I am currently a freshman taking accelerated algebra 2. I took algebra in 7th grade and accelerated geometry in 8th. (My district uses the terms accelerated/advanced instead of honors). The pathway I am on continues like this:
Sophomore: Accelerated Pre-Calc
Junior: AP Calc BC
Senior: AP Stats or no math. (My school does not offer multivariable calc or any other higher math).
When I signed up for sophomore classes recently, my GC gave me my current transcript with grades from first semester. Underneath those grades, there is a section listed as “High School Classes Taken in Middle School.” Geometry is listed, but Algebra 1 isn’t. However, the transcript says I got no credit for this class, though I did get an A for both semesters. Since I will be done with the traditional math sequence junior year, is it necessary for me to take statistics junior year in order to have that fourth math credit? If I don’t, will colleges look at my transcript as only three math credits, or does the zero credit signify that the geometry class won’t count toward high school graduation, but toward college admission?
Will only three years of math look bad if I still take a physics class senior year? (I’m not really a STEM person, despite taking the accelerated math path).
Colleges would expect that you’ll look for a more advanced class (or at least a calculus-based statistics class at a community college) if it is available through dual enrollment/PSEO.
However, this is for the most selective colleges, that expect you to “stretch” and show initiative.
For basic admission purpose, finishing Calc BC = completing 4 years. (math and foreign languages replace “years” by “level reached”).
I dsagree with the previous post. The most competitive colleges expect you to take the most rigorous courseload available to you. That means at your high school. I would plan to take AP Stats.
NavalTraditions, AP Stats IS NOT considered part of the “most rigorous courseload”. AP Stats after Calc BC is seen as “an easy class” - AP stats, like AP human geog, APES, and AP Psych, are “AP light” classes. They’re a good complement to a core class, but are not considered to replace it; they’re also a good introduction to academic rigor for students who were previously only in regular classes.
A student who completes Calc BC is expected to continue with this level of math, not drop down to an easy math class. They can choose to take AP Stats, of course, as long as they have something else indicating rigor.
“Most rigorous courseload” is dependent on the school, and specifically on what the guidance counselor represents in his/her narrative included with the transcript. If the school only offers AP Stats, AP Stats is the most rigorous courseload, easy though it may be (and I agree with you on that).
I think it would be nice - and probably look fairly good to adcoms - to continue with multivariable calc at CC. But what are the tradeoffs and practicalities of that? Would the student be able to drive his/her self? Would the student have to drop an extracurricular? There are many scenarios where CC classes would make no sense at all, even for a student shooting for HYPMS.
I’m not looking at this in terms of course load rigor (while that’s obviously important; I’ll take other APs in addition to math) but in terms of admission requirements. Will colleges that require/strongly “recommend” four years of math look at junior BC as having completed that? Would they throw my application out just because I ran out of math classes? Some colleges don’t even count stats as a math credit.
I will consider the community college idea, however, I’m not sure how practical that will be because I don’t plan to own a car in the next few years and I don’t know if scheduling would allow me to do extracurriculars such as theatre and forensics that require commitment.
You should be fine if you finish your Junior year with AP Cal BC. I would go ahead and take AP Stats Senior year if you do not plan to pursue a STEM major or are targeting super selective colleges. Until last year, my son’s HS did not offer anything beyond AP Calc AB. All the Juniors that took the AP Calc AB went on to AP Stats Senior year. One of my son’s friend got into Harvard and another to Cornell. Taking AP Stats did not greatly affect their college admission chances.
Don’t be silly. Colleges will not “hold it against you” for exhausting the curriculum. Nor will they expect you to spin your wheels to find math opportunities that do not exist in your HS.
Take AP stats if you want. Don’t take AP Stats if you don’t want. One thing I can say with 99% certainty - if you get accepted or rejected, the reason will not be due to no math senior year.
“Four years of math” is a guideline intended for students who are average or maybe a year ahead. If you reach AP Calculus BC before your senior year, you’ve obviously done enough. You aren’t expected to take classes that aren’t offered at your school.
Even with just 3 years of Math up to Calc BC, you will graduate, and colleges will not take it against you, but you will be at a disadvantage when compared to other applicants who took 4 years of math during their high school years, most especially those who have room for and took Multivariable Calculus.
Having said that, this applies mainly to the very elite schools.
BC is considered “5” years of math (since math is sequential, completing BC means the student completed algebra1, Geometry, Algebra2, precalculus, and two levels of calculus.)
So, for 99% schools in the country, you’re fine as you are, and as skieurope said, take stats or not, it won’t matter (stats is not the “next step” in the sequence, so it’s just a complement, which you can take or not, as you prefer; however, taking stats in college is highly recommended.)
Well, that’s not what our D’s college guidance counselor told us, at least for the very elite schools. If there is room to take Honors Multivariable Calculus and you did not take it, they will notice that you are holding back. If however, there is no room (i.e. you are taking AP Calc BC or even AP Calc AB or Pre-Calc in your senior year), then you actually get credit for “going over and beyond”. Funny how these things are interpreted…but don’t shoot the messenger…I’m just passing along the information that was told to me by a long time college guidance counselor who knows her stuff…
Bottom-line, if you can afford it (time-wise) it is best not to leave Math blank in your senior year. If you can take MVC, even better. This at least applies to the very elite school (ivy, U Chicago, Stanford, etc).
Agree with skieurope. Even Ivies, Stanford - even U Chicago - are not going to hold it against a student for not taking a course not offered at their high school.
^ Would they if taking dual-enrollment courses is very common? I think it is common enough here that the GC’s report might mention that some students take such courses off campus.
NavalTradition, that’s not true. The best predictor of college success is (unsurprisingly) success in college classes. So DE classes validate the applicant’s college readiness and allows him/her to show both initiative and intellectual curiosity (the “above and beyond”), while enabling them to accelerate in sequential subjects if they so choose, since 1 DE semester = 1 HS year.
They may not give credit for those classes, just as they may not give credit for AP classes, because that level is considered the default level at elite schools.
You’re right, top schools do not give credit - even placement credit, in many cases - for DE math classes. For example at Harvard, it is not possible for freshmen to place out of the sophomore multivariable calc/linear algebra sequence. It is possible to take this sequence in less or more accelerated form (Math 23/25/55) but it is impossible for freshmen to proceed directly to 100- or 200-level math classes, even if they have graduate-level DE courses on their high school transcripts.
I infer from this that Harvard is not very impressed with DE.
I’m not sure what you mean by “default level”. I knew math concentrators at Harvard who started at 55 (with extensive DE backgrounds) and others who started at 1a (having nothing but precalc). The admissions office does not penalize students for coming from relatively deprived high schools. DE classes can be an impressive supplement in some cases but no more impressive, possibly less, than doing well in e.g. debate.
Again, people are assuming facts not in evidence, i.e. that DE is an option. Perhaps it is, but in many cases it is not. Perhaps the school, like mine, might not have DE as an option. The student might not be able to do community college own his/her own due to scheduling/transportation/logistics issues.
So in a perfect world, yes the student can take MVC at his/her HS, and failing that can do some type of DE coursework. In an incredibly perfect world, the student’s parents would have come up with a game plan when they realized their DC would run out of math options, and the GC would not have 2000 students and would be able to assist the parents in researching those options. In that perfect world, the student would not have to turn to anonymous strangers to ask for advice and receive conflicting answers.
Unfortunately, the world is not perfect. Fortunately college admissions officers understand that. Thus my earlier assertion that colleges will not penalize the student for curriculum choices outside his/her control.