<p>I go to a school that offers a very strong IB program, but no AP classes save for one or two. I skipped Honors Physics and went straight to pre-IB General Chemistry my sophomore year. I took SL Bio 1 this year, and will be taking HL Bio 2 next year. I've already met my sixth subject requirement by doing SL Psychology for one year. I was thinking I would do SL ESS for my senior year, just to do some rigorous class that's worthwhile as opposed to an elective. </p>
<p>However, I've been hearing a lot on here that top colleges like to see biology, chemistry, and physics. I could opt for Honors Physics 1 and be in a class full of freshman and sophomores if I wanted to. I feel like this would be foolish, so my other option is to take physics online or at a community college.</p>
<p>I'm going to be really busy over the summer, and I was just wondering if you really think it's necessary that I take physics if I want to be competitive? </p>
<p>I’ll make my question a little more concise.</p>
<p>I took pre-IB chemistry, and I took IB SL/HL Bio for 11-12 grade. Should I try to take Honors Physics 1 over the summer, or is it okay since I took high level science courses?</p>
<p>Harvard says on their website that they recommend (expect) that you take Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and an advanced (AP or IB) course in one of those three subjects. I would assume Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, etc… expect something similar.
If you have the opportunity to take physics, I would take it. We had about 6 seniors take Physics Honors this year with one being accepted in Harvard (and so many other schools) and one into Duke so it definitely doesn’t hurt you to take it, even if it’s your Senior year.</p>
<p>If you’re going to be busy over the summer, then don’t take it online or at a CC. That’d be foolish. What would you fill that period with if you didn’t take Physics?</p>
<p>Also, what will you be majoring in? If you would be needing to take physics in college, I don’t think you want to have the first exposure to it be in college when you are in a class with kids who took it in HS.</p>
<p>Alright, I guess I’ll take it over the summer then.
And also, I plan on being an Econ/Finance major or maybe a biology major (with no medical aspirations, so I likely won’t ever take other sciences aside from biology if I do go that path). </p>
<p>Biology majors typically do have to take general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics (usually a less math-intensive version than the one for physics and engineering majors). Calculus is sometimes required, and statistics is often useful in biology. Of course, you will find pre-meds in most of those courses.</p>