<p>What math class do most admitted MIT students take in there senior year of high school?</p>
<p>Most probably only take AP Calc, but I'm sure quite a few take more advanced classes.</p>
<p>Well, if things go alright, than for me it will be:</p>
<p>Freshmen: AP Stats
Sophomore: AP Calc BC
Summer: Linear Algebra
Junior: Multivariable
Senior: Diff Equations</p>
<p>But I know ppl who did calc in 7th grade(Anders Kaeseorg)</p>
<p>The sequence here for some kids I know is a five-year sequence like this, for the University</a> of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program: </p>
<p>1st year) algebra 1/algebra 2 </p>
<p>2nd year) geometry/precalculus </p>
<p>3rd year) calculus I (single-variable) </p>
<p>4th year) calculus II (linear algebra, diff. eq.) </p>
<p>5th year) calculus III (multivariable, vector analysis) </p>
<p>A fair number of kids here start year 1 in their sixth-grade year, and a lot are in year 1 for their eighth-grade year, which means they can complete the whole program before they go off to college. Kids in the higher levels of the program can enroll in additional university-level math courses, if they choose, so there are quite a few Minnesota young people who have racked up substantial credits in college-level math before they apply to MIT.</p>
<p>Here's what I did (and I wasn't admitted, but I might be during RD).</p>
<p>Freshman: Alg 2
Sophmore: Precalculus
Junior: AP Calc BC / AP Stats
Summer: Multivariable (upto Iterated Integrals only--doesn't cover line and surface integration) and "Basic" Linear Algebra (2 courses)
Senior: Diff Equations and Linear Algebra (2 courses)</p>
<p>it's CRAZEE</p>
<p>hrm i had
9th: Alg II/Geom
10th: Precalc
11th: Calc BC
12th: Multivar calc</p>
<p>Here's what I did, but I'm not too happ with it. Basically, I had 3 hours of math classes after school M-Th from September to May nearly every single week, sophomore and junior years, not senior. I got a few A-'s, to tell you the truth, but maintaining a 4.0 at school meant pulling more than a few all-nighters (I remember last year having a test in Discrete Math Wednesday, Differential Equations Thursday, and midterms the entire week. I honestly had maybe 25 hours of sleep that time, tops.
-Calculus III (10th)
-Linear Algebra (10th)
-Discrete Mathematics (11th)
-Differential Equations (11th)
-Real Analysis (12th)</p>
<p>All classes are full year.</p>
<p>-Hopefully, no one overextends themselves like me (I shouldn't have taken analysis this year, even though its my only course. Its too "pure". Take only 1 course a year outside of school. You will suffer. The more you focus on math competitions, the better your chances at colleges will be (or so I've picked up from this board). My California school, which is pretty smart (a USASMO qualifier comes along every 2, 3 years) had someone deferred from MIT (EA/ED?) last year, and he took a lot of math courses, something like this:
8th grade: Calculus BC
9th grade: Calculus III, Linear Algebra
10th grade: Differential Equations, Number Theory
11th grade: Mathematical Proof, Graph Theory
12th grade: Partial Diff Eq., Real Analysis<br>
But he didn't do well in math contests, (AIME: 2 or 3, I think), and only had a 3.7ish GPA. Its funny how advancing yourself in math does not always translate into math competition ability....</p>
<p>I took a lot fewer math courses so I'm worried if I'll get into MIT, but I have a 4.0 and an AIME score of 7, so I hope that will balance it out!</p>
<p>calc bc in 7th grade?? boy! I didnt know caculus until 11th grade.... how would tons of intl students and students in different education system stand in comparison to the crazy suggestions above? we cant choose our courses.... :confused:</p>
<p>wow I feel so dumb not taking calculus till 12th grade :(
have the majority of mit applicants really taken that many higher level courses??</p>
<p>Don't ever take CC appllicants to be the majority...</p>
<p>If you are going to be a math major, or engineering or physics major at a school like MIT I think there is a lot to be said for taking everything past differential equations at MIT. You want to learn what everyone is learning, from the person everyone is learning it from. If you can take the higher level classes at a comparable university program, so be it, but otherwise I am not sure you are doing yourself much of a favor. There is a lot to be said from taking the class from a person who wrote the book, does the research...whatever... This is my opinion, I know there are those who differ with me..</p>
<p>I'm of the mind that a kid takes an advanced math class in high school NOT, in most cases, to go on to the "next" class when entering college, but rather to understand the "same" class when taking it over in college. Some of the top colleges have courses for their incoming math majors that are designed exactly to review, down to first principles, the math their best students "already know." The Harvard Math</a> 55 course is an outstanding example of this kind of course. </p>
<p>Doesn't MIT place into first-year courses on the basis of examinations?</p>
<p>I agree that I should and will probably take some of my higher level calculus over when I go to college. It's just a good idea to cover anything that you've missed. By the way, does anyone know, like a percentage or number of applicants who take higher level math?</p>
<p>Token,
I am not sure about placement now. It used to be based on AP scores or a test you took when you arrived. I would guess you are right, many kids retake the classes when they arrive. I did, thank goodness. In HS I had been the only one in my class in Calculus, and the teacher and I taught each other-- I did okay enough on the AP to "place out", but elected to accelerate only a small amount, which worked out fine for me. </p>
<p>Not just at MIT, but in general, the scariest Freshman stories seem to be from kids who accelerate too far in Math and science classes....at least the scariest ones I have heard (my darling son included...)!!</p>
<p>Most have probably taken AP Calculus AB/BC or statistics.</p>
<p>A good deal of students pass out of 18.01 but a good deal also end up taking 18.01 in the Spring. Don't worry if you haven't taken through Diff Eq yet. I certainly didn't ;)</p>
<p>Well, if I get into MIT/Caltech/Stanford, I am definetly going to take Multivariable and Diff Equations again. I mean, how can you possibly consider self-study to and MIT class.</p>
<p>I wish i could have taken classes like those. My school stops at Calc BC, so i took that junior year (you can't get more advanced than that) and AP stats was the only class left for me to take this year. It's such a fun class.</p>
<p>i had not even hear of calculus until my senior year.</p>
<p>ia m scared of ya :P</p>
<p>i guess heres what i did.... </p>
<p>Fresh: Honor Geom
Soph: Honors Alg 2
Summer: Precalc (UC Berkeley)
Jr.: AP Calc BC and AP STat
Sr. : Multivariable Calc / Linear Algebra & Diff. Equations (UC Berkeley)</p>
<p>If i get into those schools, the math classes I took at UCB are about just as difficult as the ones at MIT/Stanford/etc. so I wouldn't want to go through that again... but then, I am a political science major.</p>