Mathematics Courses throughout High School (AP, IB, College Credits...)

Pre-College Issues International Baccalaureate (IB)
1

Hello, I am currently a Freshman in my school’s Pre-IB Program and I have a few questions concerning the math courses I should be taking.

I am currently in Algebra II and have already completed Geometry. The general path would be Sophomore Pre-Calc and Junior/Senior IB Math SL/HL. However, I am looking into an engineering career and I was wondering which math courses I should take. I already know that I will take Math HL, but I feel as though more courses are needed to prepare for my college degree programs. I have options of taking a course online during the summer with options of Pre-Calc, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, and AP Calculus BC. My school offers AP Calculus AB , AP Calculus BC, and AP Stats (but I must take Math HL at school during my Junior and Senior years).

I’m not sure if this relevant or not, but I am taking AP Physics as one of my electives during the next school year.

So I suppose I should clearly lay out my questions and concerns as I feel as though I have not been very clear.

  1. Should AP Calculus and/or Statistics be taken to help prepare for Math HL?
  2. What college credits could Math HL produce?
  3. What math courses are crucial or at least family important to take to prepare for an engineering degree?
  4. What mathematics course progression do you think would be best for my situation?

Thank you in advance for your help!

2

My daughter is a senior in full IB diploma looking at STEM.

  1. At her school, AP Calc BC is the first (junior) year of HL Math. What compromises HL Math varies by school. Go check out the syllabus for HL Math at your school. In general, my daughter recommends Calc over Stats.
  2. http://www.ibo.org/en/university-admission/recognition-of-the-ib-diploma-by-countries-and-universities/ A LONG spreadsheet but includes the general IB policies of universities and colleges. Truthfully, though, the admin departments are the best source for specific class credit questions.
  3. Ask around for the colleges you may be interested in. I have seen, in anecdotes, everything from "No big deal" to "If you can, it is strongly recommended that you do"
3
  1. No, not at all. Calc BC/HL II are generally considered to overlap a great deal. And don't take stats, it won't help in IB at all.
  2. Can't answer that question. Look it up yourself. It depends on your exam grade senior year and the college you want to attend.
  3. In high school or college? In high school, Calc is pretty much all you'd need to focus on.
  4. Pre-Calc –> HL I –> HL II, no summer courses (unless you want school to be really repetitive). Frankly, spending precious summertime doing coursework that you'd just have to do again during the school year is a waste.