Hello everyone. I’m currently a rising junior and have completed three regents high school science courses so far: honors Earth Science (taken in 8th grade for high school credit, so its on my transcript), honors Living Environment (Biology) and honors Chemistry. I would like to major in either economics or political science in college and possibly go to law school eventually. However, there is a small chance that I deiced to do premed in college in along with one of the previously mentioned majors. My chemistry teacher suggested that I prioritize taking AP Chemistry and AP Biology if I end up doing pre med. So, I signed up for AP Chemistry junior year, and plan to take AP Biology senior year. However, I do not have room in my schedule to take physics (only three regents level science courses are required to graduate). I have been doubling up in science since freshman year though because I take Advanced Science Research. Will this negatively affect my application to competitive schools such as the ivy league even though I plan on applying as a political science major? Is it better to take physics senior year instead of AP Bio? Most students at my school skip physics anyway. In addition, I’m not sure if my school’s physics classes will prepare me for premed anyway because even though my schools allows me to skip straight to AP, they don’t offer AP Physics C, only the Algebra based AP Physics 1 and 2. I was planning on learning physics on my own before college if I decide to do premed to have a little background knowledge. Thanks
They like to see Physics. Also, pre-med students need to take Physics in college, better not to go in cold. Physics 1 & 2 is better than none. If you were my kid, I’d suggest Physics.
^^I agree
I’m in a similar situation and was wondering if self studying AP Phsyics 1/2 and getting a 4 or 5 on it would be enough to satisfy selective colleges. I don’t think I’ll be able to fit in a physics class into my schedule any of my years.
Even a regular high school physics course will give you a preview of what physics is about so that learning physics in college will not be as difficult. College physics courses often list high school physics as a recommended prerequisite.
For an Ivy League school, or a similar school with a 95% rejection rate, I am unsure why why an applicant would willingly deviate from a college’s suggested course of study unless there was a big-picture scenario involved. Not to say that there are not valid reasons for not following; it’s just you have not mentioned onc yet.
In the spirit of transparency, I will tell you that I applied to 3 Ivy League schools (among others), and am attending one, and I did not have the college’s “recommended” science preparation from a breadth perspective, although I did have 4+ years of science. So yes, it can be done.
The admissions perspective aside, you do not want to go into an Ivy League physics course with no preparation.
Colleges prefer you to take the class over self studying.
It is the very rare HS that does not offer multiple sections of intro physics, so a schedule conflict should not be an issue. Now if you cannot fit it in because you are doubling or tripling up in another discipline, then that is not a schedule conflict - that is a deliberate choice you made to prioritize something over physics.
I would take a Physics (regular, honors or AP) and then choose AP Bio or AP Chem.
You will have to take Physics in college for pre-med and you don’t want your first exposure to be in college.
Rather than self-study Physics—which sounds quite dubious IMHO—why not take it at a local community college (if available or even online if not convenient) over the summer or on the side. As long as you are not trying to make it count for high school dual enrollment purposes (which you would arguably not be, because you are already fulfilling your requirements), there shouldn’t be any hang ups.
I agree with prior poster that taking Physics cold in college might be rough, and it will be required if you go pre-med.
Physics for biology majors and pre-meds is typically an easier version with less math than physics for physics and engineering majors.
But competition for grades may be more intense, because pre-meds need A grades. Many students in such courses will be repeating the content of their AP physics 1 and 2 courses from high school, so a student who goes in with no physics at all may have a more difficult time climbing the curve to earn one of the scarce A grades.
Would you then recommend taking AP Physics 1 senior year ( but skipping AP Bio) or taking AP Bio and physics at the local community college or online to better prepare me for pre med?
How about honors physics and AP bio as you already have a solid foundation in bio & chem, but no physics whatsoever yet.
I would advise against taking anything at the CC unless it is dual enrollment and also counts as hs credit. That one CC class will generate a transcript that will follow you for the rest of your life, and will be factored into your overall GPA when you apply to grad school or med school one day. I have studied at seven (yes 7) different places, and it is a colossal PITA whenever I have to order all those transcripts, some of which are for just one or two classes taken in a summer session.