<p>is it ok to only have 3 years of math in high school (alg II, pre calc, calc AB) or do some top colleges require 4 years?? it seems as if 3 years would be ok even for the more prestigious schools, is that true?</p>
<p>No. (ten char)</p>
<p>3 years of math is pretty standard amongst colleges. However, you could always challenge yourself and take either AP Calc BC (wouldn't advise it though), AP Statistics, or Post Secondary Multi-Variable, etc. You don't have very much of a statistics background so your research abilities may be hindered.</p>
<p>it looks better if you have 4 years. don't cop out of math. you're gonna have to take it once you get into college and if you get into some AP's, you can place out or get credits. i don't suggest not taking math senior year.</p>
<p>ok anybody else have any more input?? i have a scheduling conflict for next year and i have to drop either AP Calc BC, AP Gov, or AP Bio. I need a government credit, and i want to take a science class, so im thinking about dropping calc.</p>
<p>Have you already taken any AP science classes? If so, I would keep the AP Calc and forget the Bio, because if you want to apply to any of the more selective colleges, 4 years of math is a must, in order to be competative.</p>
<p>Not OP - but similar situation, BUT:</p>
<p>My school doesn't offer Calc BC, sooo what then?</p>
<p>I'm going to do Calc 2 at the local CC, and I'll do Physics C, so that'll be mathy, but I can't very well do a full year of math, doing a college class + football = suicide(while being reamed out for every minute of practice I miss).</p>
<p>To have taken Alg II as a freshman, wouldn't you have taken Alg I and geometry in 7th and 8th grade? Those count as high school credits anyway, so they would go on your high school transcripts as high school maths classes.</p>
<p>my school doesnt offer any AP science classes until senior year, so i want to take the AP biology class that way i have a AP science class</p>
<p>also, is it good to take a science SAT II (chem, bio, physics)?? i would need to self study for it, but i dont think id do too well on it</p>
<p>i understand your want to take an AP science, i mean i took all 4 offered at my school not only because i like science but because i wanted to show colleges that i really had a serious interest in a science-y major, but i still think 4 years of math is more important. 3 years just looks lazy even if you weren't trying to be, and it will probably put you behind when you have to take math again in college.
so here's my advice:
is there a community college or other university in which you could take a similar math course? i think that's your best option, or where i live there's also a web academy (though they definitely don't offer calc BC) so perhaps that's an option? or reverse that, perhaps you could take bio at the community college/on the web.
as painful as it might be, calc BC would look much better than AP bio in the long run so dropping bio might just have to happen.</p>
<p>as for the SAT II, if you're wanting to become a math/science/engineering major i would say a chem, bio, or physics test would be helpful. some colleges may even require one.</p>
<p>Does the same apply for science?</p>
<p>OP: You're glaringly missing geometry (I assume that trig was part of pre-calc). I think that omission is a bigger problem than the fact that it's only 3 years. Colleges may consider the lack of a core underpinning in math to be a problem in dealing with college math.</p>
<p>Carpe, not every high school lists 7th and 8th grade courses on their transcripts even if the courses are high school level, or counts them as "high school credits". My d's high school didn't mention Alg. I or French I taken in 8th grade on her transcript. The fact that she went into Alg. II and French II, though, told the colleges that she had either taken or placed out of the prereqs.</p>
<p>As far as science is concerned, if you have the "big 3" - bio, chem & physics, and are not going into a science/engineering field, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Chedva, geometry is generally taken before Algebra II. The OP probably took it in 8th grade.</p>
<p>If that's true, then math through AP calculus is sufficient. It's different than the situation in which a student stopped taking math before calc.</p>
<p>i took geometry in 8th grade</p>
<p>after reading what you guys have to say, i think ill stay in calc BC. i could then drop AP biology for AP chemistry. im thinking about being a doctor, so thats another reason why i want to stay in bio. which do you think is a better class to take in high school, ap bio or chem?</p>
<p>by the way i took honors level bio in 9th grade and honors chem in 11th. i was thinking about taking both ap bio and chem but my schedule prevents that from happening. ive heard that chemistry is really hard in college, so maybe having a solid foundation in chemistry will help me in college</p>
<p>I don't think taking AP bio as opposed to AP chem makes much difference at all. They're both demanding classes. Take the one you think you'd like more.</p>
<p>I think it is okay if your school ran out of math classes. I finished all my school's math classes in 11th grade, so I just took Calc 2 at a community college in the summer and wiped my hands of math. I am sure colleges will understand if this is the case</p>
<p>I had mathematics in 9 10. but there was only one exam covering both years. There are separate exams for 11th and 12th grades. Does that mean 4 years of math or 3?</p>
<p>If you reach Calculus already in 11th grade, I think AP science is the next logical choice. You technically have 4 years of math because there is one already taken in 8th grade. Is it noted in your HS transcript? I know my D high school does note them. For UC ELC computation, it does go back to 8th grade for either math or language class.</p>
<p>Colleges recommend 4 but if your 3 math classes are the most your school offers, you are fine.</p>
<p>At my school, you needed to do 4 math classes to graduate and your middle school math classes didn't count. Some people were forced to take math classes at UNC and Durham Tech just to graduate in my district.</p>