<p>I just finished my high school freshman year. I took Algebra I and easily passed with an A. I have to take Geometry next year - it's too late to change my schedule for sophomore year.</p>
<p>I would love to get into an Ivy League school. Princeton is my dream school and has everything I want. However, I don't know if I will can take Calculus before I graduate from high school. I could get to Calc in senior year, but I would have to overload myself with math and my GPA may suffer because of that. However, I will take Honors Pre-Calculus in senior year no matter what.</p>
<p>So, my question is: is it possible to get into an Ivy League school (particularly Princeton University) without taking Calculus?</p>
<p>It’s definitely possible. You’d have to check the specific requirements of the school/major. In the other aspect, though, it doesn’t hurt to take challenging courses and do well in them. A lot of students in Ivy schools likely took some form of calculus in high school.</p>
<p>Also, you haven’t even started your sophomore year yet! It’s nice to think about college, but you have a long way to go.</p>
<p>Edit: Is pre-calculus required for calculus in your school? One can fairly easily go right into calculus (including AP/IB) without learning any pre-calculus material.</p>
<p>Can you take geometry in summer school? It would be the best one to take during the summer, and you would probably do fine. That will give you more options and options are good!</p>
<p>Anything is possible, but to be honest the overwhelming majority of students I’ve met (including humanities majors) had at least AP Calculus AB before leaving high school. Of my roommates, two are humanities (respectively philosophy and Near-Eastern studies) majors, and I was quite surprised to learn that both had taken calculus BC in their junior years of high school - one mostly to get math out of the way (she managed a 4), the other because she liked and was good at math.</p>
<p>Islander 4: I’m looking into Princeton University, and they only require Calculus for Engineering majors. I will not go into engineering, so that’s no issue!
Yes, Pre-calc is a required prerequisite for Calculus at my school.</p>
<p>VAMom2015: Unfortunately, I cannot take Geometry over the summer. I have already asked the math department, and they would not permit that. I have no idea why! I wish they would have let me. </p>
<p>Physicshobo: I know, unfortunately most students have taken Calculus in high school. That’s why I wish I was able to! Thanks for the insight!</p>
<p>Okay, I will definitely take that up with the math teachers and see what I can do!
I know of a summer course that includes trigonometry with Algebra II, so that would set me up for Pre-calculus and ultimately AP Calculus.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much. Princeton doesn’t base admissions on a checklist. They do want to know you are broadly educated.
My daughter was asked by her Princeton interviewer whether she took AB or BC. My daughter didn’t know what she was talking about, never having studied Calculus. She was admitted and just graduated.</p>
Thanks for the insight!</p>