Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 07:22     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DC’s science progression 9-12th at a private that requires the honors class before the AP version: honors Bio, honors Chem, honors Physics, APES. Applying as a econ/business major next cycle. College counselor said taking APES instead of AP bio, chem or physics may rule out top 25 colleges. DC is really interested in environmental science and has disregarded the advice.


This is very interesting. Our DC's college counselor said that taking APES over AP Physics C does not matter for non-engineering/STEM majors (and DC's college counselor is a former admissions counselor at two top ten schools). I was, and still am, pushing for AP Physics C but I think I will let it go. Part of the concern is that our school's AP Physics teacher is known for being terrible. It is a hard class with a terrible teacher. DC is taking a slate of other super rigorous classes across the board (e.g., multivariable/linear algebra, etc.) and they think APES may be easier to handle than AP Physics in the fall of their senior year along with college apps, etc.


Are you at a local all boys school?
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 07:20     Subject: Re:Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:DC got into WASP with AP environmental science, no physics. Interested in social sciences, not stem.


What is WASP?
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 06:43     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:My DC’s science progression 9-12th at a private that requires the honors class before the AP version: honors Bio, honors Chem, honors Physics, APES. Applying as a econ/business major next cycle. College counselor said taking APES instead of AP bio, chem or physics may rule out top 25 colleges. DC is really interested in environmental science and has disregarded the advice.


This is very interesting. Our DC's college counselor said that taking APES over AP Physics C does not matter for non-engineering/STEM majors (and DC's college counselor is a former admissions counselor at two top ten schools). I was, and still am, pushing for AP Physics C but I think I will let it go. Part of the concern is that our school's AP Physics teacher is known for being terrible. It is a hard class with a terrible teacher. DC is taking a slate of other super rigorous classes across the board (e.g., multivariable/linear algebra, etc.) and they think APES may be easier to handle than AP Physics in the fall of their senior year along with college apps, etc.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 06:31     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
My DC’s science progression 9-12th at a private that requires the honors class before the AP version: honors Bio, honors Chem, honors Physics, APES. Applying as a econ/business major next cycle. College counselor said taking APES instead of AP bio, chem or physics may rule out top 25 colleges. DC is really interested in environmental science and has disregarded the advice.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 02:22     Subject: Re:Is it really bad not to take physics?
DC got into WASP with AP environmental science, no physics. Interested in social sciences, not stem.
Anonymous
Post 07/01/2025 16:24     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Difficult to say for sure how it would affect college admissions, but I think it is a pretty important subject to take just for the element of having a complete high school education. Exposure to general physics concepts isn’t something I would want my kids to miss, even if it’s a subject they might expect to struggle with.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2025 19:25     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:When posters say no physics, do they mean no AP physics, just the basic class? Or no physics class at all before college?

Am I missing something? Isn’t it required for HS?


DD did not take any physics — she took APES junior year and AP Bio senior year. DS took general physics junior year, then genetics senior year.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2025 12:44     Subject: Re:Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:DD took APES over AP Physics and Honors Physics—and she’s heading to an Ivy for Econ this fall. YMMV but I don’t think it’s a complete dealbreaker for business types.


Did she take AP Bio or Chem? I’m hoping not.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2025 12:38     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Astronomy without physics seems a bit silly.

Nothing about into astronomy requires Physics, it’s just like biology where you memorize a ton to “learn”


Uninformed comment. I took Physics in HS and Astronomy in college. My DS took Physics and Astronomy in HS. We both came to the same conclusion. Astronomy is Physics with crazy large numbers because stars are really far away. Brush up on your scientific notation and the electromagnetic spectrum. It's way more than memorizing the planets in the solar system.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 23:41     Subject: Re:Is it really bad not to take physics?
DD took APES over AP Physics and Honors Physics—and she’s heading to an Ivy for Econ this fall. YMMV but I don’t think it’s a complete dealbreaker for business types.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 17:20     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:APES is tough! but a good AP for business/humanities majors. I would have left out astronomy.

Really? My kids told me APES is one of the easiest STEM APs.


A lot of kids struggle in APES. It’s a lot of work, akin to AP World. Honors Physics (MCPS) was much less work and easier.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 17:10     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Physics is just math. It was the easiest AP exam.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 16:59     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take the physics it is not that hard


Sure. And your kid is taking an AP language, right? It's not "that hard."


My kids took 2 years of AP physics (1/2 and phys C), AP chem, calc, literature, chinese, Apush, econ and more. High school physics, the regular version not even AP1, is not terribly difficult for most college bound students, and it is no surprise the T50s at least want to see it barring extenuating circumstances.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 16:27     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:I think having some basic sense of physics is good for being an adult in society. Plus the laws of physics end up driving a lot of how we get energy (which then impacts the environment). But if your son can't take the class, then he can't take it.


And those basic laws are covered in other science classes.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 16:26     Subject: Is it really bad not to take physics?
Anonymous wrote:Take the physics it is not that hard


Sure. And your kid is taking an AP language, right? It's not "that hard."