<p>I'm gonna be through calc IV by the time I apply next year, is that common among other applicants? I've been taking all of my classes at a local college. Does this make me stand out at all? or is it not that big a deal?</p>
<p>i think many kids take diffeq by the time they apply, so not really. you're going to need a lot more than that to get in</p>
<p>it's not just differential equations though, i'm in calc. III right now which is multivariable calculus</p>
<p>yeah, but almost all high schoolers on the advanced track do ap calc, multi, and then diffeq. you would finish on this system as well.</p>
<p>It's impressive to me. Good for you :)</p>
<p>Haha, well if many did take it already, they still end up taking the class at MIT, because my diffeq class was H-U-G-E. So anyone not taking > Calc I shouldn't be fretting or anything...</p>
<p>Oh, I just saw your location is Minnesota after I posted. Are you in UMTYMP? Most of the successful applicants to MIT from our state are UMTYMP alumi, and the stronger students in UMTYMP besides. What are you doing to distinguish yourself from the competition you'll face from the various UMTYMP students who also are interested in MIT? </p>
<p>Good luck in your application.</p>
<p>I didn't even know about UMTYMP until i googled it a few minutes ago. No, i'm taking my calculus from a community college that a lot of people transfer to the U of M from. Now that i know about UMTYMP and the other programs I saw on their site, i'll try and get involved in some of them.</p>
<p>Hi, mobius27, are you in one of the high schools in your town? I think I know some people at one of those high schools (I know them, by screen names, elsewhere online) who might have some math study ideas for you. </p>
<p>I'm over in the west metro, and my son is in Bloomington right now taking a computer class at a business college. We're homeschoolers, so I Google up information all the time about lots of programs, to trade with parents in our homeschooling support group. It would be interesting to talk about your application plans, if you please.</p>
<p>On this forujm, a lot of people take diff equations and multivariable calculus. But in MIT's applicant pool, there are many who only took single-variable calc in their senior year. Some of who still got in.</p>
<p><em>raises hand for single-var calc</em></p>
<p>Yep. My hand is raised too.</p>
<p>I took BC calc my junior year, and no math senior year.</p>
<p>I get the feeling that the CC boards can give you a distorted image of how difficult college admissions is and how qualified the applicant pool is. People that post here tend to be very motivated high acheivers and your prospects can seem very dismal if every other person that posts has won major awards, conducted research, has top board scores & gpa, and/or has maxed out his/her school's math offerings. </p>
<p>Rest assured, "normal" people get into MIT too. Most people have only taken through single-variable calculus in high school, and some people even take 18.01 (single var calc) first semester their freshman year. You don't have to have attended RSI or have won the IMO to get in. I'm a good example of that. I never won any math awards, nor conducted any research. My only academic award (outside of national merit and ap scholar stuff) was for a local science quizbowl type competition. I had good scores and GPA, but not perfect, and I took AP BC calc and two math seminars my junior year, and no math senior year. I took 6 APs in high school (Chem, BC Calc, US History, European History, Spanish Lit, Spanish Lang), which was a heavy load for my high school, but nothing compared to what I see some of you guys taking.</p>
<p>I remember last year (when I was a hs senior) being quite intimidated when I read the CC boards. To anyone else out there who is too: Relax. I know it's easy to say in retrospect, but it's not as bad as it seems.</p>