My D21 has an option to dual enroll in a multivariate calculus class at a local university. However, with her HS bell schedule it would mean she would have to leave school after 4th period, only allowing her to take 3 courses at the HS (AP Physics E&M is double booked twice a week). So her schedule would be:
AP Physics C E&M
AP Eng Lit
AP Econ
Multivariate calculus at local college
If she doesn’t do the multivariate class:
AP Physics
AP Eng Lit
AP Econ
AP Stats
AP CS
Possible independent online math study
What is her potential major in college?
What type college does she want to attend?
What level of Foreign language has she completed?
Could she take another “fun” class at the CC?
If you said she wants to be an engineer, targeting Top 50 schools, has very good SAT/ACT scores has gotten to level 4 of Foreign Lang and has otherwise met her HS requirements and really wants to take MV calc, then go for it.
If she would prefer to be more involved in HS life then the second plan is fine.
MV Calc is a make or break engineering class…she has to be all in before she should take it.
@bopper Hi… she is thinking biomedical engineering. She is currently in AP French, so will be done with FL. Excellent SAT scores. Currently in Calc BC. She would like to take AP CS but the first option would make that not possible. But with the second should have a one year gap in calculus when she starts college…
A full senior year schedule is 5.4 courses? If yes, then the difference between 4.4 and 5.4 isn’t that significant. (MVC will look much better than Stats, so it’s more like a half course difference). Any other courses to take while on campus? Some type of CS course, even if it’s “Intro to CS for Liberal Arts majors”?
(Fwiw, our standard HS schedule is eight courses.)
I’m a senior enrolled in Calc 3 and took DiffyQ last semester. I also took AP Stats as a sophomore. The difference in rigor between AP Stats and Calc3 is not comparable. AP Stats is FAR easier, and it looks less rigorous.
I don’t think a gap in calculus is ideal. In my class, we are constantly recalling past topics and building upon them. She may be disadvantaged by taking a year off. I was in a similar situation as your daughter, and I had to take a lighter courseload due to my math. However, I don’t think taking less classes decreased the rigor, and I still felt like I was doing enough.
Many students do not take Calc 3 until they are in college. If your daughter is applying to top universities, it probably won’t be a “hook,” but it may look good compared to other students in her school. It also will show that your daughter has the potential to achieve in advanced coursework, and it will allow her to get a taste of how math works at the college level.
Could she take MVC and any CS class on campus as part of her uzl enrollment? This way she’d have 5 classes.
For a future engineer, MVC is much more valuable than AP stats (even if she needs to take stats it’ll likely be calculus-based stats). However colleges really want to see 5 courses. So, if she could take any class at the local university along with MVC she’d be in an ideal position not just for admission but toducceed in college.
I agree with what @h8annah said. Currently I am a junior in AP Stats and it is not comparable to Calc 3 & Differential Equations (which I took last year). I would recommend going straight into Calc 3. AP stats will not serve as any type of review for calc, which means she will have had a while without that material.
I say stick to the first option, but I hope she finds a way of taking a CS class since that is something she would like to do.
Also I have a question, does your school only have 5 periods of classes? Or did you only list the ones considered “core” classes that your D21 is taking next year?
Her HS has 7 periods, but the MVC class is offered at the time in the day that she would have to leave after 4th period and would not been be back for the remainder of the days classes… unfortunately there aren’t other classes offered at the college under the dual enrollment program. Thus the dilemma. I think she is going to stick with the second option and the school is going to try to coordinate an online multivariate class for her to take.
If she takes MVC she doesn’t need to take AP stats. She can if she wants an easier course and she finds math fun but MVC would be her Senior Math class.
That may make her schedule more flexible.
I would definitely advise she takes the Calc 3 (Multivariable) class. If she’s not planning on going into the STEM field, this class would still be beneficial as she would earn college credit. If she does plan on majoring in STEM, then the class would also allow her to advance into higher level math