<p>I know MIT has a lot of top level math students, but would completing several post bc math courses make an applicant stand out significantly? I will have completed Linear Algebra, Multi variable calc, Diff Eq, Partial Diff Eq, Real Analysis, Fourier Analysis, and prob intro to complex analysis by the time I apply. I plan on taking them anyways regardless of whether or not it's a big boost since I really want to learn that kind of math, but are there a lot of people who have taken several math courses after BC?</p>
<p>That’s quite an impressive list. If I were an adcom, I would be slightly impressed, but I’m not one… Good luck though, and kudos to you for your dedication to math.</p>
<p>Nobody will know for sure how much it will help, but having an exceptionally strong math background (especially if you do well in those courses) can do nothing but good.</p>
<p>completely agree of ufohunter. With MIT, the question to ask is how comfortable will I be once I will be admitted… With my scanty math background, I am feeling apprehensive already for next fall.</p>
<p>S1 had a similar list of post-BC math courses and got into MIT EA. The list is impressive, and that kind of challenging work will get the adcomm’s attention, but you are not unique in this regard. What else do you bring to the table?</p>
<p>I’m not a national champ or anything like that in a field, but I play two varsity sports, tutor kids and volunteer regularly at a summer camp [300+ hours], started MAO at my school, and I’m SGA VP. I’m passionate about what I do and I feel like even though I’m not nationally renowned or anything, I can still make a difference by helping out other people and being special that way. Our school is pretty bad where about 60% of graduating seniors go to CC, and I’ve helped a lot of kids actually get decent sat’s and make it to state uni’s. </p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback. I’m sure there are people who are a lot better than me at math, but I really hope that I can stand out with my depth in mathematics. About what percent of the applicants would you say have done math as deep as I have planned?</p>
<p>^^ Hm, OK that kind of background is not unheard of, but I don’t think it is what one would call common. </p>
<p>If you do well in these classes, then it definitely signals that you know what you’re doing ahead of time, because quite obviously, even most MIT students will never take these classes. A graduate student at my school who studied EECS and math among other things at MIT even said he was disappointed at how mathematically savvy <em>even MIT</em> students were on average, though to be fair, I myself don’t think studying that much math is necessary to be a great engineer, even if a healthy amount doesn’t hurt (oh, and depending on one’s focus within engineering). </p>
<p>Either way, that’s somewhat similar to the background I had back in the day, and I’m very thankful for having had it coming into college! Enjoy the math. Oh, but I avoided PDE’s and Fourier. ;)</p>
<p>I want to do Mech Eng., so I’m loading up on DE’s lol. There’s just so many courses, and so little time @<a href="mailto:@">@</a>. What classes did you take?</p>
<p>^^ Well the same things minus the PDE’s and Fourier, though I spent extra time reading more analysis and linear algebra than my courses covered. A lot of what I did wasn’t in course form, and self-learned instead. Funnily, this habit carried even into college, given I only take classes that’re run exactly how I want them to be, and which use a book acceptable in my eyes 
(Finicky much!) </p>
<p>If it’s not used for your class already, I’d say go pick up Rudin’s analysis book (Principles of Mathematical Analysis) and work through it slowly and steadily, really letting it sink. Something I did in my high school days, and which ups the maturity level of students new to math! </p>
<p>Oh and I understand about the DE’s, I mean you’ll be one awesomely cool engineer if you know a ton of math. I’m surprised you’re mentioning all this math, and saying no words about physics? I’d go grab a fun physics book if I were you (and if you aren’t already doing that).</p>
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<p>I’d focus on learning what you <em>do</em> know really well. Ditto to the OP, actually. This more than learning many subjects, because the goal is to get a strong working knowledge of what you actually do learn.</p>
<p>That’s another thing I’m worried about. A lot of courses are 6/12 weeks long. Is that really enough time to understand the material in depth? After our BC class is over, I plan on covering MVC through Edwards & Penney, and doing Linear Algebra by Linear Algebra Done Right - Axler, so I’ll hopefully have a strong fundamental by the time my courses start and I can get more out of it.</p>
