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This year DD is taking Biology with me at home using Apologia Biology. She is not really interested in biological sciences and wants this to be it where Bio is concerned.

 

For the rest of high school she wants to take:

10th grade:  AP Computer Science

11th grade: AP Chemistry

12th grade: AP Physics

 

Does computer science count as a science or a math? We want to make sure it counts as a science, as she is looking into selective schools and my understanding is they require 4 years of science. 

 

Concurrent with the above, she wants to take:

10th - Calculus BC with PA Homeschoolers

11th - Linear Algebra / Multivariable Calculus - DE at University if she's accepted

12th - Applied Combinatorics / Diff Eq. - DE at University

 

She doesn't know what her exact major will be but she very much leans to Comp Science / Artificial Intelligence / Data Science. She also loves Chemistry.

 

Would you recommend a statistics course as well?

 

Thank you for helping this artsy mom help her mathy kid :)

 

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My local school district counts it as a practical arts elective.

 

Copied from my district's course catalog

" AP Computer Science A

Grades 10-12, Year (UC-G)

Prerequisite: Computer Science Principles and concurrent enrollment in Algebra II or completed Algebra II with a C or better. Satisfies Practical Arts requirement."

 

I haven't seen any selective schools requiring four years of science though.

E.g.

Harvey Mudd https://www.hmc.edu/admission/apply/first-year-students/eligibilty/

"At least one yearlong high school chemistry course and one yearlong high school physics course are required. A semester-long college course in each discipline (chemistry and physics) will also suffice. "

 

Caltech http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/content/homeschooled-applicants

"In particular, it is important that you demonstrate that you have completed at least one rigorous course in calculus, at least one full year of a rigorous physics course, and that you have at least one full year of experience in laboratory science, all with a high level of achievement"

Edited by Arcadia
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I haven't seen any selective schools requiring four years of science though.

 

I have.

 

Harvard: "recommends" (aka requires)

    "The study of science for four years: physics, chemistry, and biology, and preferably one of these at an advanced level"

https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college/choosing-courses

 

U Chicago remcommends "3–4 years of laboratory sciences"

https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/preparing-for-college

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My local school district counts it as a practical arts elective.

 

I haven't seen any selective schools requiring four years of science though.

Correct, I don't think many schools "require" four years of science, but selective schools prefer it.

 

I do not think Computer Science counts to fulfill the science requirement. 

 

Your student has plenty of high level math; Ii see no need to squeeze statistics in. Her major may require a stat class in college

Thank you, regentrude. If computer science doesn't count, what can we do for science that will complement her goals? Any suggestions?

Edited by odalysmd21
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Correct, I don't think many schools "require" four years of science, but selective schools prefer it.

 

Thank you, regentrude. If computer science doesn't count, what can we do for science that will complement her goals? Any suggestions?

 

I'd still do the Comp Sci if that is what she is interested in. In addition, think outside the box. What kind of science would she be interested in? Astronomy? Modern Physics? Organic chemistry? Geology?

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Correct, I don't think many schools "require" four years of science, but selective schools prefer it.

I'll work backwards

 

For example, from Carnegie Mellon Bachelor in Computer Science page undergraduate requirements,

 

"Courses meeting the lab requirement include:

 

02-261: Quantitative Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory

03-124: Modern Biology Laboratory (coreq 03-121)

09-101: Introduction to Experimental Chemistry (this 3 unit lab together with 09-105, Introduction to Modern Chemistry, satisfies the lab requirement)

09-221: Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis

27-100: Engineering the Materials of the Future

33-104: Experimental Physics

42-203: Biomedical Engineering Laboratory (crosslisted with 03-206)

85-310: Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology

85-314: Cognitive Neuroscience Research Methods

02-223: Personalized Medicine: Understanding Your Own Genome

02-250: Introduction to Computational Biology (or 02-251 + 02-252)

02-261: Quantitative Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory (also meets the lab requirement)" http://www.csd.cs.cmu.edu/academics/undergraduate/requirements

 

So since my current 8th grader prefers Physics and Chemistry, I'll get in the four years of lab science for his case by doing dual enrollment in physics and chemistry. My kid won't mind a computational biology course too as long as there is no biology prerequisite. He intend to take the SAT Biology subject test though.

 

AP Computer Science A (Edhesive) light load balanced AoPS calculus heavier load for my kid last year. The AP Computer Science A and AP Calculus BC exams fall on the same day for May 2018 though so luckily he is done with those two.

 

ETA:

We found doing AP Physics C (PAH) after AP Calculus BC just nice. Would your daughter mind doing AP Computer Science A with biology for 9th, AP Chemistry for 10th and AP Physics C (both exams) for 11th and dual enrollment Science for 12th?

 

We paired AP Calculus BC with AP Computer Science A

AP Chem and AP Physics with either MVC or Linear Algebra, and self study for AP Statistics

Then it would be dual enrollment all the way for maths and sciences, My current 7th grader likes things more spread out so would be on a different sequence but too early to decide.

Edited by Arcadia
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Thank you, ladies. This gives me a lot to think about.

 

She was sitting with me just now and added that she's been looking into electrical engineering as well.

 

ETA:
We found doing AP Physics C (PAH) after AP Calculus BC just nice. Would your daughter mind doing AP Computer Science A with biology for 9th, AP Chemistry for 10th and AP Physics C (both exams) for 11th and dual enrollment Science for 12th?

We paired AP Calculus BC with AP Computer Science A
AP Chem and AP Physics with either MVC or Linear Algebra, and self study for AP Statistics
Then it would be dual enrollment all the way for maths and sciences, My current 7th grader likes things more spread out so would be on a different sequence but too early to decide.

 

Thank you, Arcadia. I didn't think about pulling sciences from the major requirements. 

 

Taking AP Physics in 11th and doing a DE science in 12th makes sense. I would add Computer Science this year but I'm not sure I'll find a class so late into the semester.

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She was sitting with me just now and added that she's been looking into electrical engineering as well.

...

I would add Computer Science this year but I'm not sure I'll find a class so late into the semester.

My husband's phd is in electrical engineering. He is in the research arm of quality control. I was from civil engineering. Engineering has lots of programming too. Linear algebra would come in useful for Electrical Engineering too. Plenty of ladies in my husband's dept too, quite even gender distribution.

 

My kids enjoyed Edhesive's AP Computer Science A course last year. My kids decided in March to take the exam in May 2017 and scored a 4 and a 5. We paid for the homeschool option but it wasn't really necessary, just opt for it because we didn't know if we might need the extra help and my husband said $150 wasn't too expensive to pay for a homeschool course.

 

Homeschool package link

https://edhesive.com/parents_homeschools

Edited by Arcadia
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My dd took AP chem in 9th grade having only had middle school science prior.  It's a lot of work and requires good EF skills, but PAH has an excellent course.  

 

her science schedule:

9th: ap chem

10th: ap bio

11th: advanced bio and ap physics c

12th:  ???

 

If she likes electronics, you can consider using these books by Charles Platt, published by Maker Media.

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Correct, I don't think many schools "require" four years of science, but selective schools prefer it.

 

Thank you, regentrude. If computer science doesn't count, what can we do for science that will complement her goals? Any suggestions?

 

I did Chemistry II for my 4th year of science. I'm a math person and -really- enjoyed Chemistry so wanted to do more of it. Chemistry equations are very like logic puzzles with rules of their own.  So you might take Chemistry earlier and see if your child wants to do more.

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