Your wood business can help you stand out from the crowd at admission-decision time, but — at many colleges (especially the highly selective ones) — it will be viewed more as an extracurricular endeavor than as an academic one. In order to be a strong applicant to STEM programs, you should take at least one physics class (for less selective programs) or no fewer than two (for the pickier places) depending on what is offered at your high school and at the college where you will take your dual-enrollment (Running Start) courses. To be contender at the hyper-competitive colleges (e.g., MIT, CalTech, Ivies, Stanford and their ilk), you should submit AP exam scores and/or Subject Test scores in physics ... even where not required.
BUT ... this doesn't mean that you must give up the wood tech class next year. If you'll be just a sophomore, you ought to have plenty of time to fit in physics later on. Unless you're planning to apply to highly selective colleges and yet will have trouble squeezing in more than one physics class if you don't start in 10th grade, then “The Dean" sees no reason why you have to skip the wood tech class that seems to interest you now.
Because so many applications to sought-after institutions look a lot alike (e.g., top tests scores and top grades in similar classes) you can turn your woodwork into a plus that adze to your admission chances and even bowls over admission committees, especially if you find a way to dovetail these skills with your STEM accomplishments and aspirations. ;-)
******
If you'd like to submit a question to College Confidential, please send it along here.
That’s why you want to use your authentic voice when writing any college essay.
So what’s the problem? A student has shared an ess…
I recently visited Washington University in Saint Louis and was lucky enough to set up an interview. By speaking with peers of mi…
Note: Click here for 10 Summer Programs You Can Still Apply For or keep reading to learn more about academic index scores.
Podcasts can offer a wealth of information to busy students, particularly when it comes to the college admissions process. We…
Decision Day occurs each year on May 1st and is the deadline for students to inform the college of their choice of their intent t…
Ascent offers cosigned and non-cosigned student loans with exclusive benefits that set students up for success.
Explore Now!Want to find money for school that doesn’t need to be paid back? Access insights and advice on how to search and apply for scholarships!