I was wondering if anyone had an opinion on whether a candidate’s lack of a specific course that is “strongly recommended” (vs required) for admissions is a “BIG” red flag. Your thoughts?
1 Like
@SunnyAllDay Please try to be more specific with your question and the information you provide. These are the high school academic requirements for applicants, as posted by Notre Dame:
"The University requires the completion of the following high school courses in order to be considered for admission. A unit is equivalent to the credit for a year of satisfactory work in an accredited secondary school. The two language units must be in the same language and a language offered by the University of Notre Dame.
Students are required to take 16 units during their high school career. This distribution will differ slightly based on the student’s intended area of study, but must include the following:
4 units of English
3 units of Mathematics - Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry (4 units preferred)*
2 units of Foreign Language (3-4 units preferred)
2 units of Science (4 units preferred)**
2 units of History/Social Science (3-4 units preferred)
*For students with an intended major within the College of Science, the College of Engineering, the School of Architecture, or certain majors within the College of Arts & Letters (Neuroscience and Behavior, Arts & Letters Pre-Health), 4 units of Mathematics are required, which must include an advanced Mathematics course (Pre-Calculus or Calculus).
**Students with an intended major within the College of Science or the College of Engineering must take a unit of Chemistry. Additionally the following majors require a unit of Physics:
Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Chemistry with Business
Chemistry with Computing
Mathematics (within the Colleges of Science and Arts & Letters)
Physics
Physics-in-Medicine
All Engineering majors
It is also strongly recommended that students with the following intended majors take a unit of Physics:
Architecture
Biological Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Neuroscience and Behavior (within the Colleges of Science and Arts & Letters)
Science Preprofessional Studies
Arts and Letters Pre-Health
Science- Business
Science- Computing
Science- Education
Statistics
Although we require at least 16 academic units for admission, our most competitive applicants will have four units in each major academic area and in the most rigorous level their high school offers. We do include algebra and/or foreign language courses completed during eighth grade in our count of admissions requirements. For example, if you earned credit for one full-year introductory French course as an eighth grader, then completed French II in ninth grade, both credits will be counted."
Where do you see specific discrepancies? Your question can not be answered simply in general terms.
1 Like
Basically you’d need precalculus (if non STEM) or calculus (stem), 4 courses each in English and history/social science, biology/chemistry/physics, and foreign language through level 4.
1 Like
Precisely, that’s the document from which I’m inquiring. If one wants to be a biology major at Notre Dame, and has not taken physics in high school, is it a big deal. It’s not required that I have a year of physics on my transcript but it is strongly recommended.
1 Like
Not having physics will put you/your child’s application (seems like you are the parent?) at a disadvantage at most selective to highly selective colleges (generally all want bio/chem/physics)…so that might qualify as a ‘big deal’.
Is your student finding it difficult to fit physics into their schedule? What year is the student? What would they take in the place of physics?
1 Like
My DS has already applied RD. He’s taken several AP courses but not Physics. He also has several biological science courses on his transcript - hence the interest in biological sciences at ND. GPA nearly 4.5 and 35 on ACT, etc, etc… Thanks for the reply and good luck to all!
Seems like he had good rigor in the science courses he did take, with other good stats.
Good luck!
1 Like