I’m currently in 8th grade applying to 9th grade. I will be taking precalc this year and I want to take calculus next year. However, almost all of the high schools that I am applying to say have grades 11-12 in the course description for calculus, which I interpret as meaning that a 9th grader can’t do them.
So I have three questions:
Would I be able to take calculus in 9th grade?
If a school’s only courses that wouldn’t be repeats for me are AP statistics and calculus,
What would I do after I complete those two courses?
Would I be allowed to take only two math classes in high school, since I’ve completed everything else already?
The next math course after precalculus is calculus. If you ask the high schools directly whether you will be allowed to take calculus in 9th grade, what is their answer?
Also ask if the high schools offer a one year calculus BC course, or if they force students to take calculus over two years. If you are four grade levels ahead in math, you should be able to handle a one year calculus BC course.
Of course, if you take calculus in 9th grade, you may have to take following math courses at local colleges. The usual second year college math courses after calculus would be:
- multivariable calculus
- linear algebra
- differential equations (sometimes combined with linear algebra in one course)
- discrete math
- calculus-based introductory statistics
The first three would be mainly for math, statistics, physical science, and engineering majors, and pre-PhD economics majors. Discrete math would be mainly for computer science majors. Calculus-based introductory statistics may be useful for various majors, although there may be major-specific versions.
Beyond those courses, math and some other majors may take proof and theory based courses like a more theoretical version of linear algebra, abstract algebra, and/or real analysis.
Are you “applying” to schools other than those in the school district/private school system you currently attend?
Calc is typically an 11th/12th grade course in most schools, ours included. But there are always a group of students - 6 in my older Ds class, about 12 in my younger D’s class today - that are accelerated anywhere from 1 to 4 years ahead of the standard honors track. All have taken the normal sequence through Calc BC - no one was told they need to wait until a certain grade.
I would expect most schools are similar. But certainly ask. It will also help you understand what’s available after so you can plan. Our school ends at BC, so students are a bit on their own after that. Other schools have advanced courses available - in school or in conjunction with colleges.
If you’re only just starting pre-calc, do you have some basis to assume you will do well?
And bear in mind, many top colleges, the sort advanced math kids are often drawn to, will have an expectation of 4-years of math during hs. That would force you to find the continuing sequence ucbalumnus describes.
And as Rich notes, some hs facilitate taking college courses, bring them to the hs campus or get you to the local college. (Or it may be online.) There are different names for this, depending on the state or district. Dual Enrollment, pre-college, etc. You need to see what your target high schools actually offer and support.
I took precalc in 8th. School let me take Calc AB 9th grade (didn’t offer BC), took BC online in 10th, multi variable at my state uni junior year, and I’ll take AP stats senior year.
As others have said, you are going to want to take 4 years of math in high school, and there are plenty of courses beyond calculus. The question is what is available to you. Ideally, whoever placed you ahead in your math progression had something mapped out already. Depending on your situation, you may need a parent and/or adult advocate to help you. The more “typical” you are, the easier it will be.
Is your planned high school the typical one for your middle school? If so, I would talk to your current guidance counsellor and see what other students in your situation have done. If you are moving to a different school system, contact the high school guidance counsellor and see what they say. What have other students done? What options are available? Hopefully, the school has dealt with this situation before and have options in place. If not and depending on the school administration, you may need to have a parent step in. See if schedules can be modified to take classes at the community college or a local university or online.
My kids went to a private K-8 (that topped out at Algebra II Trig) and then to a lowly ranked public HS where the guidance counsellors’ priorities are to keep kids in school and graduate. College bounds kids are left on their own to figure everything out, and BC calculus is the highest available math course. In first grade, my eldest’s teacher and principal called us in and said that he needed to be advanced somehow. They laid out all of our options and we chose to advance him only in math. He took Algebra II Trig in 6th grade, the principal did all of the legwork to figure out our options. Public school would not allow him to attend for 1 class, so she negotiated with the community college to take Pre-cal/Applied Calc in 7th grade and Calc 1-2 at the local uni in 8th grade - all for free. She drove him to every class. I owe her a lot!
However, then we had to go to the public HS where administration changed on a yearly basis. Nobody knew what to do with him. I definitely had to be his advocate.
Our experience with HS scheduling/guidance ranged from good (freshman year) to an ultimate nightmare with a counsellor who was later fired for unethical/criminal behavior. it was also a headache on the uni financial aid side. Everyone I talked to was nice and understood he was attending for free, but overriding the system took a lot of patience and phone calls. A 14 year old kid would not have been able to navigate that all alone.
I hope your planned high school has something already in place, but if not… Keep pressing and researching all options. It can be done. Good luck!
You mentioned you were applying to these high schools, I’m assuming you’re going to be attending a private/competitive public school who have seen kids like you before so I’m sure they will be very flexible to offer upperclassmen classes to freshmen (even if it doesn’t explicitly say so on their website). Contact guidance/math department to make sure that’s the case.
I’d also double check to see if other classes in your school are under the math department despite not being a traditional math class. My school offered computer programming classes as a “math” class and some kids used it to fulfill their requirements for 4-years of math credits and studied harder math classes online independently.
Another thing to think about is seeing if you’d be up to applying for more math/stem focused schools. There’s a local free-to-attend high school in my state that offers up to calc 3/4 and pairs with a university to supplement further classes. Of course, these high schools are far more selective but they do offer much more opportunities to those who can get in.