I’m planning on switching out AP Physics 1 for AP Statistics (I’m in my junior year). I took regular physics last year; I couldn’t take honors because of virtual learning. I signed up because I didn’t know that AP Physics 1 was a first-year physics course, and our school doesn’t offer AP Physics 2. I’m currently taking a mildly rigorous schedule (AP Calculus AB, AP Lang, AP Government/Politics, AP Micro, and AP Macro + maybe self-studying AP Literature), and I despise chemistry and don’t want to take AP Bio, so how bad would it look on my transcript to take stats instead and just not have a science course my junior year? (I’m planning on applying to UMich.)
What science courses have you already taken? Looks like UMich prefers at least 3 science courses and two of them lab sciences (Chem or Bio would fulfill that). I would advise taking a science junior year because those are the grades they will look at. College Preparation | University of Michigan Office of Undergraduate Admissions
For some majors UMich requires 4 years of science, so it depends on your major. Most high school students take Chemistry. If you haven’t already taken that it at a lower level it would be a good one to take and get over with.
We’re in NC and the typical science course selection here for competitive kids is something along the lines of AP or Honors Biology, AP or Honors Chemistry, AP or Honors Physics, AP Environmental Science. For kids interested in less competitive schools they might take Earth Environmental Science, Physical Science, Biology.
I would suggest thinking of 5 or 10 colleges you might apply to and doing a search on “(CollegeName) admission high school course requirements”
And also talk to your guidance counselor!
Selective colleges would expect you to take at least 3 years of science, and probably would like to see you take science all 4 yrs. I’d suggest dropping either micro or macro. If you don’t want to take an AP science (seems a bit late in the semester to pick one up), take honors Bio or honors Chem, or even regular Bio or regular Chem. Where’s your foreign language?
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Many schools expect core courses, including Science, all years in HS. What have you previously taken and what is available?
I’d certainly take a science rather than “self-study” of AP Lit (or anything).
I think COVID has messed up a bunch of kids re scheduling so you have my sympathies on that.
Make sure you get both Biology and Chemistry in there in some format (either AP/Honors or regular). Right now you are interested in UMich, but that could change and there are schools out there that absolutely will require Biology and Chemistry. You’ve got Physics covered. Check this outline from NACAC and this article might be of interest.
I forgot to mention, but I’m taking French Four! I took biology my freshman year and got a geophysical sciences credit through summer school, so I technically have my three science credits already which is what I’m worried about.
I previously took Geophysical Sciences and Honors Biology my freshman year and regular physics my sophomore year. The only classes offered at my high school are AP Physics 1, physics, honors physics, AP Bio, bio, honors bio, APES, and AP Chem, chem, and honors chem (along with astronomy, ecology, forensic science, and honors zoology; none of which I’m particularly interested in as a future econ/polsci major)
Thank you so much! UMich is the only in-state school that’s selective enough for me to wish to attend, but is also affordable. Thank you, I’ll take a look at the article!