Okay curriculum for a STEM student not aiming for T20?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I’m aware of the general CC advice for students aiming at a highly selective school – four years of Math/English/Science/SS, up to level 4 in foreign language. I’m curious how much leeway there is in that for STEM students who aren’t aiming for a T20 school (primarily because of finances).

My S23 has been playing with high school schedules for fun, and this is what has came up with as the “perfect schedule” – obviously very subject to change (other than freshman year):

Freshman:
Honors Precalc
Honors Chem
Honors English 9
Honors Spanish 2
World History
Honors Computer Programming (1 sem.)

Sophomore:
AP Calc BC
AP Physics 1
Honors English 10
Honors Spanish 3
AP Computer Science A

Junior:
Calc 3/Linear Algebra
AP English Lang
APUSH
AP Physics C (both)
Calculus-based Statistics (1 sem. at college)
Honors Philosophy (1 sem. DE)

Senior:
Diff Eq/Probability Theory (each 1 sem. at college)
Biology (not AP – biology makes him nauseated)
AP English Lit
AP Gov/AP Macro
Data Structures/Computer Architecture (each 1 sem. at college)

And then the extra required stuff (PE, health) and band.

Obviously it’s a little early to be worrying about a specific schedule for him, but in general, is this sort of schedule fine for someone who’s aiming for CS/Math/Statistics at a very good school, but not an MIT or a Stanford? Even though he’s short 1 year of foreign language and either a year or semester of SS (I don’t know if philosophy counts)?

2

Pre calc to AP Calc BC? As in, do not pass Calc AB, do not collect $200?

Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

3

@Muad_dib

: Pre calc to AP Calc BC? As in, do not pass Calc AB, do not collect $200?
:
: Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

That’s the typical sequence for top math students at this particular high school – although most start Pre Calc in 10th grade instead of 9th. Their Calc BC course covers all the AB material as well, so they basically do both courses in one year. (I know many schools do it differently.) No one (or almost no one) there does AB and then BC, though some do AB and then go to AP Stats, or do AB as a senior.

4

Why is that dangerous for a student strong enough in math to be three grade levels ahead in math?

Indeed, normal in math students take precalculus in 12th grade and then go to college and take college calculus at the same speed as high school calculus BC. If they can do it, a very strong in math student can do it.

5

Philosophy is typically seen as humanities rather than social studies.

You may want to look up colleges of potential interest (e.g. your in state public universities) to see what they want to see for foreign language and social studies.

Note that colleges may have foreign language graduation requirements that are higher than their admission requirements, so taking foreign language in high school to a higher level may allow fulfilling such a requirement with fewer courses in college.

While Spanish is probably the most obviously useful foreign language for most people in the US, if he wants to do PhD study in math, French, German, and/or Russian is likely to be helpful. French may be otherwise useful in some regions of the US.

Some colleges want to see a year of art or music in high school.

6

Looks good. In California it wouldn’t work because of 4 years of very specific ss requirements, and one year required in art/music etc, but that’s specific to us. The math sequence is normal for good math/CS track students. My son entered college with credit for 7 college classes in CS, and just graduated with a very strong CS degree and job in 3 years.

7

I kind of buried it, but he will be taking band – at least next year, probably for all four years (because it gets him out of half of PE).

: In California it wouldn’t work because of 4 years of very specific ss requirements…

All CA publics are out due to cost, so that’s okay. I wish our state (Illinois) had that strong of a system of colleges, though…

8

Do remember that any college classes you take will be in your college GPA.

9

UIUC frosh admission requirements are listed at https://admissions.illinois.edu/apply/freshman/requirements .

It does appear that other state universities in Illinois have varying requirements or recommendations, so you may want to check any of possible interest, as well as any other out-of-state or private universities that appear affordable and of interest.

10

UIUC LAS (liberal arts and science) foreign language graduation requirement is described at https://las.illinois.edu/academics/requirements/language . Looks like 4th semester of college foreign language, 4th year of high school foreign language, or equivalent proficiency by exam is needed.

Note that math, statistics, and the CS combined with something else majors at UIUC are in the LAS division, but the CS standalone major is in the engineering division.