<p>Just curious, what math level did you guys have before attending MIT? Did most people you know go above what was offered in their school?</p>
<p>I had AP Calculus AB. Most have had calculus one way or another, though those who haven't certainly come in and do just fine (they may have to work a little harder). I don't know of too many people who completely self-studied for ASEs.</p>
<p>I took a Linear Algebra / Diffeq class at a local university. Many people I know maxed out the math track at their high school, but did not go beyond that in terms of classes (outside preparation for math contests is another story).</p>
<p>How was the Linear algebra/Diffeq class?</p>
<p>I took a community college calc class (which was actually located at my high school, since they didn't offer AP). My husband took AP Calc AB.</p>
<p>My experience agrees with aurona's -- most people I knew took the max at their schools, but didn't take anything beyond that.</p>
<p>Do you guys think that going beyond your school's courses helps very much at all? The highest course currently offered by my school is Integrated Math III (H) which is the equivalent of Algebra II honors. (I'm in AP Calculus BC online) If I get into my state magnet I would exhaust their math offerings and I would do independent studies (ironically, they're de facto directed studies) of higher level math courses which would show up on my transcript. Is it really pointless though to take a huge amount of math in high school? </p>
<p>I have a nightmare that I'll end up at a state university and have to repeat the courses I've already done... and be driven crazy.</p>
<p>1) Yes, I think that going above and beyond your school's offerings will help you application. That said, I wouldn't give up the activities you're involved in to do it. Pursuing your passions are much more important (if your passion <em>is</em> math, then you wouldn't be asking whether or not to do it - it'll be a good thing to do, but don't let it eat up the time you'd rather spend doing something else =D).</p>
<p>2) Ending up at a state university is NOT the worst thing in the world! College is, for a very large chunk of it, what you make of it. Also, repeating courses isn't horrible either - I took 18.01 and 7.012 despite the fact that I probably could've tested out of these classes.</p>
<p>I didn't mean that a state university was the worst thing in the world, it would be having to repeat the courses on the same level. I'm sure you'd learn something in any MIT class even if you'd taken it somewhere else.</p>
<p>Ah, that - well, I'm taking some classes that go over material I already know (I'm at CalState LA for my time off of MIT), and that's not a terrible thing either. Also, most schools offer a way out of these subjects - entrance exams, SAT/AP scores, etc etc.</p>
<p>I had Calc BC...well, technically, but our teacher went too slowly through the material and ended up doing only a cursory teaching of the later stuff. So I had a good understanding of Calc AB and a poor but non-zero understanding of BC.</p>
<p>I had originally considered going to the local university for multi-variable calc. After I did so poorly on the Calc BC test (though fine on the AB subsection), I figured that I'd just wait until college and get a true grounding in that material so that I would be able to use it in the future.</p>
<p>I also took AP Stats (as a sophomore), which gets a bad rap, but I think that statistical reasoning is both important and useful.</p>
<p>I ended up taking linear algebra and differential equations at a local university. Currently, I'm in the process of transferring the diff. eq class, but I'm still not 100% positive whether I want to go through with it or take it over at MIT.</p>
<p>I think taking the initiative and going beyond your school's curriculum will definitely help you. That's just a by product though. The real fruits come from actually learning advanced math and seeing how it is entangled in everything we do. You're right about having to take over classes though. That's a likely possibility, especially for me. The upside is you'll definitely be learning more so it won't be a total retake, but at the same time you'll have a solid backing already so you should be able to earn an A. Win win situation.</p>
<p>I took MVC and Diff EQ (both semester-long classes offered in my high school) because I thought they would be useful and because I didn't want to lose touch with math my senior year after completing AP Calc BC as a junior. When I came here, I still took 18.022 without trying to pass out of it.</p>
<p>Yeah most people just max out at their school, unless you go to some crazy nerdy school.</p>
<p>I did
algebra 2/trig 9th grade
Calc BC 10th grade
AP stats 11th grad
AP cs( not really math, but wtv) and Calc 1C at community college
friend x:
calc bc 9th grade
10-12th grade EPGY classes
11 or 12 AP stats</p>
<p>friend y:
precalc 9
calc bc 10
APCS-11 (no other math class
AP stats 12
friend z
precalc 9
calc bc/Ap cs 10
???
??? (Ap stats one of these years)</p>
<p>friend i (yes imaginary)
alge 2/trig -9
calc bc-10
lin alge -11
stats 12</p>
<p>friend j
alge2/trig 9
precal -10
calc bc 11
none 12</p>
<p>It also depends on what other people from your hs does.
My CC class was pretty fun, and intersting. It was a good experience since it is was a lot more stressful than the hs tests</p>
<p>aigiqinf, my Linear Algebra / Diffeq class, which I took last Fall, was actually pretty easy -- introductory linear algebra + introductory diffeq. It was a class required for all engineering students at the university, so I thought it would be useful for me (since I plan to do engineering). I still think it will be, though both for engineering AND math at MIT, since it did not cover enough material for me to pass out of Linear Algebra OR Diffeq at MIT without additional preparation. </p>
<p>And taking a class outside of high school can definitely help your application. Aren't ad-coms always looking for those above-and-beyond things? :)</p>
<p>Taking some classes at a local university can also be a really good experience in terms of easing you into college by preparing you for the difference between high school and college teaching. I took calcIII, dif.eq., real analysis, abst. alg. at a local university and it was a great experience; plus the classes only met twice a week and i scheduled my entire morning for them, so i had half days 3 times a week. Finally, by Michigan law the high school is required to pay for it.
Anyway it can be a great thing :)</p>
<p>I agree - I'm taking classes at another, much easier college right now, and looking back it would've been a good thing to do before going to MIT at all.</p>