Do I Have to Take Physics?
Every spring, many high school students go through one of the most important rites of passage: choosing their schedule for the next year. (Admit it, you thought I was talking about prom!)
In all seriousness, I hear lots of questions from students and parents around course selection. When debating the importance of particular courses and how they’re viewed by admissions officers, one class in particular seems to drive lots of questions: physics. Often, the questions boil down to a central one: “Do I have to take physics?” And, like many things in the college admissions process, there isn’t a cut and dry answer.
Understanding Core Academic Requirements and Recommendations
First, let’s think about this from a broad perspective. Most undergraduate admissions office websites include a list of recommended or required subjects they expect students to take during their high school years. Here’s an example:
- English, 4 years
- Math, 2-3 years
- Science, 2-3 years
- World language, 2-3 years of one language
- Social studies, 2-3 years