<p>^^I’m not sure exactly what you are asking here, but most of those classes really don’t depend on each other (except for diff EQ and partial diff EQ) other I wouldn’t worry about whether they are too short. You will most likely have to take some of them again, depending on where you took them. </p>
<p>I don’t want to discourage you, but even if you get the highest grade in every one of these classes, all you’ve done is make yourself a pretty good candidate for admission. If you really ace these classes, then you have raised your chances at Caltech somewhat. (This is especially true for real analysis, because a lot of people who can do calculus can’t do real analysis.) But other schools…not so much. </p>
<p>However, in approximately 4-5 years you will be out of school and will be a mechanical engineer. Spend your time now so that you will be highly skilled coming out of college. The more advanced you are now, the more you can spend during college (whether it is MIT or elsewhere) actually learning real stuff. I spent sometime at a top 10 college and I was shocked how many people were learning what I considered to be high school material the first two years (calculus, intro to the sciences.) Compared to these people, I was at the level of a junior going into college.</p>
<p>I understand that taking a few college math’s won’t make me an amazing candidate. I’m not taking these classes to hopefully get into MIT - I enjoy math and that’s why I’m doing it. I just want to know whether having several advanced math classes will make me stand out *a little bit * more or a lot more than the average MIT applicant. </p>
<p>As for the classes, I was wondering how deep do summer courses get? My dad works at a university, and he told me that a lot of times in the summer classes they just have TA’s doing the work and everything is rushed. I’m used to having 36 weeks in a school year to learn material for APs - I have never had a 6 week AP course lol. Most of the kids in our ap classes fail but I self-study in 1-2 months and get solid scores, but I know a cramming approach won’t work too well with math. I’m worried that I might not be able to fully grasp the material in a short period, and even if I do get an A, will I be prepared to take more advanced classes at MIT?</p>
<p>My guess is that it will make you stand out a little bit rather than a lot.</p>
<p>Most likely, the only way MIT will let you place out of the courses you have listed is if you take MIT’s advanced standing exam, which I think is like a final exam. So I wouldn’t worry about whether your classes are equivalent to MIT classes. Even if they were during the normal school year, they wouldn’t probably be as rigorous as a MIT class anyway. However, it will give you a nice base of knowledge so you know what’s going on when you take it for real.</p>
<p>Of the classes you mention, probably only in linear algebra, diff. Eqn., and multivariable calc do you have a chance at placing out without the advanced standing exam–and that is only if you took it at a well-known university.</p>
<p>But my guess, again, is that you would have to take the advanced standing exam. It is very common to take the linear algebra advanced standing exam; occasionally do people try to place out of multivariable calculus. I took it in high school as well but I didn’t try to place out because I didn’t feel like taking the exam.</p>
<p>"As for the classes, I was wondering how deep do summer courses get? "</p>
<p>It depends. I would say the coverage tends to be quite close. They might cut out some of the more time-consuming homework–like MATLAB homework in diff EQ or lin. algebra. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. </p>
<p>Summer courses tend to be shorter but meet more often, so there is generally not that much of a drop-off.</p>
<p>Well Florida International University is a pretty big research university, but I don’t know how it compares to MIT. How tough are the advanced standing exams?</p>
<p>^^I’ve never taken one, so I don’t know. I’d assume they would be as tough as a final exam.</p>
<p>Look at the MIT OpenCourseWare for the classes. That will give you a feeling for the
level at which MIT math is taught.</p>
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<p>I think taking all those math classes at that type of school (assuming that this is kind of representative of the quality of your school) is probably better than someone with the same classes, but maybe was part of a magnet program, where taking Calculus BC in 10th or 11th grade is really common and stuff.</p>
<p>With 2 more years to get into a college, what math courses would you all recommend taking after AP Calc BC for someone aspiring to be an engineer?</p>