senior year course load... no math?

Applying to College
1

<p>well, i just received my schedule for my senior year, and i have two theatre courses, AP bio, AP lit, AP econ, AP art, and then two empty classes, which i have to fill up with something fairly soon.</p>

<p>i have the option of any online AP courses i want (probably french or chemistry), any course in the regular curriculum (i'm thinking either calculus, discrete math, or statistics), or a course at a local state university (either calculus, discrete, or statistics, again); however they do have to be in my fourth period, or else i'd have to rearrange my entire schedule.</p>

<p>i'm leaning towards to the AP french & AP chemistry combination, as i can guarantee those will be fourth period. however, i have heard from some that it looks bad from a college standpoint if you don't take math your senior year, even if you already have completed all your math requirements (as i have done). can anyone confirm this? and also, if that is true, would it be worth it to skip the math anyways and take an AP?</p>

<p>thank you for any help!</p>

2

<p>you are taking 4 or 5 ap courses. you are taking a challenging schedule and will be fine. I took ap caculus junior year and there was a scheduling conflict and I could not take a math senior year. I was accepted ED to Vassar college and am attending next year. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Take Calculus. Almost all top schools are going to want that.</p>

4

<p>well if you're applying to top schools, just take Calculus, its almost like a prerequisite for those school.</p>

5

<p>I got into an Ivy w/o even taking pre-calc, and no special circumstances other that I graduated a year early. I also had a friend accepted to multiple Ivies and other top schools who had no pre-calc. No, it is not almost like a pre-req for top schools.</p>

6

<p>Jsmall's claim goes against everything I've read and what I've been told by good counselors. If you're applying to top schools, take calc, and on line classes are not respected.</p>

7

<p>If you are an art, lit, history, anthropolgy, etc. major, maybe you do not need Calculus. But, I wouldn't suggest not taking it.</p>

8

<p>When Ivies recalculate your gpa, they only use core classes like math aand science and ignore classes like econ and art history; those are considered "filler," or "fluff" courses that beef up your gpa but don't actually increse your chance of admission to ivies or other top schools.</p>

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<p>take math!!</p>

10

<p>I know seniors that have gotten in to ivy's without calculus, but the majority do seem to have taken them. If not leaning towards a science/math major I don't think it's that big of a problem. I really can't say with certainty.</p>

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<p>I didn't say not to take them. I said that it's not a pre-req. </p>

<p>And jmanco49, where do you get your info. I find it very annoying when people go around these threads spewing out info about adcoms that isn't neccesarily true. "...ignore classes like econ and art history...considered "fluff" Are you kidding??? How do you know this???</p>

<p>Take the class if you want cuz it wont hurt your chances. Also, I've never heard of any college or major that required anything more than pre-calc for admissions.</p>

12

<p>Take Math!!! I think not taking math senior year would look really bad. Colleges look for students that are not slacking off their senior year. In my opinion, not taking a math class would appear as slacking off, even though you would be taking other AP/community college classes in its place. </p>

<p>Bottom line: take a math course</p>

13

<p>My advice: Get rid of one theater course (see if you can skip to the upper level drama course), take the math course (ivyleaguewannabe is right that colleges will probably think that you slacked off...especially if you've been taking rigourous courses in the past), and maybe do one online course (trust me, they are hard and require a lot of work...so restrict yourself to one). I think this will leave you with one free period for a study hall. I hope this helps!</p>

14

<p>yea the fundamentals of math are critical to all students. math and english alike are something that adcoms like to see in all aplicants, regardless of presumed major. do four years of math and english if you can. </p>

<p>science and histories, although very important are fine with three years, esecially if ones an AP.</p>

15

<p>Taking AP Bio and AP Chemistry together is extremely tough, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a science type. And if you are a science type, you need calculus.</p>

<p>In any event, I recommend that you take calculus, even if it's not AP. Four years in all the core courses increases your odds of admission to the top tier schools.</p>

16

<p>thanks for the huge response.</p>

<p>i can't drop theatre, i'm on leadership and it's required we take advanced both semesters.</p>

<p>i can't drop art either (it's studio art, not art hist), i'm also on leadership for that and at least one semester is required, so i figured if i'm doing a semester, it might as well be AP.</p>

<p>i already have four years of math, i just doubled up on them one year. so it's not like i've not done the work.</p>

<p>and my school requires four years of social sciences, world hist, us hist, govt, and econ, so i can't skip out on that one, and it's AP so i don't see how that's slacking.</p>

<p>mehhh.... it's really not slacking i swear! at my school these are difficult classes, and believe it or not, theatre is a bigger testament to my lack of slack than any of these, i will spend at least half the semester both spring and fall at the high school until seven and later.</p>

<p>i have the option of taking AP calc online instead of AP chem (my school doesn't offer AP calc in regular curriculum, unfortunately.) i'm afraid calculus might not be offered fourth period, which would suck, and i am relying completely on fate to determine whether or not the nearby university will offer calculus at the appropriate times in the spring. (i couldn't get in for the fall, i have to wait until the spring to take a college class and they haven't posted their spring semester schedule yet...)</p>

<p>EDIT: also, i'm not aiming for the ivies. i might be able to get in if i were lucky, but my parents are refusing to pay for any of my college despite the fact that they make about 150k a year (so long fincial aid!) so i have to rely on a full ride in order to go to college. i may be able to get in by the skin of my teeth to an ivy, but i could never get a full ride. at best i could MAYBE get a full ride to emory or vanderbilt by my own estimates, but that is a SUPER ULTRA DOUBLE MEGA MAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYBE. as in not something i should ever expect. i'm looking to UGA (since i'm a georgia resident i have HOPE), mercer, oglethorpe, southern methodist, texas christian, tulane, etc. i understand calculus is practically a prereq for ivy's, but i am by no means ivy-bound. so will it really break these school's hearts if i have no calculus?</p>

17

<p>I really think Calculus is really important. Where do you plan on applying?</p>

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<p>emory, vanderbilt, tulane, uga, rhodes, furman, mercer, oglethorpe, and maybe southern methodist and texas christian.</p>

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<p>okay dude, I'm saying that none of the schools are going to say, "oh, this guy hasn't taken Calculus?!?!???!?!?!?? what?!?!?!? <em>tosses application and burns it</em>" You're not going to get flat out rejected because of that one course. You are taking a rediculous load already, and you have four years of math under your belt. You are showing a devoted interest to art and theatre, along with the sciences. You're ACT score is strong, and I know that you're essays will be rediculous. Are you sending in a supplementary portfolio of your art? </p>

<p>either way, your only reaches are emory and vanderbilt, and I would say those are matches, but due to your financial situation, they're not.</p>

<p>and if you'd like some credibility for security, I talked to a Yale admissions counselor when I went to visit and approached her with a similar issue, and she told me that it doesn't really matter (I was wanting to take AP Latin instead of precal/APcal), as long as I'm taking a rigorous load. They like to see a focus and a passion.</p>

20

<p>What major?</p>