<p>I'm wondering if taking Algebra 3 will look bad to top tier schools? I've heard it might make you seem like you don't know enough to go on. My 4 years of math would look like this: Honors Geometry, Algebra 2, Honors Algebra 3, and Honors PreCalc. Does this make me look dumb? By top tier I mean Stanford, the Ivies..</p>
<p>If you’re taking it at your own will, then yes. If you are taking it because you performed poorly in previous math classes, then yes. If you’re taking it because your school requires you to, then no.</p>
<p>Typically this won’t cut it. What is your hopeful major? If you are rock solid in your other courses, have great test scores and excel in some other area (are you a gifted musician or artist? Are you published or write a blog that has garnered a strong following and praises from established experts in the field?) there is some hope so long as you don’t want to major in a STEM field. </p>
<p>Can’t you go right to precalculus after algebra 2?</p>
<p>A school like Stanford generally looks for students who have taken the most rigorous HS classes available. Normally applicants to a school of Stanford’s quality would have taken calculus in HS. If you HS does offer calculus and you didn’t take it that would be a negative. It wouldn’t lead to an automatic rejection (especially if you don’t want engineering or another STEM discipline), but it certainly won’t help your application. </p>
<p>French major and it would be a choice, I just really love Algebra. Thanks for the responses!</p>
<p>there’s plenty of algebra in precalc (and calc)! I would do this:
geo HNS, algebra 2 HNS, precalc HNS, AP calc AB </p>