I am an incoming sophomore, class of 2026. Last year in freshman year, I took Algebra 2/Trig Honors as my math class. However I already mastered all of the content up to calculus- I took the AP Calc BC exam this year and predict a score of 5. Additionally, next year I plan on taking more math classes in a nearby community college, such as multivariable calculus which will be placed on a separate transcript I am an AIME qualifier and plan on qualifying for olympiad next year. Will colleges will find it weird/problematic if they only see Algebra 2 on my high school transcript? Should I take pre-calculus H next year although I already know all the content?
I went through Algebra 2 with 100s in nearly all my tests without any studying and worked on my own stuff every class.
You can provide the community college transcript. But are you doing dual enrollment? If so the community college transcript should be part of what your high school sends to schools. Be careful about taking college classes separately from dual enrollment since you want to retain freshman status if you want financial aid and don’t want to be a transfer applicant. When do you get your AP score?
Is there any value for you in taking math at your high school? Have you done geometry w/proofs?
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You will have to provide a transcript of all classes you take including those taken at CC.
And if you havent taken geometry yet you should.
I would not take pre-calc now if you have successfully completed the Calc BC AP exam. Did you take a calculus class? Self-studying for an exam is not the same as completing a class.
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Talk to your school counselor and make sure you will have satisfied your state high school graduation requirements.
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If your courses are dual enrollment courses, they are usually considered part of your high school course load…but ASK….don’t assume.
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Some colleges prefer to see actual course instruction and mastery, not just an AP test score. You should ask your school counselor about that.
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I don’t think taking precalculus is what you should be doing. When you were taking that AP test, etc, what was your plan for math the rest of high school? It very well could be community college courses…but I will say…many colleges recommend four years of math in high school. So…just make sure your CC courses will fulfill that as well.
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If you got a 5 on the BC exam and an AIME qualifier, no need to repeat ANYTHING. You’ve proven you can do it. Time for other math.
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Are you looking at the UCs? If so you will need geometry on your transcript, I believe. Is that correct @gumbymom?
I’m not @Gumbymom , but yes, that is correct.
Unless applying to the UCs which require a geometry course on the transcript. Whether the OP had such a course in 8th grade (which would count) is unknown.
But yes, no reason to take precalc (or any other lower level course except geometry for UC) if you score a 5 on BC
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If you are doing Dual Enrollment I think you are fine. There could be an issue with not actually taking Calc and just relying on the exam. Colleges put a lot more emphasis in the course grade vs the AP test score. Does your school not offer AP Calc
Actually… that is not exactly true. IF you have a 5 on AP calc BC AND you’ve taken linear, diff. etc. it is assumed you’ve taken geometry. I know of MANY math kids (Proof School, privates, public, HS dual enrollment) have gotten into Cal, UCLA, UCSB, etc. without geometry on their transcript. Geometry was taken in middle school and it didn’t seem to be a problem. Just know it is possible. If your school counselor is not familiar with math kids like you, maybe reach out to a professional college counselor to ask that question. It might be worth the hour of their time. Also, please know you are in the top 1% of math kids in the US who have taken Calc early, qualify for the AIME, etc. You are not typical.
Come to think of it, why not reach out to the AIME folks and ask them how it works? They have to deal with this kind of thing all the time, and maybe they have a system in place to help kids like you. If not they can at least steer you in the right direction. Good luck and congrats on that 5!
From the UC website:
Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB or Calculus BC Exam satisfies two years of the requirement (but not geometry).
NOTE: All students must complete a geometry course or integrated math with geometry content. One transferable college course will not satisfy the full three-year math requirement.
If a Geometry course was taken in Middle school, then the requirement is met.
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More information regarding the UC Geometry requirement:
MIDDLE/JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL COURSES
• UC will continue to allow students to self-report on the admission application a geometry course or a sequence of integrated-style math courses completed in grade 7 or 8 to meet the mathematics (“c”) subject requirement.
• UC does not require the submission of a middle school transcript, nor will high schools be required to list middle/junior high school math courses on high school transcripts.
POLICY ON GEOMETRY COURSE VALIDATION
Options for a Deficient Grade
If a student completes Geometry and receives a deficient grade (D/F), the student can validate the grade deficiency by completing at least the first semester of an advanced-level math course. Refer to the “Validation Matrix – Math and LOTE,” in the Quick Reference for Counselors guidebook for appropriate advanced-level math courses that validate a deficient grade in Geometry.
