I had a question. So I have not taken AP Chemistry but I have taken Chemistry Honors. I have taken AP Physics 1/2 and AP Biology. My subject tests are math II and Biology M (both 800).
If I apply for a Chemistry major to a top college such as Yale, will the fact that I didn’t take AP Chemistry get me rejected? I have lots of ECs in Chemistry like Chemistry research and Intel ISEF awards in Chemistry and Energy category, but I am afraid that they will see my passion for chemistry as fake because I didn’t take AP Chem.
If I apply for an engineering major, will the fact that I did not take a Physics Subject Test get me rejected/lower my chances?
No. You do not apply to a major for Yale. You can indicate your interests but you are admitted to Yale College.
^^ To add to what @BKSquared said, all student’s apply to Yale as Liberal Arts Majors, and choose a major during their sophomore year. So, whatever students select as their “intended major” on the Common Application has absolutely no bearing on their chances.
The reason is that more than 60% of US college students switch majors during their 4 years of school, so it’s impossible for an Admissions Office to use an applicant’s “intended major” as a recruiting tool, as most students will graduate with a major that is different from the one they wrote down on the Common Application.
Colleges ask about your “intended major” to see how committed you are to your interests – the idea being that your commitment, energy and drive is a transferrable skill. So whatever student’s write down as their “intended major” they should make sure they have documented evidence in the rest of their application of their commitment to that major.