I agree. My understanding is that colleges care more about the math coursework than they do about the CS coursework when they are admitting kids into the CS program.
OP, just confirming - Calc BC takes up two class periods at your school? Is it possible that the two class periods actually comprise calc AB & BC? This is how my D23âs school does it. You can take calc AB as a single period, or double up to do calc AB & BC at the same time using two class periods. My daughter is going this route, since there is no calc BC-only class. The only issue we have now is whether she should drop orchestra (which she loves) to take Physics C as well. I agree that there are just not enough hours in the day.
Yes, the BC class also includes AB, sounds like the same 2:1 format. We have also decided to go this route. And I hope your daughter can somehow keep orchestra! I continue to be amazed by the sacrifices and pressures kids deal with these days. All the best for senior year!
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I also donât understand why all these CS classes, which wonât be as favorably regarded in college admissions as another lab science (no to AP Human Geo), year of foreign language (how many does he have?), and social studies.
If he is going to be a recruited athlete, at many schools the choice between Calc AB and BC is less likely to matter. Having fewer than 20 core courses could be more of an issue at highly rejective schools.
You havenât really shared what schools you are talking aboutâŠwhich would be helpful. Not having BC will likely be a disadvantage in admissions (even with coach support) at MIT, CalTech, HMC, CMU, and probably a few other schools.
Thanks, as mentioned earlier, we are going the BC route so hopefully rigor wonât be an issue. The CS classes mentioned are requirements, not electives. It is just a unique (I guess) aspect of this particular school, which is ranked within Top 30 of USNWR national high schools, so I suppose that shows how meaningless rankings are given the feedback/pushback on these courses on this thread. ;-). The schools under consideration are mainly top academic D3s (you mentioned some) and a couple of D1s with strong CS departments. But we are hearing so many stories about incredibly qualified students being rejected as CS majors at all types of schools that I am thinking there are no sure bets anywhere â private, in-state public, OOS etc. Thanks everyone for the input here.
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My DS just went through this. If you want to go to a highly ranked CS school it is my opinion that you need BC. My DS had a 3.9xUW GPA, 4.4W with a 1560 SAT (800 Math 1st take). CS is extremely competitive; my son did not take BC and was rejected at the more prestigious CS schools.
Having said that, a lot of big tech donât even require four year degrees anymore. Make sure the fit is good versus the prestige factor.
The caveat is that technical roles do expect sufficient technical knowledge that most people would learn better by attending college to study CS, rather than self-education in CS as some of those with very high ability and motivation can do.
Nothing to dispute here.
I agree. Hard to replace a proper undergrad. You canât wing it.
You also learn team skills, code quality skills, presentation skills etc, even if you are narrowly focused on a programming job.
At my DS23 public High School, they donât have APCalc BC, AB is the maximum kids can take.
Does it matter when students take BC? My DD23 is taking it in senior year. She is a jr doing AB right now
Same in our school as well (actually it varied year to year), mine self-prepped and took BC in her sophomore year and took AB course in her junior year (thatâs when our school allows to take any APs). Some of her friends took BC test in junior year along with their AB, teachers helped to cover the gap. If none of this is possible then go for CC option. Many private colleges donât give you AP credits but they can place you at the next level if you score a 5 on BC.
If the school offers BC, and it is at all possible to take it, your student should take it.
Some good public schools, and also top boarding schools, are now offering multivariable calc at the high school, because so many kids are completing BC as juniors. Thatâs who he is competing against. It would be one thing if the school only offered AB, but since the offer BC, and he wants Comp Sci, he really should take BC.
No. No brownie points are awarded for taking it before senior year.
Thanks for the reply, so I understand do colleges consider what classes a kid is taking in senior year?
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Yes. Senior year courses are considered
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I kind of differ on this. Some of the T10s (Caltech, MIT etc) look to see a higher level of math in their applicants beyond BC. Caltech states it in their website that their applicants pretty much have taken MVC, Linear, DE or Set Logic. This is still one part of the n things these colleges need, still there definitely will be some brownie points in highly STEM focussed schools IMHO.
Caltech actually says that âapplicants should be able to demonstrate to the Undergraduate Admissions Committee a mastery of calculus and a proficient readiness to study math topics beyond calculus.â
Note the difference between âmastery of calculusâ and âproficient readiness to study math topics beyond calculusâ. This does not mean that the applicant is required to have math beyond calculus (mastery of which is required).
No, they donât. Even though many students have, it is not a requirement, particularly if post-BC is not even available to them.
Regardless, the 240 class size of Caltech is hardly a microcosm of the first year classes at US universities.
Mastery of Calculus and rigorously proof based tells it all. Taking Calc BC in senior year is not going to show that mastery in anyway unless the student has taken the exam and received a 5 on it.
Again each college is different, Iâm talking just about T10 STEM schools. So far all the CS admissions we know from top schools have exhausted their math pathway and either taking discrete math or MVC or LA. Since BC is available at the OPâs kidâs school I donât see an issue of taking it.
BTW, this is also given in Caltech website,
âWhat matters to the Committee is that youâve covered the material and have been evaluated for your proficiency at calculus, which is why we require seeing coursework with your final grade(s) earned.â
Though some schools donât want to put it out like Caltech does, a strong math foundation definitely adds brownie points. BTW, I rest my case now. Sorry @skieurope not to overrule you.
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