will colleges hold it against me if i only have 3 years of language, science, and history? if i got 4 english/math, art, gym, all that good stuff but only 3 lang/sci/hist will that hurt me?
<p>What is the school asking for? If the school is asking for 4 years of language, science and history and you only have 3, beleive you me that there are going to be canididates that are coming to the table with what each school is requiring and more.</p>
<p>If the reason that you don't have it is because your school doesn't offer it, they really won't hold it against you. But if your shcool offers it and you did not take it , the college will think tha tyou did not take the most rigerous curriculum offered by your school</p>
<p>well i meet the required, but i dont have 'recommended'.. i had issues the first hs year. :E also we didnt take science or history that year.</p>
<p>i have a similiar problem</p>
<p>i took 2years of mandarin, but i'm taking 7 years worth of sci. 3 extra sci classes. does that make up it? planning to major in science, so basically i'll pretty much have taken much every sci class that is advanced at my school.</p>
<p>3 years of Hist is fine. I could be wrong, but I don't think any school requires or even reccos 4. 4th year is treated as an elective.</p>
<p>3 (recco 4) of lang is for top schools. Do at least 3.</p>
<p>Same of science. If you got in 3 years and it is the trio-- chem/physics/bio then you are good to go. But you are stronger if you have another year. Usually you don't reach these 3 unless you had an intro class in 9th.</p>
<p>Shek--science extras don't offset lang deficits. If you are so strong in one academic or EC aspect, they may overlook requirements in another. But you risk being rejected from many schools by not meeting basic 3 to 4 years of foreign language requirements. This only applies if the school requires more than 2 years ,of course. And it may differ if you are bilingual.</p>
<p>4 years of gym?!!!</p>
<p>4 years of gym?!!!</p>
<p>Yes, depending on where you live. In NY public schools you will not graduate with out the 4 years of gym</p>
<p>I think being short of recommended credentials in three major subjects is bound to be a drawback at selective schools, since the competition is just so intense, especially if you are coming from a fairly mainstream socioeconomic background and standard American public or private school. It's not unheard of for strong history/English students to go without a fourth year of science as seniors after completing the bio/chem/physics cycle, but that is usually compensated for by taking an additional academic course. Your point about not taking science or history the first year isn't quite clear (typo maybe), but for a school to be responsible for that double omission seems a little unusual, since the shortages in financially strapped districts usually come at the higher levels of the offerings. </p>
<p>Keep in mind too that some colleges l equire a certain level of language proficiency so that even if you do get in with less than the recommended years, you will have to score at a certain level on the SAT, AP, or take at least a semester of the language when you get there. If you are really opposed to taking more foreign lanaguage courses you should check the academic requirements for graduation from school to which you apply.</p>
<p>My S only took three years of language because of a problem at our hs with getting a competent teacher (the four years were possible, but the instructors became an issue he got tired of dealing with.) He did get into his first choice school (though I fretted a lot with his decision to forgo the fourth year), but he is now starting over a new language (hever wants to see Latin again), and he will have to do four semesters at the college.</p>
<p>Yeah, I have the same problem with the math requirements. In Middle School, I struggled with math and was exhorted by my teachers to take a two-semester Algebra I course in high school to improve my Algebra skills. Right now I'm taking Trigonometry, but I am unsure of whether colleges will accept that two-semester Algebra course to improve my math skills. I am deeply concerned about this.</p>