Running out of math courses to take – Bad for admission?

My school offers both calculus AB and calculus BC. I’m planning to take calculus BC in my junior year.

The school counselor advises against the idea since it would hurt college application if a student does not take a math course in the senior year. And for college application purpose, it’s better to take calculus AB in junior and calculus BC in senior.

Most of math-talented high school students, after taking calculus BC, would run out of math courses to take as a senior. It seems contra-intuition that these students are in disadvantage for college admissions.

<p>Many kids go to to local community college for advanced math. If you are planning to apply to ivy and other very top colleges, try this route.</p>

<p>^that's what I'm doing.</p>

<p>it's better for admissions...plus you want to make sure you don't forget all your math!</p>

<p>do courses at a local college your senior year, or take distance learning courses, like these:
<a href="http://www.utexas.edu/cee/dec/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.utexas.edu/cee/dec/&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www-epgy.stanford.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www-epgy.stanford.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>yeah, go for community college classes.</p>

<p>but even if you don't...why waste your time doing it over 2 yrs?</p>

<p>Thanks all for the advice. </p>

<p>It could be hard to find local college classes that fit into my school’s rotating schedule. I’ve also taken all science classes except AP Bio. So I’ll look into distance learning for both math and science</p>

<p>take evening courses.</p>

<p>If you have any interest in math, don't draw out AP calculus over two years. There's really not that much information to study for two entire years. The EPGY mathematics courses are outstanding; I found them to be better than those at my local second/third-tier university. Being self-paced courses, they are also very convenient to those who have a schedule of regular high school courses. :-( They're somewhat expensive though, but I think the benefits outweigh the prohibitive costs.
Have you already taken AP Physics C? EPGY offers courses for that too, but they aren't as good as the math courses. Nonetheless I was adequately prepared for the test by the courses I took. The AP physics courses are also a lot cheaper than the university level math courses.</p>

<p>sure...don't draw out calc for 2 years...unless of course your school makes you take both...blahh</p>

<p>if i hate math, and have taken it jr. yr., will it look bad if i don't take multivariable at a CC/UC next year? I really hate math and plan on never taking it again...</p>

<p>it depends on where you're looking...
top tier schools are (generally) looking for 4 years of math.</p>

<p>well...i took AP Stat last year, AP Calc BC this year, Algebra 2 frosh year, and Pre-Calc @ JC last summer (b4 junior year). That's four years...</p>

<p>When faced with this situation (a relatively common one), there are two kinds of kids: those who complain about it being impossible to find classes and those who find a way to make it work. </p>

<p>Not taking math for a year WILL look bad, no doubt - because it shows a lack of iniative. Decide if that's what you want to be known for in your college admissions process.</p>

<p>Our school is lucky to have many doctors in mathematics teaching. We offer Discrete Math, Math Research in Number Theory, Multivariable Calculus/Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations. :)</p>

<p>Didian, you could possibly do the distance learning course in linear algebra through your school and get them to pay for it. Since you have a year to plan, start by finding other rising juniors who want to take Calc BC. Can you get a group together and talk to the math department head about your situation? There is power in numbers......</p>

<p>Some institutions, such as larger public universities, are simply going to make sure you have at least three years of math, which you have, along with the other minimum course requirements, and are then going to compute a formula based on your GPA and test scores to decide whether to admit you. Others are going to look at your record on an individual basis and will have a positive impression of you since you have gotten so far in math. They are going to be aware that many high schools do not have any further math courses, and it will not count against you. What you should do is fill the space in your schedule with another academic course from your school. I am sure this would be acceptable. I had the same experience, of taking Calculus II as a junior, and I am sure it did not count against me in college admissions because I made productive use of that extra space in the schedule. How could a college dislike the fact that you are not only very advanced in math, but also willing to try different subjects and make the best of your situation?</p>

<p>What about Geometry?</p>

<p>Maybe a teacher would be willing to advise an independent study.</p>

<p>I agree raven.
There are definitely ways of getting that extra course you need.
and much of the time the school will pay for the college course you take.</p>

<p>much of the time the school will pay for the college course you take.</p>

<p>Wow. I wish my school would do that. That's just incredible.</p>