Options for Course Omissions
• The omission of a yearlong Geometry course cannot be validated by advanced-level math courses (e.g., Algebra II/Trigonometry, Trigonometry, Math Analysis, Pre-Calculus, or Calculus).
• The omission of the first semester of Geometry can be validated by successful completion of the second semester of Geometry with a letter grade of C or better.
• The omission of a yearlong integrated course with sufficient geometry content (e.g., Mathematics II) can be validated by a higher-level integrated course (e.g., Mathematics III) with a letter grade of C or better, provided that the higher-level course shows clear evidence of substantial sequencing in the integrated curriculum.
• The omission of the first semester of an integrated course with sufficient geometry content (e.g., Mathematics II) can be validated by successful completion of the second semester of an integrated course with sufficient geometry content with a letter grade of C or better.
Validation by Examination
• Standardized exams (SAT/ACT, SAT Subject, AP, IB, etc.) cannot validate the omission of a Geometry course or an integrated course with sufficient geometry (e.g., Mathematics II).
• UC will accept a “challenge” examination to demonstrate proficiency to validate the course omission if the high school awards both grades and units for the successful completion of a Geometry challenge exam.
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Actually, it is exactly true, and UC will assume no such thing
As I said earlier, geometry taken in middle school would count. Without a HS level geometry course or integrated math course featuring geometry, the requirement can also be met by an appropriate college level course, e.g. topology, differential geometry, but not by a higher level non-geometry course like MVC as mentioned in the original post. Not to get bogged down in the details, since we don’t know OP’s college list. If it does include the UCs, they would be well served to contact them directly
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@denon:
1° did you take Geometry in MS or HS?
2° are you aiming for a California public university?
3° will you be dual-enrolled for math at the nearby community college? In that case, you should plan to take Calc2 (Honors if offered), then 3 from Calc-based stats, Discrete Math, MVC, Linear Algebra UNLESS you didn’t take Geometry in MS
4° I would recommend trying to take some introduction to philosophy and some CS classes, too
5° What else are you taking? Some students who really like math have found, to their detriment, that being very advanced at math but not having the basics in Humanities, social sciences, etc, is a problem. You don’t have to be very advanced at everything but you do need to have Bio/chem/Physics+1 science, Foreign Language through level 4 or AP, 4 years of English (AP/Honors/DE), and 4 years of social science (typically including US history, European or World History, and 2 others such as Government, Economics, Geography, African American studies, etc.)
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This is dangerous advice. Self studying for AP exam is not the same as taking the class. The AP grades have not been released yet, so the score of 5 is not a done deal. Many states require 4 years of HS math for graduation so make sure your CC dual enrollment counts for your HS requirements. Make sure you have taken Geometry. Don’t let advice from strangers on this forum be your only guidance. Check with your guidance counselor. Check with admissions from colleges.
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I did geometry & algebra 1 in 4th grade and trigonometry & algebra 2 in 5th grade (so I never reported these classes) and got into all the UCs I applied to (UCB, UCLA, UCSB). So, I don’t believe that was a requirement
Are there any colleges that require a student who took college courses while still in high school to be a transfer applicant?
(As opposed to taking college courses after leaving high school, which does trigger the requirement to be a transfer applicant at many colleges.)
The UC requirement to have had a geometry course for frosh admission is relatively new (in the last few years or so).
Page 19 of https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/_files/documents/quick-reference.pdf indicates that validation of geometry by higher level math can only be done for deficient (D or F) grades earned in geometry, but not for the omission or absence of geometry. However, page 20 says that omission of first semester of geometry can be validated by a C or higher grade in second semester of geometry.
@ucbalumnus I don’t know. The student did not indicate dual enrollment and seems to be doing the AP test on their own as well. But you are probably right: no effect on transfer status. After graduation obviously. Do you know?
Our son’s classmate was expected to become the valedictorian.
He never made it and his parents were furious but it was partially their fault. Because he and his family were so busy trying to manipulate the HS counselor with his schedule towards Math courses, he neglected to take Biology. So he couldn’t graduate from the high school, and he was rescinded when the transcripts were sent to all of his top 10’s and couldn’t get into the UC’s. (I found out when the Mom accosted me and wanted to know if our son was the valedictorian. She insinuated that we had also changed our son’s schedule. I worked at the high school and we followed the schedule but our son had added more coursework from the CC.)
I say, research the websites of desired universities and read through their freshman admissions requirements and check with the HS Guidance counselor on requirements to receive the HS diploma.
You don’t want to give a reason for the colleges to reject you if you haven’t met the basic admissions requirements when everyone else has completed them.
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