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Physics SL For American Unis


IJustWanaPass

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I want to major in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering and I have taken math, chemistry and English as my HL subjects (I wish I chose physics but our teacher is crap, I can't go for extra teachers because it is extremely hard to find someone that teaches IB well where I live). I want to graduate to USC, Texas a&m or Cal tech and I would like to know if I could get into one of them without physics HL. My IB Score is looking like between 33-36 without the 3 points from TOK and EE. I am planning to take the SAT and SAT subject test as well.
What do you guys think of my chances?

Edited by IJustWanaPass
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You shouldn't need Physics HL but 33-36 is a bit low (also not many people get 3/3 in the core). If you don't have particular talents and strong interests, you probably need 39-42 including core. You also need to have someone to write good letters of recommendation.

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Maybe you could do some extra reading about physics outside the syllabus - the Feynman Lectures on Physics are an OK starting point.  Not sure how helpful this would be though.  If you have good extracurricular activities (e.g. music, sports), then your chances are better.  Good SAT scores will definitely help.  

Edited by SC2Player
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For engineering, 40+ (including the 3 bonus points) is basically a requirement, and HL Physics is highly favored. If you take SL (like me, because my school doesn't offer the HL course, which I stated as a special circumstance on my application), then a 7 is definitely required. Also, most, if not all, engineering programs require you to write SAT Math II and SAT Physics, and if you can get 800 in those, that'll definitely help. Lastly, if you are able to take AP Physics, it would be useful too.

 

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