<p>Ah, yes, those bubbling errors...DS1 wrote the answer to one of the student-produced answers on the PSAT and forgot to bubble. It counted as an omit -- when he saw his report form, he said, "I know I answered it!" He paid the $10 to get a copy of his answer sheet, and there was the answer and the unfilled bubble. The omit cost him 40 points.</p>
<p>It will be one of those things he always remembers, just like my DH always remembers the 99 he got on the Regents physics exam.</p>
<p>bluebayou: The kids had a lot of review and took Princeton review SAT prep classes. And they took SAT 3 times. The kids did not have training in problem solving in lower math classes. That contributes to the lower SAT scores.</p>
<p>i took alg 2 in 7th grade, geo in 8th, calc ab 10th and bc 11th. I can advise taking the time in alg I. while i have mastered it by now i had to pick up concepts that i wouldve known by taking alg i. taking a class early the student might not be academically mature or take diligent enough notes or not put the work in. do colleges like ab and bc done by end of sr yr. also i know that where i went to school we got a grade for the class in mid school but onb our transcripts it just shows up that we got credit and now grade or gpa points are awarded. check with you schools transcript policy</p>
<p>and in response to the above post i still got 800 in math on SAT</p>
<p>Let's be honest here, most middle school classes are utterly useless and most intelligent middle school students can handle high school material... take Algebra. And really, most intelligent middle school students should be able to handle a lot more than that and just skip a few years of middle school and go right into high school material except for concerns about staying with the same age peer group.</p>
<p>On #113 & 114, I think that geometry requires a different thinking skill from Alg/trig/calc, so it is possible that some students are not good at geometry even if they are already doing calculus.</p>
<p>For SAT1M purpose, the problems are from the simplest part of geometry, so for someone who was good in geometry in earlier years, recall should not be a problem and if he needs a review he can do it in a few minutes. However, if the student was never good at geometry because of his visualization skill, then it would be more of a challenge. But since there is very few geometry problems in SAT1M, even if someone is very weak in geometry, it should only knock of 60 or 70 points. So if someone cannot score above 600, he cannot really blame it on geometry.</p>
<p>Well, I'm in 7th grade and I'm taking Algebra I Honors and I'm still getting As. There is a lot of new stuff, but there's also a lot of old things too...if you think he's up to the challenge, put him in, but if not, then it's your choice</p>
<p>7th grader</p>
<p>S passed on taking the SAT's in 7th grade, though he was invited through the Duke program. (he ended up taking the SAT and ACT just once junior/senior year)</p>
<p>He took Algebra 1 in 7th, and Geometry in 8th.</p>
<p>Then he discovered girls.</p>
<p>good thing he knows how to play football...cause I miss that 7th grader (though I am darn proud of the now 12th grader who will be attending Dartmouth in the fall.)</p>
<p>alas, as the Robert Frost poem goes..."nothing gold can stay".</p>
<p>Hi. I've posted much of this on another thread but I forget which one, so I'll briefly do it again.</p>
<p>My S attends public schools in SoCal. Here's how he has progressed with math thus far:</p>
<p>MS</p>
<p>6th Pre-Algebra
Interevening Summer: S was taught Algebra by H (math professor) and passed out of it.
7th Geometry
8th Honors Algebra II (at HS next door but on different schedule, so a bit more challenging)</p>
<p>HS</p>
<p>9th Honors Trig/Math Analysis
10th AP Calculus BC
11th Linear Algebra (current, online with CTY)
12th Multivariable Calculus (planned)</p>
<p>So far, only the Linear Algebra has proved to be a big challenge, and that was primarily because he took the "individually self-paced" aspect a bit too liberally at the outset, because he has to be more self-motivated, and because the "take home" tests are quite lengthy. That, and he says it's less interesting than calc and doesn't make him feel as smart.</p>
<p>As a HS Jr, he's taking AP Physics C this year (after taking the CTY summer course in Fast Paced HS Physics.) He's thinking he might want to be a physics major.</p>
<p>Our school system doesn't have Algebra, Geometry, etc., but instead integrated math where students get combined doses. Typical program for middle school is pre-integrated 6th, integrated 1 7th, integrated 2 8th, integrated 3 9th, honors pre-clac 10th, AP Calc AB 11th, AB Calc BC 12th. This is S2 and most of his friend's path.</p>
<p>S1 finished integrated 3 in 8th grade, (skipped integrated 1 in 7th for some reason), and then took a summer pre-calc course at a local university, followed by AP calc AB in 9th and AP Calc BC in 10th, skipped math in 11th and took AP Stat in 12th. I would say that about a 20 percent of the kids do this, though many (not S1) take online math courses and attend summer programs to supplement their curriculum.</p>
