<p>We're lucky, we have a wide variety of math classes available and many tracks that kids can take. I have a specific question for my son's senior year. This year he's taking AP Calc BC. Next year he could take AP Econ, AP Stat or "Advanced Seminar in Math" described as "This seminar is designed for those students who have proven their ability and interest in studying mathematics beyond the level of calculus. Students encounter a variety of topics in advanced mathematics. Topics include multivariable calculus and linear algebra. Differential equations, constructing proofs, topology, elementary real analysis, and elementary number theory are additional topics that may also be covered." My son is NOT a math guy (will be a declared Classics major) but would one of the three classes be better for a top school (since he's supposed to take the most challenging classes)? The two that are AP would give him 12 APs total, but the Advanced Seminar seems to be a more rigorous class. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>AP Stat is referred to colloquially by students I know as one of the "AP lite" courses. Neither of my sons took it so I don't know firsthand, but others report it's often a few weeks worth of learning "crammed" into two semesters. (Although statistics <em>is</em> a valuable field to be familiar with!) AP Econ can be rigorous: my S enjoyed it. But that advanced math class could be fantastic.... for a student interested in math. If your S is not interested in math but interested in the others, go ahead and take AP Econ and/or AP Stats!</p>
<p>Advanced Math is a 4th year math taken by non-mathy kids. It covers different math topics. S1, definitely not a math/science type, took it (despite urgings of his GC that he take AP-Calc) and got accepted into some topc LACs.</p>
<p>Burn this: The Advanced Seminar seems to me an attempt by the school to offer college-level math (MV Calc, Linear Algebra and Diff Eqs are the standard follow-up to AP-Calc). So it would be way harder than AP Econ or AP- Stats (whcih only requires Algebra II). As per the above, you can see that it is not necessary to even have AP-Calc to be accepted into top colleges, so if your son is interested in Classics, there is no reason for him to take another math course, or even an AP in a field that is of little interest to him. Eleven APs are more than enough! If I were an adcom (adrep/ adoff), I would look to signs of passion for Classics elsewhere, such as a course on Greco-Roman mythology or another humanities class even if those are not AP classes.</p>
<p>Marite,
Since he'll be out of AP Latin classes next year, he's taking an independent study in Latin. He's always wanted to learn Greek, maybe he can add another independent study of that in lieu of math. It's just that we keep hearing that schools want to see four years of math in HS! Argh.</p>
<p>BurnThis, My son rebelled against taking both math and science in his senior year. Not because he didn't enjoy math and science (which he does up to a point) but because there were so many other courses that he wanted to experience: like religion, American history, creative writing, philosophy in addition to English, European History and Art and a language.</p>
<p>I was skeptical as, like you, I took the colleges' admonitions seriously, but in the end he was accepted at his first choice school. I think that adcoms do understand that kids who are focused on humanities can benefit by specialization as long as their reasons come across loud and clear.</p>
<p>Burn this:</p>
<p>Colleges want students to take either 4 years of math or the most rigorous HIGH SCHOOL math, which in most cases is not even AP-Calc; after all, it is supposed to be college-level math (my S1 did not take AP-Calc). If your S starts learning Greek, that WILL be far more impressive to colleges, coming from someone who wants to major in Classics. For humanities majors at colleges, the quantitative reasoning requirement can often be fulfilled by taking something like college algebra.</p>
<p>Ancient Greek is lots of fun. Ask Carolyn's S!</p>
<p>Quote:
What about the admission statistics for those people who have all the top stats i.e. valedictorian, 750+ on both sections of the SAT?</p>
<p>The correlations are pretty high such that the advantage to being in all three groups may not be that great.</p>
<p>beprepn</p>