How important is math in Biology majoring?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
21

<p>UCLA (and I’d imagine many other colleges) has a life sciences (aka pre-med noob) track and a physical sciences track for Chem, Physics, and Math. I’m not familiar with all the differences (nor do I especially care tbh, especially wrt the former two subjects) but the life sciences (aka pre-med noob) track tends to be seen as easier (possible curve notwithstanding). In math, the life sciences (aka pre-med noob) track goes up through a little bit of multivariable and diff eq’s and has some probability/statistics thrown in. The physical sciences track obviously includes a full treatment of MV, DE and Lin Alg. Some life sciences majors may require the physical science track IIRC. Even if it doesn’t, they do have the option of taking it I believe, and they would have to go up to Differential Multivariable. The next course up would probably be useful though for whatever physics courses are required.</p>

<p>At a place like Caltech, OTOH, all students have to take MV, DE, and Lin Alg in their first year, unless they test into a more advanced course.</p>

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<p>Thanks for asking this great question. I’m in a similar situation myself. I want to major in Biology, but I’m not too strong in math and I don’t really like it all that much yet. In high school, I’m definitely taking up through Precalculus, and possibly Calculus 1. I would take Calculus 1 certainly if I had more time (science classes take up a lot of my time, as I take one college science class every semester). Hopefully my SAT scores can show that I can do math (planning to take Math II, and also Math section of SAT).</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

23

<p>I’m assuming that you’re completing a major in biology to someday enter a medical related field.</p>

<p>In my three state schools that I’m looking at, all of their biology sequences have certain “recommendations.” </p>

<p>One class that all three colleges “recommend” is calculus-based physics. </p>

<p>I suck at math. Point blank, no argument about it. However, I enjoy the challenge of a good calculus or physics problem.</p>

<p>Go the mile and challenge yourself!</p>