Physics or AP Biology
- Thread starter Army_Dad
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If your DD has not yet read every page, dropdown and link at USNA.edu, I recommend it. As her primary source for her research and preparation, most answers are there.
See link below. Chemistry and Physics are the STEM foundations mentioned. USNA will be able to determine what courses are offered at the school, level of difficulty, etc. They will compare what is recommended to what is available to what the applicant took and how they performed at the most challenging level. USNA sophomores take Physics. Anything she can get some background in will be helpful.
General Advice for Grades 9-12
General Advice for Grades 9-12 page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Fri Apr 12 05:31:35 EDT 2024.
www.usna.edu
From everything that I've heard and read, USNA likes to see that students have taken classes in Physics and Chemistry in high school if they are offered. If your DD can take Physics her senior year that is highly recommended and would look better as it shows she is pushing herself to take rigorous courses.
usna1985
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Physics is now really a "must have" for USNA, if the course is offered at your school. It also really helps when you have to take it as a 3/C. If your DD wants to take A&P, maybe she can fit it in as her "5th course" or in place of AP Bio. In short, fine to take it in addition to Physics but would not take instead of if she's interested in USNA.
Any idea how they would view it if at my school we take integrated science 1 and 2 in 9th and 10th grade, which is a mix of chem bio and physics? And then junior year I have to take AP enviro, and senior year AP chem. In their eyes do you think the integrated science would show I’ve done enough physics to be academically considered? Thank you.
Old Navy BGO
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Does your school offer an stand alone Physics course ? USNA is pretty clear about Chemistry and Physics background. You should take the most rigorous Chem and Physics curriculum you can (and do well !). If Integrated Science is all your school offers, I would suggest asking your Guidance Counselor to provide that explanation when submitting your Transcript. Whether that is enough is largely dependent upon the curriculum and scope of Integrated Science. However, as a general rule, USNA will not hold the school curriculum against a Candidate as long as you have taken every effort to maximize your STEM credentials.
They do offer stand alone physics, but my teachers have me recommended for AP enviro Junior year, because I have a good grade in integrated science and they say that is the track you are supposed to follow. And then once I'm in AP Calc (12th grade) I am eligible for AP Chem or AP physics. Apparently if you aren't doing well in integrated science, they want you to take regular physics or regular bio. I'm not sure what to do though, because AP enviro is technically the most "difficult" course I am allowed to take next year in my school's eyes. I really hope that taking AP Chem Senior year will be enough, but the input I am getting is that it may not be
You want to take Bio, Chem, Physics and hopefully an AP version of one of those for STEM programs.
It would be better to take regular chem or regular physics over AP Environ...just because it is AP doesn't mean it prepares you for the colleges you need.
It would be better to take regular chem or regular physics over AP Environ...just because it is AP doesn't mean it prepares you for the colleges you need.