So I’ve seen some people say that with AP’s and high school classes, it might be better to take an actual course than do an independent study; however, is this true for independent studies in college? I’m a senior with essentially all of my graduation requirements out of the way, so I had a lot of leeway in choosing my schedule this year and opted to have a very math-based curriculum (my intended major), with only 2 of my classes actually being at my high school. The local university I’m attending, however, seems to only offer a single “upper division” math class each semester, so this semester I decided to take a Real Analysis course (regular class) and do a directed readings ‘class’ in Abstract Algebra. Next semester I’m scheduled to take a normal course in Topology, but then have 2 directed readings courses, 1 in Ring & Field theory and the other in Complex Analysis.
My fear is that colleges will view these independent studies as less rigorous than if I had taken them in a classroom setting, especially since I’m still in high school (i.e. they might think they were ‘dumbed down’ and that I’m getting a relatively easy ‘A’, even if this is not the case). The truth of the matter is that I find myself spending more time working on my one independent study this semester than I do on all of my other classes COMBINED, and would even argue that I have obtained a deeper understanding of the material (and covered more, as well) than if I had taken the course in a traditional classroom setting. The classes will show on my transcript, so they’ll at least see that it was something ‘official’, though.
I might just be super paranoid about this because it’s around the time to submit college apps, but if I need to do something to let the admissions counselors know that I’m doing meaningful work (such as discussing it on the common app, or having my professors write something about it), then I’d like to know before I submit all of my apps to colleges.
What is your college of choice? What I would do is to contact the head of the dept. at a college or two that you hope to attend, and tell them your plan. If you take a Ring and Field Theory directed readings course…what you hope to do with that? Do you want to get credit at the college you get admitted to? Would they take it? These are questions you should ask…Or maybe you just want to get some background now and then are happy to take the “real” Complex Analysis course in college.
So if your plan is to show “I am really into Math” vs. “I want to transfer all of these Math courses”.
You want to make sure they don’t think “He thinks he took Math courses, but not really”
It’s like if someone self-studied for an AP course but then didn’t do well in the actual HS courses. It is important to colleges that they think you can take normal courses and graduate…not just study on your own.
But discuss your plan with someone at a university you hope to go to and see what they think.
My TOP choices at the moment are Rice University and Brown, (even if they’re super reachy). It would be optimal if I received credit, but unnecessary because I’m taking these courses because I really love math and want to learn more of it. My hope is that by doing these independent studies, I’ll be able to take more advanced (like, graduate level) versions of these courses once I get to college, not necessarily just for background before taking “real” versions. For example, the textbook I’m required to use for complex analysis states that it’s intended for “a first serious (senior or graduate level) course on complex analysis”, and since it’s (allegedly) at that level, I’d like to not have to take the introductory complex analysis course upon entering college. My professors seem to think it will turn out alright, but they’ve also said they have never seen a hs student enter college with this amount of math before…
Who is directing/grading your independent study? Whoever that is may have to send some justification for your grade or you may have to retake at your eventual college.
I have a professor I meet with once a week who checks weekly problem sets for accuracy. He has already told me that’d he’d send something to the math department of the college I attend discussing that I understood the material and why, etc.
He said he’d send something to the college I’d attend, after decisions are made. My question is concerning how adcoms will see it, and if I’d need to have my prof send something along with my app when applying to college.