<p>My son is an HS Junior and will have taken all the math classes our HS offers - he currently is taking AP Calc BC and last year took AP Stats and precalc. He hopes to major in math so wants to take another math course before college. It will be hard to take a college class during the school year with EC's so he would like to take Calc III this summer at a local university. I found Calc III offered at the community college - the cost at taking at the community college is considerably less than at the university. He feels it won't look as good on his college apps if he takes at the community college. What are your thoughts - does it matter where he takes it? Thank you.</p>
<p>Yes, it matters where he takes it. At the community college he’ll have a smaller class and an instructor (not a graduate assistant) who can get to know him and wants to be teaching this lower-division class. 
Oh, and he’ll probably have better parking, too. :D</p>
<p>One thing you might look into is whether his target colleges will accept transfer credits from the CC vs. the university. Assuming he plans to get credit for his class rather than retake it in college.</p>
<p>It shouldn’t make a difference for admission purposes, but it will likely matter if your expectation is to receive credit for the course. Many colleges are very picky about the transfer credits they accept, but if that’s not important to you then he can take it whenever and however he’d like. </p>
<p>Some state U’s have lists of approved community colleges from which they accept transfer credit - if he’s thinking of applying to his state U he might want to check that out. My kids had courses at no-name community colleges and it didn’t hurt them in the least for admissions, but they knew going in they were not likely to receive credit (and they didn’t).</p>
<p>The other option is to have him take advanced math courses through EPGY- Stanford U’s online HS. They are challenging, but there is no question about their credibility with admissions committees at colleges.</p>
<p>Menloparkmom: Just for clarification for me, because I am curious also. Are you saying the (advanced) high school math class through EPGY would carry as much weight as a college course?</p>
<p>What the colleges will care about is that he was motivated to go beyond what the HS offered and look for a greater challenge.</p>
<p>[EPGY</a> Frequently Asked Questions](<a href=“http://epgy.stanford.edu/overview/faq.html#accredation]EPGY”>http://epgy.stanford.edu/overview/faq.html#accredation)</p>
<p>Course Credit</p>
<p>Students admitted to EPGY may enroll formally in the Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP) and receive credit from CSP for each course completed. Students who want to receive credit from their own elementary, middle, or high schools should talk to their school officials before enrolling in EPGY. Students who take courses beyond the advanced placement level and matriculate as undergraduates at Stanford may use these credits towards their bachelor’s degrees. Students who attend other universities will have to transfer the credit from CSP.</p>
<p>many (most?) schools will not give any credit for a class taken at a different U (no matter how well respected that U happened to be). He might get advanced placement.</p>
<p>The effort and the initiative count most. The type of school is probably less important, and is much cheaper, and often more convenient. </p>
<p>If he wants to attend the local U where he wants to take the class, it is a different story. In that case it’s probably worth the cost - they will give them the credit, and attending classes there during HS will give him a boost in admissions.</p>
<p>You son can still participate in ECs and take university or cc math courses during the school year. Enroll in college math classes that meet from 8-10pm several times a week. It is doable but your kid has to manage his time wisely.</p>
<p>I have not heard that it makes a whole lot of difference where a kid takes an advanced calc class for admissions purposes. However, all things equal, it can look better if a kid is taking college level courses at a full 4 year known college vs a community college. I don’t think it comes down to such detail.</p>
<p>Once a kid has been accepted to a college, the quality of a math course can be very important. There is calculus and there is calculus. Kids going into a tough math regiment at a school that is very strong in math may not have gotten what they needed from some summer course. My sons took calculus at a local college over the summer and found that it was not as thorough as the AP courses. There just wasn’t the emphasis on theory, and when they went to college and took the calculus that was for math/sciences majors, they needed the thorough treatment to move on ahead. I have heard of many kids who bomb college calc after already having had it in high school or community college because the course was a Calc lite. Do make sure you know if the calc being given is a true foundation for continuing with Calc, Analysis, and Linear Algebra rather than Calc for business or non science/math majors.</p>
<p>“He might get advanced placement.”
