<p>Ok hi im new on this site but like most new ccer's i've been hovering for a while. Anyways i came here with a question. I'm starting as a freshman at this prep school after public primary school for nine yrs(k-8th) and i completed algebra in grade 8. but when i took the test at the prep school to go into algebra 2 i didn't pass. keep in mind i was nervous and apparently the prep school teaches more in their level one than my middle school did. i found this out by having a personal meeting w/the math chair. it is now the end of the summer and after the meeting the math chair has decided to give me a chance in level 2. and gave me a week to consider this option. if i get below a B- then i get put back into algebra 1 but no grade penalty so it will not affect my gpa. which is the only reason im even considering this after all i have a goal of either Northwestern or Yale for undergraduate school. so basically i want to know do u think it would be wise of me to go into algebra 2 or stay in algebra one. despite my college goals.</p>
<p>and could u look at my freshman schedule and co-curriculars and tell me if they r good for someone shooting for an elite school after going to a very elite high school.</p>
<p>Biology I- (no honors offered)
World Civ (switching to honors second semester)
English 9-Honors
Religion/Computer (both required)
Algebra II-Honors (if i decided to go with honors)
Physical Education (also required)
Spanish I (my middle school only got to chpt. 4 by end of yr. so i have to repeat this class)</p>
<p>Co-Curriculars</p>
<p>Model UN
Student Ambassador
Amnesty International
Debate Team (school was #1 in Nation in 2005)
Black Student Union (yes im an URM)
Newspaper
Young Democrats Society
Chemistry Team
Federal Challenge Team
and
If im excepted
Mayors Youth Council...won't know until August
and
In the Summer
Northwesterns summer gifted program
so tell me what u think</p>
<p>Well you have way too many activities. Colleges will see that and think, Jack of all Trades, Master of None. And how would you even have time for all of them? Narrow down that list and devote a lot of time to them instead of spreading yourself too thin. Trust me if you show that list to colleges they'll think you did it all just for college.</p>
<p>Now about the schedule, your classes are fine. I think you should take Algebra 2, because honestly they spend A LOT of time reviewing Algebra 1 anyway and colleges will be more impressed, especially if you're aiming for Yale.</p>
<p>yeah i'd go with the AlgII, that way (at least this is the way my school does it for the most part) you can do AlgII for 9th, Geom for 10th, PreCal 11th, and Calc 12th</p>
<p>At my school this is how it works for honors</p>
<p>freshman year- algebra 2
sophomore year-discrete math honors first semester and precalculus second semester and geometry the entire year
junior year- Calculus AB-AP entire year and Stat. 1 AP first semester and Stat 2 AP second semester
senior- Calculus BC entire year</p>
<p>and yes it is honors level im not sure of my exact score on the test but it wasn't high but the thing is on the algebra section on the entrance exam into the school i scored about a 93% which is considered very high but on the placement i was so nervous i was forgetting simple things like the order of operations(silly me) when i reviewed with the instructor she said she was sure i new more than the test showed and what i didn't know i could catch on to quickly.</p>
<p>Order of Operations...You must have horrible memory or bad IQ. You've been using those for 3-5 years. You guys have to take AB before BC that sucks.</p>
<p>What do you mean mr. chipset? Plus, he should take it because it is the easiest of the math classes you'll take. It's a time to focus on other classes. :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Take Alg II. I think it will be very awkward for a top student going to a top college to be in first year alg in freshman year.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's completely unfounded. I got into Stanford, and I took Algebra I freshman year after having taken it in 8th grade. Top colleges won't give a crap about what math you took freshman year--as long you get a good graded and that you're in Calculus (AB or BC or beyond) senior year.</p>
<p>masterus: no i have an excellent memory and great IQ but that day i was seriously freaking out... i was taking three different test that last 2 hours each and the math advisor told us before hand that most of us were going to fail the test miserably and only about 14 out of about 200-200 is the entire grade practically everybody took the test because everybody at my school was in all honors courses in middle school because in case u didn't noticed i listed that it was an elite prep school that only admits the top 10% of students who take the test(even top 10% aren't definite if your ec's r weak)-were actually going to be accepted into the honors class. So I panicked forget things that on the entrance exam ssat i got correct. I panicked it's to late to change that now i just need to decide would it be smart to move on to level 2 because like i mentioned i had a meeting with the department chair and was able to redeem my algebra skills.</p>