foundation before taking physics in college. But I should correct myself from before, it won’t matter that much</p>
<p>Well don’t drop any of your AP courses. Or any of your other classes for that matter. I’m surprised your school doesn’t require you to take APUSH/US History though. I still say that you should learn physics on your own, so you won’t be at a disadvantage in college. When school starts try talking to the physics teacher at your school and explain your situation. See if there is anyway he/she will allow you to use one of the books to learn the subject on your own. </p>
<p>
Yes. As a pre-med, you will need to take it in college of course. I’ll also say that depending on the med school, AP credits in science may not count towards your pre-reqs, so you will either retake gen chem in college or take another 2 semesters of chem beyond organic as an example. That said, I would keep your current schedule.</p>
<p>@tola2015 @skieurope Ok thank you very much for your insights! Have a great night :)</p>
<p>How do you guys think about having Physical Science during sophomore? I took biology in frosh, will be taking AP Physics, Honors Chemistry as a junior. Do you think having physical science in transcript will hurt me? I am anxious junior. I feel like this will be solely reason for disqualifing me…</p>
<p>OP, I concur. Keep your AP Chem schedule. Your rigor is good, you seem to feel more confident about the AP chem than AP physics, and the majority of schools on your list won’t care. It might be a little negative at your most competitive schools (U of Chicago, Cornell), but doing poorly in AP physics (or having it negatively impact your work in other classes) is bigger negative than lacking physics. </p>
<p>@dkskamsnfjdi its not really appropriate to hijack the OPs thread with your question. You are taking physics, so you don’t really have the same question at all. However, to address the similarities, you are also taking 4 years of science and so long as you eventually get the three biggies (bio, chem, physics) the Physical Science isn’t going to be an issue. If you took “physical science” instead of physics, that would be a problem. I bet colleges wont even notice, and it will sort of look like physical science => AP physics in much the same way that the OP did bio => AP bio. </p>
<p>I’ll second the idea that not taking physics is not an admissions killer, although finding a way to fit it in would have been better - but not at the expense of everything else. I wouldn’t even worry about self-studying. That isn’t going to gain you anything other than a lot of extra time. Physics is a lab science and without the labs, you lose a lot. Moreover, it’s not an obvious subject - it takes a very good teacher to get you to think about things the proper way in physics and not how you think things work in the real world. (Example - there is no such thing as deceleration in physics, there is only negative acceleration.) Self-study will just lead to self-confusion that will only have to be undone at a later date. Just take in in college and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>@VSGPeanut101 @MrMom62 Thanks guys 
decided to stick with my old schedule </p>