Skipping Science 9th grade

[Momto4inSoCal]

My daughter is interested in a career in design. Either fashion design and merchansising or in a digital/ 3d design. She is starting classes at our community college that offers a fashion design program and hopefully will complete it with an AS by the time she's a senior. Next year she is taking English, US History, Geometry, Spanish 2, 4 Fashion Design classes at the community college (2 each semester), Art, an online drafting class and will be continuing with her competitive dance team and piano. Her course load is already so heavy and I don't want to add on science. Next year she will not be taking spanish so science would be easier to fit in. Is this a bad idea? I'm worried about her changing her mind and needing additional science. I could also drop history and add in science? 

[kokotg]

In my state 4 units of science is a graduation requirement...not that you have to follow your state's graduation requirements as a homeschooler, but more selective colleges will expect to see 4 sciences. So it might come down to what her college plans are. Of course, if she's taking community college classes, she can always take 2 sciences (one per semester) another year to get 4 credits in. 

[BusyMom5]

My 11th grader may not be doing science this year, it depends on what classes are offered in the spring.  That said, I think 9th grade is way too early to lock into a set degree plan.  Here kids need to be 16 to take classes on campus and I think that's early enough.  I would be looking at the long term issues with skipping a science this year- will she need to double up later if she wants a 4yr marketing degree?  Is she really ready at 14 for the college level science classes, or would it be better to have her take them at the high school level now, and DE as a Jr or Sr.

[Farrar]

Your reasons make total sense, but it would make me nervous to leave off a core subject like that. Are you planning to have her graduate with only 3 science courses? Does that fit with your state requirements? What about history? Are you planning to only do 3 history credits as well? Two DE classes for a 9th grader is a lot for some 9th graders. Will the program continue at that pace throughout high school? Because if so, making an overall plan for her four years might help you figure out if this is really a good idea or not. And might help us advise whether that looks like a realistic course overall.

[Roadrunner]

If she will have an AS degree by the time she graduates, then I am assuming she will pursue a transfer to a 4 year school? So I am also going to assume that if they are granting her a 2 year college degree they are taking care of the prerequisites for transfer? If the answer to those questions is yes, then I wouldn’t worry about a fourth year science. 

[Arcadia]

19 hours ago, Momto4inSoCal said:

... 4 Fashion Design classes at the community college (2 each semester) ... I'm worried about her changing her mind and needing additional science. 

 

If she change her mind, she could do 2 to 4 lab science classes for the next academic year. If she has time for 4 fashion design classes this academic year, she would probably be fine time wise with a minimum of 2 lab science classes per academic year if she change her mind.

DS14 doesn’t have a science credit for 9th grade due to a very disorganized teacher. He is doing two science credits this academic year (Fall to Summer)

[Clemsondana]

Could she do a science at home over the summer?  My 8th grader is doing Life of Fred Chemistry and Physics this year because they looked more interesting than the physical science that I'd planned to do in middle school.  I think they're intended to be a year each, but we're doing one each semester.  This kid is advanced and good at science, so I've got several add-ons.  For a student who isn't likely to pursue the sciences but needs a credit on a transcript, LOF at home might be a relatively painless way to do it.