<p>A number of the schools my daughter is looking at "Recommend" you take four years of History or Social Studies. My daughter hates history with a burning passion, primarily because until 11th grade all she had studied was some variation of world history (she had skipped the grade where US history was taught). In 11th grade she took US History and didn't completely hate it, but assumed it was the last history class she'd ever have to take. She was planning on a senior year of AP English, AP Physics B, AP Calc AB, AP Environmental Science and Honors Latin (they dropped the AP designation for Latin Lit, she took AP Vergil last year). </p>
<p>Sooooo, the question is, should she take a history class senior year -- either regular or AP Gov -- and drop APES, or keep her current schedule and not have four years of Social Studies? When a school says recommended, do they really mean you better have taken it if offered at your school? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I dropped language and history my senior year of high school. I would have dropped English too, but I wouldn’t have been able to graduate haha. Language was because I hit AP already but I, like your daughter, hated history so I decided not to continue. I do not think colleges will look down on it, especially since she is taking an already demanding schedule. I took AP calc, AP chem, AP physics c, honors electronics and AP english, so it was obvious I was not slacking either. She’ll be fine =)</p>
<p>From what I’ve been reading “recommended” means, while not required, will make the applicant more competitive. Does it mean the student absolutely must have it to get in? No, iut probably just increases the odds.</p>
<p>Then again, I’ve also been reading that Ad Comms look for a well rounded class, which may be made up of indivudals that are somewhat angular. So, let’s use my S as an example. He’s likely to be a math/science major of sometime. His angularity isn’t going to be coming from social sciences. It will come from the fact that he’ll have completed Linear Algebra and Mulivariable Calculus before he set foot on campus. His dream school is Stanford.</p>
<p>I always advocate dropping a disliked subject
Personally, I dropped Foreign Language after 2 years in favor of AP Psych. I don’t regret it and every school I’ve seen doesn’t seem to have a problem with my choice…</p>
<p>I also am forgoing a fourth year of science in favor of two maths…so as long as you can justify it(which your child can) i’d say go for what she LIKES</p>
<p>Your daughter hates history, but there are other areas of social studies that are very, very different from history. Government is one of them. Economics, psychology, sociology, and law would also qualify. You say that your high school offers AP Government. That might be a good option, and it’s certainly not history. Some of the other subjects might be even more interesting. At the high school my son attended, AP Psychology was so popular that they employed a teacher to do nothing but teach that course – to five sections of kids each year. And psychology counts as social studies.</p>
<p>Mathson hated history too, he too AP Econ as a senior. I think that’s perfectly acceptable. I really don’t think a math/science kid needs to take history as a senior as long as the courses they take are demanding. I think taking AP Enviro is okay too. My son considered it, but he didn’t much like bio either and decided it was too much like bio.</p>
<p>The only bad thing about not taking history in high school was that he was forced to take a history course in college. APUSH wasn’t enough to fulfill all the requirements.</p>
<p>Well, it depends on what colleges she is hoping to apply to, and how much she wants to be accepted. For colleges like Stanford for instance, “recommended” really means “required”. Unless there is a compelling reason she could not take some sort of history course, I think she should drop the AP Environmental science [ which is known as a “soft AP” and take a history, social study or Econ course.</p>
<p>The schools she’s looking at that say history is “recommended” are a bit down the road from Stanford – Colgate, WashU, Tufts. Your point is valid – “how much she wants to be accepted” is the issue and, honestly, I’d say, not so much. At least, not if it means taking a class she’d hate. :(</p>
<p>After discussing this thread with her, her position is she’ll take what she likes and if the college won’t accept it, then it’s not the college for her. Unlike her brother who was HYP or bust – she’s not that locked in to any particular school – so I guess she’ll take her chances that she’ll find a place she likes that takes three years. </p>
<p>^BurnThis, my younger son is pretty much like this too. Though he did rescue his AP Bio A (after flunking a test in the last quarter), by working extremely hard on everything that followed it. On the other hand he’s not getting accepted by any school that is looking for good grades in Latin!</p>
<p>At D’s school, AP Economics, AP Psychology and AP Government are offered, plus there’s regular Poli Sci, Psychology and Sociology as well as a discussion course about contemporary issues and some area studies classes that are a mix between history and current events. All of these would be considered social studies and they are definitely not history. I’d be turned off of history if all I’d had was ancient western civilization class; these courses sound more interesting. Does your school have something similar?</p>
<p>They have AP Econ, but it’s in the math department so I didn’t know if it would count. Something to look into. They don’t have AP Psych and she vetoed AP Gov (which I thought she might like since she does have some interest in politics) as too much reading and, frankly, too hard. What complicates this is she’s not planning on majoring in math or science, so she might have some 'splaining to do.</p>
<p>If she is interested in this course, I would suggest that she take it. I think most colleges would count it as social studies, and if a few don’t, it doesn’t matter that much because the fourth year of social studies is not an absolute requirement.</p>
<p>My daughter took AP Economics, fell in love with the subject, and is now majoring in it in college. She also used her AP test score to place out of introductory economics in college, enabling her to take upperclass courses in the major as a freshman. If it’s well taught, AP Economics is an excellent course, fully equivalent to the introductory economics courses taught in most colleges.</p>
<p>Can she take a history class at a local college? Maybe she could find a specialized one that she finds interesting - History of Asia, Hitory of Rome, Modern Latin America??? Maybe Art History, if it will count…</p>
<p>Many people get into colleges at the range your daughter is looking at without 4 years of history. Be sure to make your application such that adcoms aren’t phased by the 3 years of social science. For example, if she’s applying as a humanities major it might raise a red flag. If she’s applying as a science major with several science relatated ECs, taking AP science over history probably won’t have a negative effect.</p>
<p>BurnThis, my D is also not taking a history class senior year, and at a small school without Gov, Econ, or Psych classes as options. All that the history department offers is history. Also like your D, she is going to take what she wants to take and doesn’t care if colleges don’t like it and reject her.</p>
<p>She has had three interviews so far and the first one did ask her why she wasn’t taking history next year. She had a good answer and gave it. That’s the only thing I think your D should be prepared for, have an answer ready if this comes up.</p>
<p>My D had also self studied psych (she is thinking of this as a major) and got a 4 on the exam. When we were discussing her schedule, I had the opportunity to talk to an adcom at an other college about the lack of history (and at that point possible lack of science) and see if the psych would “count” as a history course. The answer was not direct but seemed to be no, that they want you to take the courses and don’t care as much what was done on your own including AP scores.</p>
<p>BurnThis,
My D is just like yours - has always hated history and her goal was to never take it in college. She took AP US History, got 'A" and “5” on exam and accomplished her goal. it took her anormous effort, the most in her senior year but it was definately worth it. Another very difficult class being AP English literature. She is happy college junior pre-med who did not need to take any English or History in college, because of her AP credits. Strongly recommend to take care of both in HS, unless you intend to be a lawer or English major.</p>
<p>Our HS requires 4 years of social studies and 4 years of English. They only offer 3 years of history, so seniors take AP Gov, Econ, law, and/or psych.</p>