Hello everyone!
I’m a rising senior at a, quite frankly, terrible high school. Most of the students at this school are economically disadvantaged, and many don’t want to learn. The school is small, around 100 people per class. Normally, AP classes would be filled with students who want to learn and do well. However, this school does not prepare you at all for these AP classes, or even any standardized tests, as each year something bad happens, whether it be a teacher leaving, or simply, not moving through the material fast enough. From personal experiences, I can even vouch for this, as a TA for this year’s AP Calculus class. When the test rolled around, the students were still on derivatives, and some still didn’t understand it. As a result, very few students even attempt the tests, and from that group of students, only 1 or 2 barely pass, with a 3.
Due to this, I chose not to enroll in AP classes and instead, learn at the local community college. I have been doing this since the start of my sophomore year, and have also demonstrated leadership there, such as assuming the position of a study group leader at the tutoring center there. I will finish the entire math curriculum there, having completed all courses from Calculus I to Differential Equations, including Statistics and Linear Algebra, and will complete Discrete Mathematics senior year. I have also obtained an 800 on my SAT I Math, and an 800 on my SAT II Math II Subject Test. At the end of my Senior Fall Semester, I will obtain two Associates Degrees, one in Math, and one in Science.
However, colleges included my dream school, MIT, heavily factor AP Tests into admission and placement. I was wondering if my choosing to branch away from my school’s terrible education system would negatively impact my application and/or placement at MIT in any way.
Thank you all in advance.