I think this is the essential key: it just depends on the OP’s school, on how many take physics and maybe more importantly do the ones who end up getting in to to a certain tier of school almost always have it? There are exceptions to the “rules”–but one should not count on being an exception to the standard expected rigor in the crazy college admissions world.
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Yes we are in NYS and many public schools here requires Earth Science Regents first (9th grade high school class that can be taken in 8th grade as honors and on transcript) then Biology (Honors) Regent, then Chemistry (Honors) Regent. After that you have a choice of Physics or various Science APs starting in 11th grade. Most STEM kids take either AP Physics or AP Bio or both. Less science focused kids take APES.
I went to school a long time ago in NYS and I only took 2 years of high school science (chemistry drop out) and went onto college and a successful finance career. I know times have changed and the word rigor is now ingrained in our high school kids vocabulary. Personally I feel all this rigor in high school is not requisite for a successful career/life but it is a known recipe to follow to attempt to gain admission into a selective school. Even with rigor, there are no guarantees of admission.
Forget taking Physics, one of my daughter’s friends at UPenn never even took Chemistry and was admitted. Meanwhile my daughter took every AP STEM available (Bio, Chem, Physics E&M, Physics - Mechanics, Calc AB and BC, Computer Science) . She is studying CS and he is in humanities.
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For my two cents, you only live once. Let her take what she wants to unless getting into a top school is higher of a dream for her than the classes she’d prefer. Even then, make sure she knows it’s iffy.
There are a lot of good colleges out there, far more than 50. Taking what she wants to take now sounds quite reasonable to me - far better than academic burnout. Enjoy the journey.
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@roycroftmom my DD is planning to apply ED to have a good chance. She is very involved in extracurricular activities, leadership, part time job, varsity and club sports team, various awards (none at a national level so would not call it hooks). Naviance shows us that kids with her profile at her school have be accepted ED to the two selective colleges she is considering. I do know one kid that got into one of DDs preferred schools ED with slightly less rigor (and no physics). Nothing is guaranteed but I have to wonder if this one choice really is the difference maker to the AO,
Good luck in your journey
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I went to high school in NYS I am guessing at the same time as you, and EVERYONE took physics. It was a public college prep school and we all took three years of lab science, Earth science was what the kids took who stayed in JHS for 9th grade. Our school had no APs but had college classes as seniors (may be giving away where I went to HS). I totally agree with all of your points and there is o point in a lot of this. The things our kids are put through for a possibility of a specific school that is really no different than 100s of others is crazy. She just has to buy in that the schools that you are talking about are huge reaches for everyone regardless of what naviance seems to say, and if she wont regret the choice with physics if she doesnt get in, then she should do what she would enjoy.
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Well, my 3 oldest didn’t take physics. Thinking back, #3’s schedule didn’t make a lot of sense, and I should’ve been more involved. She was always planning on physical therapy, she took honors chemistry, honors biology, no physics, AP calculus but AP stat senior year. 9 AP’s total. She really only applied to safeties because she needed merit, but those science classes were very challenging, especially during Covid and virtual. She regretted not taking AP with all 3. I suggest taking courses in high school that you will encounter in college. My oldest took precalc junior year, AP stat senior year, college calculus was rough (accounting major). My 2 youngest took honors physics freshman year as an elective to get it out of the way.
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Where did your Physical Therapy kid end up going? This is what my D22 wants to do.
She decided on Boston University, starts in June. She really wanted urban, also accepted at NYU, NEU and GWU, but BU gave her some merit. From what I hear it really doesn’t matter where they go for graduate school.
ETA she’s at UDel, absolutely loves it, has had the best experience at their wonderful PT center there, we (and she) assumed that if she got into their DPT program she’d stay, since it’s definitely one of the best (some say the best) in the country, but she wants something new, and said it would be sad to stay there since all of her college friends would be gone.
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Thank you for sharing! WOW- sounds like she did great in her major even without those high school science APs and no physics. Very helpful to also hear the perspective of wanting something new for grad school (my D is considering some 6 year Direct Entry programs). Best of luck to your D!
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Just met with my DD23’s guidance counselor via Zoom. He did not r press a concern that my D did not take Physics in high school. He also showed us a copy of the actual high school transcript where her 8th grade Earth Science, Algebra and Spanish class was listed. He told us that he would check the box on her application that said “most rigorous” class selection but he didn’t give much weight to that box as the transcript speaks for itself.
He felt good about our prelim college list and told my daughter that he could totally see her fitting in at her top choice ( I thought that was a little optimistic). He also recommended some good choice additional safety schools.
He mentioned that OOS public school admissions was tougher than usual this year and that getting accepted to an Ivy with my Ds background is just getting that much more difficult given their objective of diversity ( no one is saying that’s bad, it’s just a fact).
So it looks like D will not take physics and we will apply to a range of schools and let the dice roll. Thanks to all that spent the time to offer their advice.
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Precalculus in high school is what should be needed to be ready for calculus in college. However, calculus 1 in college does seem to have an increasing percentage of grade-grubbers repeating their AP calculus 4 or 5 scores. This can make for a challenging curve for someone coming straight from precalculus if the course is graded on a curve and the grade-grubbers do not get too lazy.
A student who completes precalculus in 11th grade may find that AP calculus in 12th grade and getting advanced placement if possible is better than taking calculus 1 in college in a class full of grade-grubbing repeaters. Also, the AB version of AP calculus covers the material at a slower gentler pace than college calculus does (though it will only give at most a semester of advanced placement).
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I don’t think it’s fair to characterize these students in such a way. In many cases schools do not accept AP scores for credit and kids have to retake the class, particularly if it’s within their major.
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Grade grubbing? At my daughter’s T25 college, there is no grade grubbing in calculus 1. It’s a weeder class and many kids struggle. Also, all kids take a math test prior to scheduling and have to schedule based on those results.
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The OP has her answer - wishing her and her D all the best going forward. Closing.
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