Most MCPS kids at our W school take Physics Jr year because the counselors tell them they have to. They don't.

The MISA test, which current sophomores are the first to have to pass before graduation if the State BOE doesn't changtheir mind, again, does have some physics on it. But the minimal physics on the MISA has been broken down into parts that will be included in pathways other than physics.

So to reiterate: non-Stem, humanities or foreign lang kid should skip physics and not look back and not worry about it.

My kids - all strong in humanities and majoring in various humanities subjects - never took physics. Nevertheless, they were accepted to very good state and private schools. It just wasn’t the issue many of you are making it out to be. Sure, if you plan on being STEM majors it will matter. Otherwise, it won’t.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

This is at big 3 private in DC. It is very common for private schools do physics in 9th. It is called “conceptual physics” and only requires algebra 1. You can do higher level, math based physics (if you are interested) in 11th or 12th.

Huh. I’m surprised they don’t require a more rigorous physics. It’s the science you need math for the moth, so it’s almost always last on the science track. The FCPS HSs counsel all college bound kids into at least honors their junior year, or senior if they are behind in math.

I had one in private and one in the science and math magnet program in MCPS. Both took physics as freshmen, and neither was "conceptual" physics. If you're not doing calc-based physics, the math isn't that hard as long as you have had some exposure to trig functions. That said, I agree that bio, then chem, then physics seems to make more sense in HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

This is at big 3 private in DC. It is very common for private schools do physics in 9th. It is called “conceptual physics” and only requires algebra 1. You can do higher level, math based physics (if you are interested) in 11th or 12th.

Huh. I’m surprised they don’t require a more rigorous physics. It’s the science you need math for the moth, so it’s almost always last on the science track. The FCPS HSs counsel all college bound kids into at least honors their junior year, or senior if they are behind in math.

Plenty of kids at my DC’s too private school are getting into top 20 schools/Ivies with only 9th grade conceptual physics. The kids that are science oriented, rather than humanities oriented, take AP physics in 11th or 12th grade. NBD

Yep this is true at my DD’s school also, one of the top three public in our state (not DMV). The progression is physics freshman year, Chem sophomore, Bio Junior, and then senior year some kids do AP physics or other elective sciences. A highly ranked high school sending lots of kids to very selective colleges so apparently it’s fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

This is at big 3 private in DC. It is very common for private schools do physics in 9th. It is called “conceptual physics” and only requires algebra 1. You can do higher level, math based physics (if you are interested) in 11th or 12th.

Huh. I’m surprised they don’t require a more rigorous physics. It’s the science you need math for the moth, so it’s almost always last on the science track. The FCPS HSs counsel all college bound kids into at least honors their junior year, or senior if they are behind in math.

Plenty of kids at my DC’s too private school are getting into top 20 schools/Ivies with only 9th grade conceptual physics. The kids that are science oriented, rather than humanities oriented, take AP physics in 11th or 12th grade. NBD

It trust you. I’m just struggling to understand the point of taking physics if you can’t learn real physics?

All 3 of my kids required a tutor for 9th grade conceptual physics because they just were not ready for that kind of abstract thinking yet. I wish it wasn’t required in 9th grade, because I think it would have gone a lot smoother in 11th or 12th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

This is at big 3 private in DC. It is very common for private schools do physics in 9th. It is called “conceptual physics” and only requires algebra 1. You can do higher level, math based physics (if you are interested) in 11th or 12th.

Huh. I’m surprised they don’t require a more rigorous physics. It’s the science you need math for the moth, so it’s almost always last on the science track. The FCPS HSs counsel all college bound kids into at least honors their junior year, or senior if they are behind in math.

Plenty of kids at my DC’s too private school are getting into top 20 schools/Ivies with only 9th grade conceptual physics. The kids that are science oriented, rather than humanities oriented, take AP physics in 11th or 12th grade. NBD

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

This is at big 3 private in DC. It is very common for private schools do physics in 9th. It is called “conceptual physics” and only requires algebra 1. You can do higher level, math based physics (if you are interested) in 11th or 12th.

Huh. I’m surprised they don’t require a more rigorous physics. It’s the science you need math for the moth, so it’s almost always last on the science track. The FCPS HSs counsel all college bound kids into at least honors their junior year, or senior if they are behind in math.

At our DC private, some kids take physics in 9th grade and others take biology in 9th grade. The kids who are strongest in math/science take bio in 9th, chem in 10th, and then take Physics C in 11th or 12th (more often in 12th).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC accepted into several Engineering programs, Bio in 9th, Honors Chem in 10th, AP Physics 1 in 11th, AP Physics C in 12th. Selective colleges do not view Environmental Sciences classes, even AP, as rigorous.

But OP's DD wants to major in English, not Engineering, so I think it's perfectly fine to take AP Env Science as a Junior and Physics as a senior.

Sure. Colleges want to see physics on the transcript. But I’ve never head that they care which one comes first, especially for humanities kids who aren’t going on to AP Physics C. In fact, if a kid is a weaker math student, the extra year might really help.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

This is at big 3 private in DC. It is very common for private schools do physics in 9th. It is called “conceptual physics” and only requires algebra 1. You can do higher level, math based physics (if you are interested) in 11th or 12th.

Huh. I’m surprised they don’t require a more rigorous physics. It’s the science you need math for the moth, so it’s almost always last on the science track. The FCPS HSs counsel all college bound kids into at least honors their junior year, or senior if they are behind in math.

Yep. My strong humanities kid had to take it to be competitive for a good college in IR. And by good, I mean not even considering applying Ivy. We are finally releasing her from science next year to go forth and bliss out in 2 foreign languages, comp gov and Econ.

Poor kid. Not happy camper, but thankful for virtual “labs” and the slowed down DL curriculum. I’m glad she did honors and not AP, because that score would be a 3 if she got very lucky. When FCPS says they are talking to the CB but it appears that the full test will be given, what they really mean is— with our crappy 4 days of DL education, you will get one free crappy AP score. At least AP Lang is skills based and the AP humanities, she can self study Mondays and fill in gaps. But physics? It never would have happened.

But, physics is pretty foundational to being an educated human. Almost everyone thinks it a strong should do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

This is at big 3 private in DC. It is very common for private schools do physics in 9th. It is called “conceptual physics” and only requires algebra 1. You can do higher level, math based physics (if you are interested) in 11th or 12th.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

I don't think anyone is taking physics with just 8th grade math.

Anonymous wrote:Physics is a freshman class at my Dc’s school

That’s not ideal. Preferable you need calculus as at least a co-rec. but you can’t do real physics without a strong algebra background. Our school requires A2 as a co-rec for honors, with a very strong preference for A2 as a pre-Rex. You aren’t getting much physics with 8th grade math.

Anonymous wrote:DC accepted into several Engineering programs, Bio in 9th, Honors Chem in 10th, AP Physics 1 in 11th, AP Physics C in 12th. Selective colleges do not view Environmental Sciences classes, even AP, as rigorous.

But OP's DD wants to major in English, not Engineering, so I think it's perfectly fine to take AP Env Science as a Junior and Physics as a senior.