<p>no its not...its by far the least important</p>
<p>I would take a look at Brigham Young University's Independent Study for Precalculus. It's split up into 2 courses: Precalculus 1 and Precalculus 2. Not sure what Harvard charges, but the tuition for these two courses combined looks to be $240. The price has gone up about $21/course since I took them in 2004. The textbook that they use is common for precalculus in high schools. Perhaps your HS uses the same textbook, and they should be willing to let you borrow a copy over the summer. Links: BYU</a> Independent Study - Distance Education Courses - Online Learning
BYU</a> Independent Study - Distance Education Courses - Online Learning</p>
<p>When I took the courses, what I had to turn in for grading was homework assignments that could be submitted online, and 1 final exam (per course), which was proctored by someone at my HS (in my case, my guidance counselor). Then I had to take the precalculus final at my high school the week before school started. Had a ball in AP Calc AB and BC. Truly loved those courses...and these precalc courses prepared me well for the stuff I needed in AP Calc, IMO.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>that certainly depends, icooufoo69
the AIME/USAMO says that they are precalc-based</p>