<p>My S has been accepted to a number of schools, not Ivy types but solid regional schools and top 100 LACs. His GPA overall is 3.6 and he is around 3.85 for his first semester in senior year.</p>
<p>His schedule includes Physics, Spanish 4, AP English, and US Government. He also has calculus which he is considering dropping. He received a B- for the first semester. Not the end of the world. He earned 4 years of HS math by the end of his junior year by taking an accelerated geometry class during the summer before his sophomore year.</p>
<p>He is not a math guy and is not crazy about the teacher. Calculus is the only math course she teaches and I think the other math teachers are among the strongest faculty in the school. The study time is also a consideration as he has other commitments for the second semester:
Big athletic commitment
Big communisty based student learning commitment
Time away to visit out of area colleges</p>
<p>Without the calculus class he may carry a 4.0 his last semester. Any opinions on how the colleges will look at this?</p>
<p>Thanks for your insights.</p>
<p>If he’s already been accepted, it’s safe to call them. They certainly won’t rescind just for asking. :D</p>
<p>This is really just my ridiculous opinion. I think that it is good for a student to continue with math through the senior year. Many colleges, though certainly not all, have a math requirement for graduation. Students who do not have math senior year can struggle in the college math class because math is a skill students lose if they do not use it. I also think that dropping g it would look less favorable than getting a B. </p>
<p>In most cases, I would think that you would need to notify any schools where he has been accepted if he does drop. The acceptance letter usually has a clause about keeping up the grades, etc. If he is an athletic superstar,none of this may matter at all.</p>
<p>We have been in kind of the same boat this year with calculus, but of the grade were a B, we would be doing a happy dance.</p>
<p>Few years back when D1 asked her GC, the answer was no, she couldn´t drop any course without notifying colleges she had applied to. GC said that D1 had listed those courses on her application, and also had those courses on their official transcript, it would be dishonest if they didn´t notify those colleges. GC said some schools may not care, but some may view it as “slacking.” In your son´s case, his accepted schools may not care, but they would need to be told.</p>
<p>Check the requirements at his preferred colleges. If he has any interest in a major where he will have to take Calculus, I’d recommend staying in the class as long as he’s not failing. IMO, it’s worth the additional exposure - some students need more time for the underlying concepts to make sense. He won’t loose an offer of admission based on a single poor grade in one class. GC and admissions office can advise if an email or letter is needed from him or the GC to the school if he drops.</p>
<p>He’s already done 4 years of math and I am assuming he does not plan on doing a lot of math in college, from what you wrote.</p>
<p>Why did he take math in the fall?</p>
<p>There is a danger that it will look as if he took it in the fall in order to impress colleges and now that he is in, wants to drop it.</p>
<p>I think it is fine for him to take no math in senior year. One of my kids did this, and it worked out fine. But the appearance in terms of ethics is something to watch out for (and not just the appearance, possibly this hypothetical motivation is actually true).</p>
<p>I would call college(s) and ask them. It’s the honest thing to do and will protect him from any consequences. He could also write them a note. It would be good to provide a constructive reason beyond senioritis! The time element with other activities (are they new or unexpected?) is a good way to go.</p>
<p>You have to call the colleges. Some may be fine with it, others may consider it cause for rescinding the acceptance. Personally, I think it’s a good idea to get through calculus and if he ends up needing to take it in college it will be much easier for having the exposure.</p>
<p>We discourage our kids from doing things because they look good to colleges. He took calculus becuase it was there. Many of his friends are going into engineering etc and the math courses are very important to them. My S did a bit of investigating when he considered dropping this course and found that the schools he has applied to are looking for 4 years of math, which he already has. </p>
<p>He has called 2 counselors from schools where he has been accepted. Waiting for a call back on one school, the other absolutely did not care…in fact said if he was able to pick up his other grades to a 4.0 for the last semester it could even help a bit for scholarship consideration.</p>
<p>Waiting to see what the other school says…</p>
<p>What are his intended or possible major(s)?</p>
<p>Be aware that some social studies type of majors (particularly economics) may require calculus (possibly as a prerequisite for statistics, which tends to be important in social studies), and some more selective colleges may require it as a general graduation requirement.</p>
<p>So if calculus is necessary, but he can either fulfill it with AP credit, or get a better preview of it in high school, it may well be worth finishing the course in high school.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to check policies on changing senior year course selection at the schools which decisions have not yet been made, if there is a chance that he will want to go to one of them if accepted.</p>