AP college credit is given based on the scores of AP exams. If a student takes an
AP level math course, regardless of where he takes it, and scores well on the exam[ 4-5], and if the college that student matriculates at gives AP credit for that class, credit would be given.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Has he heard that from someone local? I’m acquainted with parents here whose children have done any of the things suggested above, local university classes, local community college classes, EPGY distance learning classes, or other distance learning classes. Math classes do vary in quality, and some college admission offices would look into the quality differences, but mostly the right idea is to keep taking math and, yes, take the appropriate AP test for the math your child has covered. College policies in admission vary enough that exactly how the course is taken may not be the major issue, unless the local reputation of the community college is very poor indeed. (Some community colleges are great, and regularly transfer a lot of students to the flagship state university. I have no idea what the local reputation is of the college your son is doubtful about, but that would be an issue to check, for his motivation as much as for any other reason.) </p>
<p>Good luck figuring out what to do.</p>
<p>jsmom~</p>
<p>As to your original question, will it matter on his applications? Am I reading that correctly? </p>
<p>Our D took classes in foreign language and political science at the local university because she had maxed out of what her HS offered. The district pays for them; is required to do so by law. She was admitted into all of the LAC’s she applied to (two of them quite competitive). We weren’t so concerned as to whether or not those classes would transfer, but rather that her transcripts showed that she took advantage of what was available to her. Once kids get to college they are often tested to see what level of classes they should be placed in. </p>
<p>It is my understanding that admissions offices are looking for students who take advantage of the highest available offerings to them; this is because secondary school options are so variable across the country.</p>
<p>Professors at all schools, and admissions officers at top schools, will know that “Calculus III” (whatever that means!) at the local college has a selectivity, difficulty, and coverage well below the nominally equivalent offering at the university. Credit may not be available and placement is often by exam.</p>
<p>For calculus specifically, beyond the BC advanced placement courses, I think the only category of students for whom it can be important to take it before college are people who know that it will lighten the engineering or pre-med requirements at a (same) state university or other institution that definitely takes the credits.</p>
<p>There are so many issues to consider here. 1. Will taking Calc III help in the admissions process. 2. Should it be taken at the cc or local university; 3. will the student get credit for it or not. 4. will the student be well prepared for college math or not; 5. will the student be placed in a more advanced class or will need to repeat.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes, it will help. My question would be what the student would be studying during the academic year. It is better to keep one’s math skills fresh.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t think it makes a huge difference in the admissions process. It shows the student’s dedication to study.</p></li>
<li><p>He may or he may not. For example, Harvard gives Advanced Standing for scores of 5 on 4 approved APs. The student will be taking AP-Calc BC next month. Harvard, however, will not give credit for even higher level math courses, even when taken at Harvard and with an excellent grade (but it lets such students take higher level courses). Other institutions might.</p></li>
<li><p>It depends on how the course is taught. Some students who received 5s on their AP exams feel more comfortable repeating calculus in college. I believe that in such a case, they are not able to use their score for Advanced Standing.</p></li>
<li><p>If the student has taken Calc III and done well in a well-taught course, he may be able to take a higher level class in math with the permission of the instructor. But he would still need to fulfill the numeric requirements (number of courses required).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The quality of the math course will matter. Know a gifted girl who took AP calc at local HS, regular calc “2” at flagship U via state’s youth options and then calc “3” at an Ivy. Her mother said she and a college friend rated schools and concluded Ivy > good public U regular (ie not Honors) > podunk college > AP. More material is covered in a good college course than an average one- students with AP credit sometimes struggle with 2nd semester calc or repeat 1st sem. Worry more about the challenge and quality of the course than the resume. Choose the one that will not have him bored and wasting his summer, not the application. It could be worthwhile to pay more to get more.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Is that for the Harvard math major courses offered by the math department (the track that starts with abstract algebra or math 25-55), with the student having official enrollment in the class, or the stuff at Harvard Extension that lots of Boston area students take?</p>
<p>Either kind. Some students begin at the Extension School then go on to take College courses. They don’t get credit for it. One person I know was allowed to take Math 25–I don’t know how he swung it, considering his high school is in a suburb. Obviously, he did not have to repeat it once he got into Harvard. But he still needed the full number of courses to graduate.</p>
<p>That’s as official enrollment with a transcript from the Harvard registrar, or showing up to math 25/55/112 and doing the exams and problem sets with professor’s consent?</p>
<p>Siserune: I sent you a PM.</p>