Well-said, and one of the most misunderstood things from people outside of the software dev community. I hear people telling me all the time about how much cooler my role is than a web dev, and then I gotta break it to them that my job requires a good amount of the web dev stack too.
Yes, it looks like the OP is in some sort of elite high school, where the “web development” course is much more technically based than what would normally expect to be available to students at most high schools, if such a course is even available.
If it is a well known elite high school, then that may compensate for the default assumption that a “web development” course that may be on offer at a typical high school is only minimally rigorous.
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Another course I could potentially pursue (and I’m not too in tune with the college and CS industry as I’m just a high school student so this might be dumb) is to, instead of web development, take an advanced math elective during second semester (I would have completed multivariable calc at this time so a few more potential courses open up). Some that my school offers: Probability Theory, Concrete Math, Advanced Math Techniques, Complex Analysis, Differential Equations. Both these math classes and Web Development are classes that I’d be happy doing as I love Math/CS in general. Are these types of math classes seen as having high course rigor?
OP, maybe I missed it, but do you have some other fourth year of science, preferably at the AP level? And you already took a physics course, correct?
I’ve taken Honors Physics and AP Chemistry, both with As. Next year my courseload, for now at least is: Machine Learning (AP), Multivar Calc (AP), Linear Algebra (AP), AP Gov, AP Lang, Geosystems (honors, this is a required course for seniors), CS Research (research is required for seniors), and I have one more spot, which is what this whole thread has been for.
Perhaps replace AP statistics with probability theory if you take choice that includes AP statistics?
I.e. probability theory + some other course instead of AP statistics + some other course.
Yeah, that’s definitely what I would have done, but Web Development is only offered as a second semester course at my school. Really annoying but that’s how it is. And probability theory would have to be a second semester course so I could have that multi prereq first. So that really only gives me AP stats for first semester.
What courses of interest are available first semester?
Based on my course catalog and for Math/CS, no. The one positive to it, though (kinda?), is that it would probably be an A on my transcript for the RD schools I apply to. So it looks like it would have to be AP Stats + something.
Other option is to consider other semester-long courses (not necessarily math or CS) in place of AP statistics.
Eh, the other options are a bit random. The only other high-rigor semester long classes would be things like neurobiology and DNA science, both of which require AP biology. As for my second semester though, would Probability Theory or Web Development seem more rigorous/helpful for college apps? I’m interested in both, so I guess that’s all it really comes down to.
Probably probability theory (ha!), if your goal is rigor. However, once again, you are splitting hairs here in optimizing for rigor. This is literally a matter of one class in one semester of your senior year.
Yeah, you’re probably (ha!) right lol. Another thing that just crossed my mind is that I wanted to do the more AI/ML side of CS in the future, and I would assume probability theory would be much more helpful than web dev to that end? maybe not
In terms of rigor, probability theory >> web development
In terms of usefulness (especially for AI/ML), probability theory >> web development (even @yikesyikesyikes would probably agree)
If you specialize in AI/ML in college, you’ll likely have to take multiple courses on probability.
Depends, but if you are going to be doing engineering work within ML (there is somewhat of an imperfect trichotomy of scientists, engineers, and power users within ML), you are going to want to cover the web dev stuff anyway. Of course, the probability stuff more directly applies to ML as a discipline. With all this being said, I wouldn’t be super concerned with mapping HS courses to post-grad utility. Your biggest considerations, IMO, are what you are most interested in studying right now, and what is most strategic for you for college admissions.
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Do you have a clear personal preference for which courses you’d find most engaging independent of how they’ll look on your college application? Maybe you said, but I don’t see it in your first post.
I wouldn’t presume to give advice on college admissions. You probably have a better idea than I do. I can understand the point that AP Physics C is easily identified as a rigorous course with a standard curriculum whereas Web Development is more of an unknown.
But are you excited about learning more physics? If so, that’s a great reason to take it. If it’s mainly to demonstrate rigor, then that may get you above a threshold of consideration, but it won’t set you apart from every other top student who took it to prove they are a top student, and I am sure there are many such people.
Web Development? Who knows? I can see it being taught as a cookie-cutter project, and even then I wouldn’t dismiss it as unworthy. You just have to look at these things realistically.
I think I probably have a better idea of what grad schools look for, because that’s a case where you are expected to show promise in one area and specific research interests. A CS student entering from high school with a current interest in machine learning is pretty likely to shift their interests later. You’re going to get the same fundamentals in any program, including data structures, algorithms, and definitely programming courses. Your interest within CS is unlikely to be relevant for a couple of years.
I would add almost none of the math in physics is useful in even the most mathematical computer science. Occasionally, it can come up. Someone writing a video game engine should have a good grasp of physics (but less so someone programming for an existing engine). There are algorithms like the Fast Multipole Method that involve physics, but I don’t think they’re really standard. The bread and butter of theoretical CS consists of discrete systems, a lot of graph theory, and heavy use of inductive proof.
It’s a little hard for me to put myself in the mindset of someone evaluating a prospective CS undergrad who ultimately wants to pursue machine learning, but that may be my lack of experience. I still think you will need to get through the fundamentals first. If I were trying to predict your success in a top CS department, I would be more interested in seeing your preparation for that (which would probably not be web development, statistics, or calculus, but the math that is rarely taught at all in high school such as induction and logic).
@hawkgettds Being a math prof, I was curious as to what “Concrete Math” is , since it is nonstandard terminology. So I googled the course and found the course description at an elite high school. Interesting stuff - it’s a solid college level discrete math course; graph theory, reg exps and more. If that’s offered, maybe take that?
It seems the OP is missing the forest for the trees - it is one course in one semester - do AO’s really have the time to dig deep into this? Since OP is from an elite high school, wouldn’t AO’s at elite universities be looking for stuff beyond a rigorous course list from a such a student(which is assumed). Projects or competitive CS or math competitions etc. and stuff of that ilk. If OP has those types of credentials, I think that would trump one or two elective one-semester courses in senior year.
On a separate note - OP mentioned earlier that they will submit first semester grades for the RD schools they’re applying to. CS is a limited enrollment program in many universities they probably consider as “safeties” , like UMD. So maybe get some EA’s into those schools as backups.
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You’re applying from a top school, so AO will ASSUME high rigor. (And this HS means you already took one year of Physics).
In addition, you’re already taking several “post AP” classes.
As a result, take whatever interests you more, it won’t change your odds of admission at any college nor your odds of success at college.
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Is “Concrete Math” a reference to this text by Ronald Graham, Donald Knuth, and Oren Patashnik? That is a much better introduction to how theoretical computer scientists actually use math than physics or calculus would be. (BTW, I would highly recommend UMD College Park for its CS department even to a student who was accepted to a private university that they think looks more prestigious. I am not sure where it ranks.)
I had thought it was a typo by the OP to mean “Discrete Math”. I’m surprised it was actually the “correct” name for the discrete math course.
I think OP has said that s/he is interested in AI/ML. That make the probability theory a better candidate. I assume OP would have to take the discrete math course again at an elite college. And s/he may be able to skip an introductory probability theory course to focus on ML-applicable and probability-related courses that assume students are already familiar with basic probability theory (such as advanced probability models, stochastic processes, etc).