<p>I posted this on the Syracuse thread b/c that is the school in question. However, it might be applicable to other colleges as well.</p>
<p>Just stumbled across the fact that Syracuse requires 4 years of science? Is this really true? Have people been admitted with three years (all lab). FWIW it is freshman year that lacks science. Soph thru senior year all have lab science with good grades soph and junior year (presently a junior).</p>
<p>Read the information that each college/university publishes very, very carefully. Almost always the wording used is "recommended" rather than "required". That means that if you are a good candidate but don't have 100% of the "recommended" courses/GPA/Exam Scores, etc. you still have a chance at that institution. If the wording is "required", well then whatever it is that they are asking for is truly REQUIRED.</p>
<p>Even then, some students with very special backgrounds in something very, very interesting to the college/university, who are lacking in something "required" may be waived from that requirement. BUT don't count on that. Those decisions are made by the admissions officers.</p>
<p>Why don't you call/email Syracuse with your question? Their answer will let you know whether to keep Syracuse on your list or not.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>
[quote]
To be considered for admission to Syracuse, you must meet the following requirements:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Be enrolled in, or have graduated from, an accredited secondary school. (To learn more about the University's home-schooling requirements, contact the Office of Admissions at 315-443-3611.)</p></li>
<li><p>Be taking, or have taken, a college preparatory curriculum, including four years each of English, science, social studies, and mathematics (through geometry and intermediate algebra) and a minimum of three years of a foreign language.
<a href="emphasis%20added">/quote</a>
Sounds like 4 years are required to me. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>I agree with happymom, though - you need to call Syracuse and ask how strictly they enforce that requirement. Only they can tell you.</p>
<p>Wow, that's really strict. To graduate from my highschool when I went you could get away with 2 social studies classes, 3 math classes which could include very low level courses, one science class (although "general science" classes were taught freshman/sophomore year that didn't count toward the HS requirement but hopefully would for colleges) and no foreign language. We also didn't have any kind of "college track" to inform people in time that they'd need to take those classes.</p>
<p>At my high school, we don't even OFFER four years of social studies. That sounds a bit funny to me.....</p>
<p>We did but the upper ones were AP classes. Unless they count more 'off the wall' type classes as social studies.</p>
<p>Social studies is a broad term - it includes history, psychology, government, civics, etc. Some even consider statistics. Most schools do have 4 years of such classes; whether you take them is a different story.</p>
<p>Thats what I meant by 'off the wall.' At my highschool there were only 4 classes that you could take to satisfy the social studies requirement to graduate, and one was AP. They also had classes like civics and government, phychology and statistics, but they were just electives that didn't count for much of anything.</p>
<p>Well, we tried to contact the admissions office and have yet to hear back. Time to make some decisions (last day to sign up for next year's classes is tomorrow). DS would have to take two science classes next year and that makes no sense. Time for reason to win the day. He will have science from soph, jr. and senior year and hope for the best.</p>
<p>Thanks for your insights!</p>