<p>I'm not taking any AP science courses this year for my senior year of high school. I also have not participated in science research at all. I have, however, created a charity to help those with brain disease and am on national teen board for this. Will college admissions look past my weak science background (all A+s but one C in an AP bio course) for my stronger ECs?</p>
<p>-Generally, you are admitted to a college/university, not to a specific major or department.
-You don’t need to declare a major right away. For a science major, which has some sequential pre-requisite courses, you probably do need to start on these courses in your freshman year.
-You don’t absolutely need to take AP science courses for admission or to major in a science. Relative to the other applicants, it might improve you chances of admission to particular schools, but only if you get good grades and/or pass the AP exam. Some very selective schools won’t grant AP credit, however
-Your high school ECs might improve your chances of admission to particular schools, but won’t count for much of anything as far as entry to a particular major or department.
-Your entry to a particular major or department, and your success in that program, depends on your performance in the pre-requisite courses. Having had some exposure to the material via an AP might help. Some pre-requisite and supporting courses for a neuroscience major are taken by a lot of pre-med students and wannabe science majors, and might be weed-out courses, depending on the particular school.
-There are several pathways to studying neuroscience, depending on the particular school and the programs it offers, e.g., a standalone interdepartmental or departmental neuroscience major; a subspecialty track in a bioscience department; a specialty track within a psychology major. The best neuroscience programs generally require a core of pre-requisite and supporting courses that are equivalent to the usual pre-med requirements (i.e., 2 semesters each of general biology, general and organic chemistry, calculus, and general physics).</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. In our school, science APs are extremely difficult. I will definitely prepare for college science courses some other way.</p>