<p>My high-school junior daughter is very interested in Hillsdale. As we look at their profile, she seems to be a very strong candidate -- 4.2 GPA (3.9 unweighted), many, many honors classes, 2 APs this year, and 2 more next year, 99th pctile PSATs, strong musical talent, extra-curriculars, service hrs, etc. Here's the question: I can't find anything on Hillsdale's website stating how many high school math credits they like to see. Unofficial sources say "4 math credits recommended."</p>
<p>She's worked very hard to get As/A-s in her honors Math classes because Math does not come easily to her, nor does she enjoy it. Her hope was to be finished with it at the end of junior year, after Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Now we're wondering if she needs to take Trig. Her senior year schedule is full because she wants a 4th year of French, an extra History class, college level (dual credit) Psychology, and a 4th year of Music, in addition to English and Theology (required at her school).</p>
<p>So...does she bite the bullet and take college-level Trig at our Community College this summer? It would compromise her ability to do a week-long college vocal program that she really enjoyed last summer, and she's already taking a Health class (requirement) over the summer, plus she would very much like to avoid it if possible. But she REALLY wants to look like a strong candidate to Hillsdale next year. Any thoughts? (BTW, her other schools of interest require only 2-3 high school math credits.)</p>
<p>I am a high school senior and I also struggle with math. I strongly urge you to make sure that your daughter continues with her math classes. Math is such an important subject and even though she has difficulty with the subject matter a college certainly will not want to see that she quits using math completely. Though becoming admitted to colleges in this day and age seems very difficult, I would just suggest that your daughter do the best that she can with these courses. It’s important that you remember that sticking with math is showing dedication which any institution would admire. Your daughter certainly doesn’t need to take college trigonometry however. She could try a class like college algebra or college statistics. None of these courses will be easy but, with hard work she can definitely be successful. Statistics is even more about reading than mathematics yet it is considered a math course. I would strongly encourage her to look into a statistics course which would allow her to achieve the credits she needs while excelling in a subject she can do well in.</p>
<p>Our school system requires four units of math to graduate from high sch. Besides AP Calc., seniors can take Functions and Modeling,PreCalc,Discrete Math ,AP Statistics or a math class at the CC.</p>
<p>Take the math. It looks really good to have math and math will likely be required for a college schedule. My sister did not take math her senior year and later struggled in college math because she was away from math for a year.</p>
<p>I don’t know the college but I believe most colleges are more concerned with the rigor of the general program than whether she’s had 4 years of math. If she’s going to take advanced classes in subjects that interest her, I’d think they’d find that plenty impressive. (Unless your D is planning to undertake a math or science major, which is unlikely if she hates math.)</p>
<p>Keeping up with math senior year will make it easier to deal with any math placement tests for college the following summer. It would be a shame to have to take remedial math in college. Definitely call/email the college with your questions.</p>
<p>We’re kinda in the same boat with my sophomore S who has taken Algebra 1, Geometry and now Algebra 2. He’s not a math wizard. We’re approaching this decision partially by considering the pending SAT math sections. His current math teacher says probability and statistics would be more utilitarian for SAT knowledge/performance next year (junior) and then trig and pre-calc senior. </p>
<p>Anyone have thoughts about this? O/P, you’re daughter has great PSAT percentile!</p>
<p>S1 took AP Stat his senior year and loved it. So much more than the math he had struggled with. Just a thought. It is also very useful if you are in the humanities for research, etc.</p>
<p>My nonmath/nonscience kids took statistics instead of Trig. and didn’t encounter any issues with colleges where they applied. Hillsdale has had increasing GPA/ACT scores for the past decade, but if your D has a strong senior schedule and has gotten through three high school years of math she’s probably fine with statistics or no math senior year. The Michigan Merit program will be requiring 4 years of math soon, but it’s not in effect yet. You could even ask admissions the question (anonymously if you want to) and I’m sure they would give you a response. Maybe phrase the question like what percentage of this year’s freshman class had 4 years of math or what percentage of this year’s freshman class took Trig…something like that.</p>
<p>Freshman Profile: Average test scores: 28 ACT, 1950 SAT, 48% in the top 10% of their graduating classes, average incoming GPA of 3.75</p>
<p>The new kid in my office just happens to be a recent Hillsdale grad. I will ask him tomorrow!</p>
<p>By the way, Hillsdale is a wonderful school. My coworker is a terrific, well educated young man. He often shares tales of his years at school … he truly enjoyed both his academics and his social life.</p>
<p>I highly recommend that she takes a statistics class as opposed to trig. I am not a math/science person and nearly flunked math my junior year. However, I then took AP stats and found it MUCH easier since I am a humanities person. </p>
<p>I highly doubt your daughter won’t get into Hillsdale. Even with three credits of math. It is not an especially competitive school (more of a self-selecting school with a somewhat-inflated GPA due to feeder schools with inflated GPAs), especially with those stats. They do have high stats, but your daughter appears to be well above in both GPA and test scores. The only reason I WOULD say that she should stick with math is simply because it will be easier in college.</p>
<p>I agree with stats. It’s a fourth year of math and MOST schools are going to have at least one math class as part of their core/requirements. OUr sophomore D took Algebra I as an 8th grader, so … she did alg II last year, geometry this year, pre calc next year and then will either do Calc AB or AP Stats senior year. She is a good math student, but not an accelerated or honors math student. Do people still take Trig? Or is that Calc? </p>
<p>can you tell I never got past Algebra II? Took logic and statistics in college to meet the math requirement. Got by by the skin of my teeth. IF THAT. I think I begged my way to a C-.</p>
<p>Regardless of admissions chances, second vote for math - drop psych… HS Psych is mostly a waste of time. There is a HUGE difference taking psych with a HS social science teacher vs. a Prof who has had real patients and conducted real research. </p>
<p>Look at it another way: without math, your D will not be prepared for ~half of the courses offered at her new college (ALL of the math & science courses). Thus, she will not be able to take them even if she changes her mind. Even social science majors can require Calc lite.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great perspectives and opinions! Actually, I just dug into Hillsdale’s print catalog (which we got on our visit)…why didn’t I look here first? Discovered that she can satisfy the math proficiency requirement (for a Baccalaureate Degree from Hillsdale) by scoring 24 or beter on the ACT or 570 or higher on the SAT. Extrapolating from her PSAT Math score last fall, she could be expected to score around 700, so it’s likely she won’t have to take any college Math after placing out of the requirement.</p>
<p>I appreciate the different viewpoints on the value of math for the future, and can see both sides of the coin. At this point, she’s strongly leaning to double-majoring in Music (vocal performance) and French or English…not much need for advanced mathematics there.</p>
<p>I was one of those high school and college kids who strugged through Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics, wondering, “When will I ever need this stuff?” Several decades later, with a successful business of my own, the answer (for me, anyway) has been “Never.” I hire a smart accountant for the occasional bookkeeping/taxwork my business needs. My budgeting process relies on math at the middle-school level. I do believe in knowledge for its own sake up to a point…but after 3 years of Honors math classes, plus Honors Chem and now AP Chem this year (which involves tons of math)…I think she may be at the point where it’s reasonable to say, “Enough,” and keep focusing on rigorous course options in other areas.</p>
<p>Incidentally, one person pointed out the difference between high school Psych and college Psych taught by a professor/researcher. My daughter’s Dual Credit Psych class next year is actually taught at our community college with a full professor who’s actively doing research and is able to involve his undergrad students (and a few advanced high-schoolers)in it. So it’s actually a stronger experience than the generic Psych 101 at a public university where you sit in a lecture with 150 other kids and are taught by a TA.</p>