Dear All,
My DC is on an accelerated math track at school–took Geo Trig Honors in 8th and the following track is Algebra 2/Precalc in 9th, Calc AB AP in 10th, Calc BC 3D in 11th , MVC or LInear/Diff Equations in 12th.
Now the reality check–Geo Trig Honors in 8th grade has not been a smooth sail…most probably DC is going to be end up with a high B or close to 90. We have been discussing that perhaps it might make sense to ease up a bit and take the following track Algebra Adv (9th), Precalc Adv (10th), Calc AB AP (10th), Calc BC 3D in 12th. It is likely DC will have an easier time and also end up with a higher GPA.
We are realistic parents and actively discourage DC from fixating on Brand name Colleges/ Ivies etc but again he is an ambitious student and we don’t want to close any doors 4 years down the lane. But given that his HS gives the option of taking these really advanced Math courses (MVC/Linear equations) , would it undermine his HS resume in any way if he decided to apply for the highly competitive colleges (Possibly with a bio focus)? We know it is such chance game but there are some (very few) givens such as challenging course loads as per your HS and we are trying to look at different aspects while we encourage him to make this decision.
Thank you for your advice.
I don’t have experience with admissions to tippy tops, but I did think of something that might help. Have you talked with parents/students at the high school? Ours lacks good math teachers for Calc BC and beyond. The word is that the kids better be ready to teach themselves at that level. That wouldn’t have worked well for my student who likes math but is not super gifted in it.
My other thought is that if the current accelerated math is challenging when surrounded by 8th grade classes, it might be highly stressful when taken with honors or AP in other subjects.
It is not necessary to complete multivariable calculus in high school, especially for a prospective biology major.
Even the “less advanced” track you are considering is still advanced, since the normal track is precalculus in 12th grade.
However, if s/he targets the most selective colleges, find out from the high school counselor whether choosing the “less advanced” math track will prevent getting the “most demanding” schedule indication on the counselor recommendation.
Yes that seems like a good idea to me…we see stories here on CC where students get to far ahead of themselves in Math and then wonder what to do. Getting to BC is still very advanced!
ALso remember: It is okay to wait to take College classes in College! And if you are very capable in Math, then it is okay to pursue those in HS.
HS should be a time to learn and explore, not to be totally stressed out. You want to challenge yourself, but not to the point you are miserable.
Taking the math courses that you outlined seems great. Some of my fellow classmates who took Calc AB Junior year and Calc BC Senior year went to UPenn, Yale, Northeastern; even two who didn’t take Calculus BC went to Notre Dame.
The usual advanced path is Algebra in 7th, Geometry in 8th, Algebra II/Trig 9th, Pre-Calc in 10th and AP Calc AB or AP Calc BC in 11th but no need to take both. (Lots of overlap between pre-Calc and AB and between AB and BC). Then either Multivariate and/or AP Stats in 12th. Regular Calculus instead of AP Calculus if one intends on taking the full Calculus series in college again. My kid got into an elite school for CS without the multivariate and is leaning towards taking the “B” part of Calculus again even though he got a 5 on his BC since it’s been a year since he did any real hard math, well except in his Physics C class.
The second math pathway is already considered quite advanced.
I’ve heard from some teachers that math kids sometimes have problems with geometry and bounce back in trig/algebra2. If it makes sense, I find geometry proofs like pattern matching rather than problem solving.
My S20 took MultiVar/LinearAlg and DifferentialEq in 12th grade at the local CC. It was a pain in the neck since he did not have a drivers licence until late in the year and I was the chauffeur. If you have the classes at high school and the teachers are good, I say go for it.
Colleges are trying to get more girls into the harder/quantitative STEM majors and lots of Math looks good (See CMU’s SCS Male/Female stats). Sorry, but Bio is not a subject where girls are in short supply.
What’s important is mastery and confidence at every level. For everything except pure math, math is a tool. Economics, physics, sociology… it helps when you’re explaining concepts or data with numbers to feel like it’s a language you speak. Fluently. Maybe even cleverly.
I would suggest dropping back a level on what seems to be a speedway of a program. For a kid with some ability, which your kid must have shown to be placed on this track, this should not be a struggle. Challenge is fine, but for something like math, which is sequential, your kid should ultimately win the match. Convincingly.
He can try the old final exams for the courses that he is allowed to skip to check his knowledge to the college’s standards. That can allow for making a more informed placement decision.
@ucbalumnus yes he did try the UCB Math 1B tests and didn’t do all that great. But then again he’s been in senioritis mode for the last month or so.
I will take Math, as through mathematics and logic you solve societies problems. Higher value is assigned to you if you develop problem solving skills. People higher you if you think and offer unique solutions. Spitting answers by plugging and chucking is not math learning at higher level. Math is fun
The second track is plenty rigorous and there is no need to take Multivariable Calculus in 12th grade.
Another option might be to take AP Statistics senior year if it’s offered instead of Calculus BC. A good foundation in Statistics is helpful for Biology majors.
I don’t know if the situation we came across is common. Due to a variety of reasons, my kids decided they didn’t like math (I’m a mathematician 
) So while they were at the highest level offered in all other subjects, they hung back a level on the math track. The result… they ended up taking their math classes with the high achievers one year younger - not really any easier and none of their same-age friends to commiserate with.