What do colleges mean when they want students to complete a certain number of years of a course in high school?Answered
When colleges say that they require students to take “x years of math, science, etc” in high school before applying do they mean that they want students to have that many years’ worth of credits or physically taking a science class (or whatever other type) each year of high school?
Like I have 4 science and 5 math credits already which would be the equivalent of 4/5 years worth of credits, but do I still have to take math and science my senior year? I got the extra credits from taking high school classes in middle school and over the summer after freshmen year.
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2 answers
Generally, you don't need to take anymore math or science classes your senior year. But you also need make sure if theres any specific stem or any classes that colleges require you to take based on your major. Make sure you meet the requirements for other subjects such as English, Language, History, and Electives as well.
Hi @hurttsophia!
Usually when a college says they want x years of math, that's what they want. If they wanted you to have y number of credits, or specific classes, they would have specified that instead. The idea is to ensure that applicants will have the necessary background for courses at that college (especially if there's a core curriculum).
However, since you did take some courses over the summer and in middle school, I would double check each school's requirements to see if you may qualify. They'll probably be more concerned with specific subjects (e.g. calculus and trig) than total number of years. And if you don't get a clear answer from their website, you should contact the admissions department. It is rare to have a hard requirement in just years spent rather than courseload, but you'll want to make sure.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.
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But like if the website says students need 4 years of science, does that mean 4 credits or physically taking science freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior year?