Hi everyone, I understand that Wharton places a great deal of importance on high school students’ math records. On their website, it states that they expect students to have taken a “strong preparation in mathematics, including calculus”. I plan to take a highly rigorous curriculum throughout high school (through calc bc senior year), hopefully receiving A’s in all my classes. I received a B in honors algebra 2 freshman year, and I am paranoid that since Wharton emphasizes mathematics so much that this will hurt any chances at admission. Will getting straight A’s in future math courses, especially calc, make up for this? (I realize there is much more to top tier college admissions than grades). Any input would be greatly appreciated.
That definitely won’t “hurt any chances at admission.” Getting a B in your freshman year (regardless of what class it was in) isn’t going to play a major effect on how the admissions committee views you. Obviously it’s better to get an A than a B, but a B isn’t going to damage you dramatically, especially when it happened 4 years prior to the time you would be matriculating. As far as the “strong preparation in mathematics, including calculus,” you will be fine given you take AP Calc (AB or BC) senior year.
There’s actually next to no math in the Wharton (with the exception of some of the theoretical classes in the statistics concentration). I don’t think it will affect you more than a B in any other course would.