<p>I noticed on the caltech website they says they want 1 year of physics. How stringent is that requirement? Is it possible to get by without meeting it? Somewhere along the way in high school I decided to focus more on chemistry, so now I am in the process of taking my 2nd year of chem, and I did not have enough time for physics in my schedule. Should I even bother applying (im thinking of trying for EA).
Thanks in advance</p>
<p>DragonRdr, in my view if you really would like to go to a school, you should apply, regardless of your alleged "chances." That said, if you haven't had any background in physics, you will probably struggle a LOT if you got in (and I do know of people with hardly any physics background who got in). You can make it, but you will probably be very challenged. I would strongly recommend that you study physics (preferably calculus-based, but if not that's okay, too) on your own if you don't have time for physics class, and that you demonstrate somewhere on your application that you've done so. Ideally, you'd study on your own and take the SAT II Physics or even AP Physics (B or C) exam, to demonstrate your competence AND that you're a self-motivated learner (which is a huge plus).</p>
<p>That's great advice. Your application will suffer a little bit from no physics at all, but people have gotten in without it. Basically everything pseudointellectual says is right. Don't refrain from applying just because of this, but it would be good if you could take at least some physics by the time you come to Caltech.</p>