Does not being a grade ahead in math put me at a disadvantage?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello, I am currently going to be a sophomore in High School who is planning on taking Algebra 2 this year. However, I'm considering whether I should take a course to skip PreCalc/Trig, so I won't have to take it in junior year. I want to be an engineer, physicist, or financial engineer (not decided yet, but I want to do something that will relate to math and science). My main question is that if I do not skip a grade of math in high school and I want to major in one of these things, how will it affect my college applications? I plan on applying to CalTech, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Brown, MIT, and a few other places. Will these colleges look to see if I am a grade ahead in math? And if so, will not being a grade ahead hurt my chances of getting into these colleges? I'm also Indian (if that helps).</p>

2

<p>All I can tell you that it will put you at disadvantage at HS. I am one year ahead in math. I am taking trig now as a sophomore. If I were in Calculus, I would be able to take AP Physics C, but for now I am stuck with Physics B.
What is financial engineering?</p>

3

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<p>For all of those universities, not being one of the top few students in your graduating class would put you at a disadvantage.</p>

<p>Are you one of the top few students in your graduating class?</p>

4

<p>If you’re taking Algebra II as a sophomore (and you’ve taken geometry), you’re already a grade ahead.</p>

5

<p>Well I don’t know my class rank yet, but I’m taking two weighted this year (most possible without being ahead in math) and 5 in junior year so assuming I get A’s in all of those classes, then I probably will be.</p>

6

<p>Thanks! And financial engineering is basically where you get paid to build financial models of the stock market to predict it. It’s taken in grad school, and I think only a few colleges offer it right now, including the ones I listed above</p>

7

<p>Might be different in your school. For us, it goes Geometry as a freshman, algebra 2 as a sophomore, pre calc as a junior, calc ab as a senior and if your a grade ahead you take calc bc</p>