<p>I took alg 1 in 6th and 7th grade...same class two times but it was the hardest class my middle school offered. Then in 8th grade i was shipped to the nearest high school for advanced geometry. Math is probably my 4th or 5th best subject. I managed to pull As in the classes but it wasnt really easy. It's doable but it takes work.</p>
<p>my kids took algebra in 7th or 8th grade. our school system does include these grades on high school transcript, however, if the student has taken 3 additional math classes (post algebra) then the lowest grade is dropped. As with most things, if the child is ready its a good opportunity.</p>
<p>wow, so many answers, is OP still reading? Here is anecdotal for another perspective/experience (I hope I didn't previously answer in this thread, I don't think it was starred.)</p>
<p>I think my dd could have handled Algebra in 7th or 8th (she was all A student 1 to 8th grades and took the SAT in 8th and scored 75 percentile), but it was not offered at her school. However she got a solid pre-Algebra classes.</p>
<p>She took Algebra I in 9th and got A in a very thorough class. Got permission to do Geometry and Alg II concurrently in 10th. (the school didn't allow you to take any over summer elsewhere as they feel it would not be as rigourous.) Took Honors precalc in 11th. Took Ap Calc BC Senior year. </p>
<p>Took multivariable as college first year. Took Linear Alg next year. Also other math both years. Now is graduating in Spring with ScB in Mathematics and Computer Science at Brown, and applying for Grad Schools.</p>
<p>So, not critical to take Algebra in 7th, but it really helps if you have it by 8th so you don't have to do 2 maths one year along with other hard classes.</p>
<p>
[quote]
As for his grade appearing on his transcript, colleges do not take into account grades from before high school and some discount grades from freshman year as well.
[/quote]
My son has high school credit courses from middle school -- including 6th grade -- on his transcript. Those middle school courses are counting towards his GPA and class rank. </p>
<p>How can you state unequivocally that all colleges discount middle school grades and that some discount the grades from 9th grade as well? Do they recalculate every applicant's GPA and class rank? With the huge number of applications this year, do you really think they do all of that? </p>
<p>I don't. Please cite your source for such a statement.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't understand this trend in some school systems to turn calculus into a two-year program (AB in the first year, BC in the second). In our school system, BC Calculus does not have AB as a prerequisite.
[/quote]
I don't, either. If the school system is following the AP curriculum (and isn't that all being tracked much more now?), then AB is not a prereq for BC. Is one reason that students take one and then the other to show a great midterm grade for colleges on BC, since they have already covered that AB material the year before? I would think that colleges would question that (and maybe should be discounting THAT midterm grade).</p>
<p>
[quote]
My son has high school credit courses from middle school -- including 6th grade -- on his transcript. Those middle school courses are counting towards his GPA and class rank.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The same in D's school. In fact, looking at her transcript, you can't even tell which classes (math and French) were taken in middle school and which in HS. They are all lumped together.</p>
<p>D had no HS credits for middle school classes, neither Algebra nor Spanish. She went to very small private schools and did not have choices of classes in middle schools since her class had only 4 kids, all 4 taking the same classes. Spanish and Math remained her easiest effortless subjects all thru college, she is done taking both. The earlier they start taking these, the better. D placed into highest possible level of Spanish at college, so she got most out of her one semester of college Spanish.</p>
<p>My son took Algebra I and II and trig through Stanford's EPGY in 7th and 8th grades, so he did not end up in a class of high school students. This was not the reason, just the result - he was being home schooled at the time.</p>
<p>He took Geometry and precalc his freshman and sophomore years. He took Calc in his jr year and is taking AP calc his Sr year, but that is the highest his school offers.</p>
<p>If you are worried about your son in a class full of older kids, EPGY may be a way to go, it is accredited and most public schools will accept the grade and put it on the transcript (you will need to work this out ahead of time though!)</p>
<p>And if you are lucky enough to have your kid enrolled in a school that offers higher math than Calculus, and your son is advanced in math, I would get as much of it done now as you can.</p>
<p>However, I would try to show a math course each year on the HS transcripts, just so you don't have to explain the gap on every college app.</p>
<p>Gee, is this the thread where all the parents of math smart kids can tell the forum how advanced they are? Since the first post was done years ago, I'm not sure what the point is in bringing it back up...</p>
<p>kathiep, if this is THAT thread, I should have posted something earlier! :D</p>
<p>I was wondering whether anyone else had noticed this thread was started in 2007; I certainly hope the 7th grader in the opening post has moved on by now...</p>