Do I have a chance?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>I'm a freshman right now, and I'm kind of stressed out because I'm taking Algebra 1 instead of Geometrey or Algebra 2, and Honors Biology instead of AP Biology. These are my classes:</p>

<p>Journalism
Algebra 1
P.E.
Honors English 9
Spanish 1
Honors Biology</p>

<p>Will this look really bad on my resume? Do I need to take Summer courses for math to get to Calculus? Algebra 1 is average, but most good students are in geometry. I want to major in Business.</p>

<p>I plan to become president of a Rotary Interact club, and am a Boy Scout aiming for Eagle.</p>

2

<p>As long as you’re taking the hardest classes available to you at this time, you shouldn’t have a problem.</p>

3

<p>That’s the problem, though.</p>

<p>The hardest available math class is Algebra 2/ Trig. I’m two levels behind that. Although you don’t receive college credits even for passing the test, a few freshman take AP Biology.</p>

4

<p>Since you posted your question in the Princeton forum, I’m assuming you want to come here. To be competitive, you need to take the most challenging course load you can handle. Not many people take AP Biology in ninth grade, so I wouldn’t worry about that. But you’re right to be concerned about math. I’d strongly recommend that you take a summer course to catch up if you’re serious about applying to top schools.</p>

5

<p>What level would you suggest I take as a sophomore? What did you take?</p>

6

<p>Well I doubt you could take two courses over the summer. So your only choice is to take geometry this summer and take Algebra 2 as a sophomore.</p>

7

<p>Is that good or bad?</p>

8

<p>That’s pretty standard for students applying to top schools. Some kids take calculus as juniors, but plenty don’t and still get in.</p>

9

<p>My friend had the same issue. He started in algebra one and had to double up soph year on geometry and algebra 2 to make room for calculus.</p>

<p>Oh and are you taking any sort of history class?</p>

10

<p>My school doesn’t allow you to take History until your second year.</p>

11

<p>I also notice that you’ve only got 4 core classes (Spanish, Bio, Algebra, and English). Are there any extra periods in the day when you can take another class? Maybe add a language or take another elective? I get the sense that most students applying to Princeton from public schools take the heaviest course load possible.</p>

<p>If you don’t feel comfortable with more classes, however, of course you should just keep your schedule the way it is. I do like Weasel’s suggestion of taking Geometry over the summer though. Check out CTY, Harvard Precollege, and Duke TIP. I’ve heard good things about all of them.</p>

12

<p>I don’t believe that Princeton offers a business major.</p>

13

<p>True but Princeton is still a great choice if you want to go into business after graduation. All of the top investment banks and management consulting firms recruit heavily on campus.</p>

14

<p>My school only allows 6 classes, they are all 56 minutes. I could probably convince my counselor to let me take 7, even though no one else does, though. I intend on getting my undergraduate from Princeton, and then getting my MBA at Wharton in the University of Pennsylvania, as I want to go into Investment Banking. Even though it sounds like it, I’m not stupid or anything. I just kept getting unlucky by the slightest chance every single time. In 5th grade, they were considering putting me in 6th grade math, but eventually decided against it. In 6th grade, I was in the top math class, and took a test which would have put me in the Pre-Algebra section of that class, but I failed. Then, at the end of 6th grade, I took a test that would have gotten me into Algebra 1 as a 7th grader, but I failed by a slim margin. </p>

<p>As a result, since I had been so close on getting into Algebra 1, I felt angry. My class was mostly dumb and average kids. When I’m not being challenged, I tend to not try. So I didn’t do as well as I could have that year, but once again, my teacher said she was thinking of putting me in Algebra 1 as an 8th grader. For some reason, she also decided against it… At the start of 8th grade, my math teacher gave a 30 question test. If you scored 27, you would be moved to Algebra 1. Guess what I got?.. 26. </p>

<p>So this and last year I really felt bad about math, and it’s made me abhor it, because in a way, math is the big reason why I’m not considered ‘‘brilliant’’ anymore. I used to always have the top marks in my classes, I was (still am in GATE), and was considered a genius, as I had scored an IQ in the 140s range by both a UCLA doctor and the ‘‘best’’ brain doctor in the country, Dr. Dwayne of Arizona. I was supposed to attend a Magnet school instead of a public school, but the drive to the nearest one was too far. If you’ve ever gotten that feeling, I feel like all the slow kids around me brought me down to their level. </p>

<p>Does Princeton look at Freshman classes? Also, will it look good to see me start in Algebra 1 and then finish somewhere way ahead of where I should have been? What classes did you people take? Is it possible for a tutor or the Elite School to teach me Geometry while I’m taking Algebra? I want to be doing Pre-Calculus next year if possible.</p>

<p>My schedule next year will most likely be:
Spanish 2
AP World History
AP Chemistry
P.E.
AP English Literature
Math?</p>

<p>I should have no problem with the SAT 1 or the SAT 2. I took the SAT 1 two years ago when I was 12, I scored 1,590/2,400, better than 58% of high school seniors.</p>

15

<p>you’re a freshman. Just do well in your classes and you’ll be fine.</p>

16

<p>Wow. You’re starting early. Don’t worry. Do well, and don’t burn yourself out for the important years (from the admissions office perspective) - 11th grade and the first half of 12th grade.</p>

17

<p>Like I said earlier, take geometry this summer. Assuming your IQ really is 140+ (no offense, but this seems like a stretch given your math troubles), then you should have no trouble skipping Algebra II altogether. Precalc is basically a more rigorous version of the Algebra II curriculum, so you won’t be missing anything. The hard part will be convincing your school to let you do it.</p>

18

<p>What about Trigonometry? Did you skip Algebra 2?</p>

19

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<p>At my school it was taught in the Algebra II course and the precalc course. There was no separate trig course.</p>

20

<p>How are you taking these AP courses so early? At my school, the honors version is required as a pre-requisite for the AP course so it cuts down on total APs you can take. (ex: To take AP US History you must first take Honors US History)</p>