I am starting my senior year this August. I would like to study mechanical engineering in Florida. I’ve been competing for my school robotics team for 4 years. Every year I’ve had made it to states. I really like the mechanical part of it. Unfortunately, I took the Algebra I H / Geometry I H / Algebra II pat. My school has a lot of restrictions. They don’t let me take online math to advance. What’s worst for next year my advisor is not letting me take Pre-calculus or Physics because I ended Algebra II with a 78 (the school requires 80). I had some tutoring and I improved a lot, but it was too late, besides I suffer from mental blocks due to a test anxiety problem. I’ve been reading some of the other forums and almost everyone recommends at least some type of Calculus for engineering. Can I take a summer online course without my school counselor’s approval? Can I send the credit from online schools directly to colleges? I tried with Florida Virtual School and they need my school’s blessing. Is there any online school where I can take courses without my school approval? What are my options? I’m willing to work hard this summer to catch up, but my school is not letting me do it.
Minimum high school course work to prepare for an engineering major is math through precalculus (so that you are ready for calculus 1) and high school physics and chemistry. If you need to take precalculus or other math courses in college before taking calculus 1, completing an engineering major will likely take more than the usual number of semesters.
Perhaps you and your parents need to push harder to get into the precalculus and physics courses. However, you may also need to improve your study skills to do better in math than you have been doing.
Strong math grades are going to be important when applying anywhere for engineering. The 78 in Alg II is going to be a big red flag. I’d spend your time working with a tutor and counselor on your test anxiety. That’s going to need to be addressed.
What math class are you going take next year? What science are you talking?
Many decades ago when my husband was in high school, he too wanted to major in engineering despite struggling in math. The path he took was to start at a non-flagship university with algebra classes, working his way up to calculus classes (and beyond). After a few years at the non-flagship, he was able to transfer to a flagship university and did indeed graduate with a degree in aerospace engineering. He claims that math never made sense to him until it was taught by engineering professors with practical applications rather than theoretical ones.
The course I’m taking next year is College Algebra with Trigonometry. I was told it is a little bit less rigorous than Pre-Calculus. I had also taken Ap Biology and Chemistry Honors.
I was thinking maybe I can take Precalculus online (even if I don’t get credit) and then Sign up for the Math II SAT
I am also taking AP Computer Science, AP Macroeconomy, and Government and Ap Environmental Science.
What is your overall GPA? Very few schools ask for SAT subject tests. With a 78 in a math class I doubt that you would be competitive for any of them.
GPA is 4. I was thinking about taking the subject Test to prove I have pre-calculus knowledge because my school won’t accept the online pre-calculus credit. Also if I score high, I might be. able to compensate for my bad grade in Math last year.
How do you have a 4.0, which typically means straight A’s, with a 78 in Algebra 2? If it’s a weighted GPA, we need your unweighted to provide meaningful advice - weighting systems are all over the place. Or the details of you non-standard GPA calculations
A three hour Subject Test will not “compensate” for an entire year of coursework. It might help a bit, though many schools don’t even consider Subject Tests. And realize that a vast majority of Math 2 test takers are the students applying to schools that request Math Subject Tests, which are mostly the tippy top schools. So your scores will be placed, on a percentile basis, with a very qualified group of students.
You can certainly take an online class - your HS can only determine what goes on your HS transcript, not what you do with your own time (FLVS excepted, as it’s school-system affiliated). You can certainly provide your course data, and any transcript that may go along with it, on a college application.
Khan, Coursera, and others like it can help you learn the topic on your own time. For a formal class, with syllabus, feedback, a “grade”, transcript, etc, you’ll need something like Johns Hopkins CTY or AoPS. EdX is somewhere in between.
As noted, Engineering is very math-heavy. But my D’s Freshman roommate only completed Algebra 2 in HS as an engineering admit, so it’s possible. She did need to commit to a modified course of study and summer courses, as it’s out of the ordinary.
If you like the mechanical aspects of Robotics but not the pure math, maybe a Mechanical Engineering Technology major would be attractive? https://www.gcu.edu/blog/engineering-technology/earning-degree-mechanical-engineering-vs-mechanical-engineering
My S was on the same trajectory and ended up taking PreCalc at a community college prior to senior year. Took Calc at the community college during senior year. Had those transcripts sent to colleges separately.
If you think you can do the work then have your parents contact the school to let you in. Parental insistence goes a long way. They can start with the advisor, then the principal, then the school board. Their taxes are paying for the school.
Hopefully you’ve been working with a counselor on this. Test anxiety is unlikely to go away just because you want it to.
You need to look at your target schools for the requirements. But most schools want you ready to take Calc 1 freshman year.
Have your parents tell the school you will have a tutor helping you out if your parents agree and can afford it.
As stated you can use Khan academy or the like to review before taking it.
Address the anxiety. If you have accommodation find out what you need to do to have them transfered to the college you end up going to. Engineering is very high stress with testing.