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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Ahhhh!  Please stop posting misleading information.  Physics is [b]not a prerequisite[/b] for admission to William and Mary.

Colleges tell you how many courses they prefer for you to have had in specific disciplines.  Some majors will have prerequisites.  Your kid will not be denied admission because s/he has not had physics.[/quote]

No one is saying it's a prerequisite.  But if you vary from their recommended course list it is a disadvantage.  One might have other stellar qualities that make up for it, but one might be on the edge.

Off of W&M own admission page:

"Our most competitive applicants have taken a rigorous course load including courses such as Calculus, Physics and 4 years of a single foreign language. You can increase your competitiveness by taking the highest level courses offered at your school and performing well in them."

They explicitly mention calculus, physics and 4 years of a single foreign language in a one paragraph description of their view of a competitive candidate-- which is pretty telling. Those are typically the courses that parents call schools and ask--does he/she really need to take calc, physics or 4 years of FL.  And their answer is if they want to be competitive, yes.[/quote]

Our most competitive means the top 5%.  Note the words "such as" suggesting that they are aware not all high schools offer all classes.  
My favorite college visit was at MIT where the tour guide was rattling off information about the work being done in the engineering programs and laboratories around campus.  One parent asked her about her own research at which point the student disclosed she was a Literature and Humanities major and had no interest in science.  I could have hugged her.  [/quote]

Sure, you can be literal about it and pretend there's no subtext, but if you have a girl who is not above the 75th percent in both SAT/GPA applying to W&M from the DMV, she would be at a disadvantage not to take calc and physics.  Not doing so wouldn't just mean she wasn't in the top 5%--it would mean she's not in the top 50%.  This is not amped up misinformation.  I've seen a lot of kids go through the admissions process.  School's won't say its REQUIRED since schools don't all have, but if yours does-- they are doing their best to put you in the ballpark of what you should be doing.  Now the people saying it has to be AP Calc BC--that's extrapolating.  But taking the core sciences (Bio, Chem, Physics) + at least AP/IB/otherwise advanced version of 1 is just basic.[/quote]

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