Get into a Ivy/Top College with only Trigonometry?

<p>Here's my story: I suffer from geographical mobility. I've moved alot since elementary school, from city to city, state to state, country to country (and no, I'm not an military brat)</p>

<p>Because of this, in my first year in high school, they automatically placed in Alegebra I.
This is the normal math placings for the top kids at my school:
9th - Geometry Honors
10th - Adv. Algebra/ w Trig
11th - Precalculus
12th - AP Calculus</p>

<p>This is my placing:
9th - Algebra I
10th - Algebra II
11th - Geometry Honors
12th - Trigonometry Honors</p>

<p>Now I know most admits to top colleges have already taken Calculus, most by their junior year. But unfortunately I don't fall under that category. But it's my dream to go to Columbia, and I'm apply to other schools such as Yale, UPenn, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Wesleyan, Johns Hopkins, and Northwestern.</p>

<p>Do you think I still have a chance or does my placement in Math negatively affect me?
If so, how can I justify myself? As anyone had a problem similar to this and still got accepted to top school?</p>

<p>I’d be lying if I told you it didn’t affect you in any way. Top colleges like to see that you you’re capable and willing to handle a high level of math, so even if there was nothing else you could do about your math placement, they’d probably still view that unfavorably. Especially if everyone else at your high school had a more advanced placement. </p>

<p>However, colleges also like to see that you worked through hardships and difficulties. Try teaching yourself Precalc and Calc- see if you can get a textbook and go to some tutoring sessions. Use online resources such as MIT Opencourseware. You can still show colleges you can handle tough math even if you aren’t formally enrolled in the class. </p>

<p>Don’t rely on the “geographical mobility” as a crutch. It will justify why you aren’t on the normal math track, but it won’t justify why you didn’t bother to learn the math.</p>

<p>Do you think I can redeem myself by taking higher level math classes at my local community college?</p>

<p>Yes. Explain to your colleges that due to whatever circumstances, you were limited in your placement in math but that you have still tried to learn higher level math through other means.</p>

<p>How come you weren’t more proactive when they placed you in Algebra I? Did you try to move into the other track? Unless you have trouble with math you should have told your new school where to put you.</p>

<p>I’m what you call a late academic bloomer. Becasue I moved so much, I wasn’t aware of my academic and intellectual potential. I thought being in Algebra 1 freshmen year was normal. But I was truly wrong. I didn’t catch the Ivy bug midway through sophomore year. Then I started demanding for change. My junior year, I asked my counselor to register me for Trig at community college so I could take Precalc senior year. She said that wasn’t neccessary and was still going to get accepted because I was on a humanities/arts track as opposed to an engineering/science track. I never should’ve taken her advice.</p>

<p>That’s too bad. My daughter’s high school college advisor was terrible also if a person was aiming anywhere very lofty. If you can come up with a plan for doing some catch up at a community college I would do that. I would also add plenty of schools to your list that are easier to get into. It’s not that I think you won’t get into one of your schools, it’s that they are really tough for anyone to be admitted to and you want to have someplace to go after high school.</p>

<p>This is for if you are a senior right now.
Yeah you can enroll in a precalc course in a community college with just ACT scores well at least at mine. Once you hit that 23 mark which I assume you have if you have taken the ACT it shows you are capable of precalc etc at your community college. Or if you want to get Calculus, self study precalc before Fall semester and take the CLEP exam at your local community college. Then you will have a prerequisite for Calculus and will be able to take Calc 1 and 2 throughout the schoolyear(night classes). Then you will be on par with alot of other students applying around in terms of Calc. (Calc AB+BC) generally = (Calc 1+2) it seems for transfer of credit/placement.</p>

<p>Geometry is a class you can easily take over the summer if you consider yourself having a good grip on mathematics.
Basic trig should be integrated with geometry or alg 2 and advanced trig should be in precal. I never understand why schools have a class solely for trigonometry…
As of now try to at least complete precal before graduating, which I believe is typically seen as the bare minimum for prospective ivy applicants.</p>

<p>Haha Jeeves tell me about it, I ended up taking Algebra 2 with Trig then two years later Trigonometry… Waste of flubbergasting time. But it sounds like he is a senior now.</p>

<p>Yeah, I’m a senior. Thanks everybody. sounds like good plans</p>

<p>In order to be a good candidate for the schools you listed, you would also need to have shown that you are capable of doing well in higher-level math courses. Did you make A’s in all the math classes you took? Did you take the Math 2 SAT subject test and do well? Did you do well on the math section of the ACT or SAT?</p>