<p>I thought “math curses” was a Freudian slip. Haystack, you do see kids proceed successfully from Algebra 2 to Calc 1, without a layer of harder algebra or precalc in between?</p>
<p>The insights on this thread have raised some new things to consider. We know (for reasons beyond the scope of this thread) that we are looking at state directional, and we will be full payors (so the impact of a transfer on a scholarship is a non-issue). She is a high schooler for now, and we are projecting about a 3.0, no honors, with 1000 or 1050 CRM SAT, so our state flagship with its multiple versions of calculus offered every semester (where you need a 3.6 & 1200 to get in) will not be an option.</p>
<p>I agree that taking a year and starting at CC for this reason alone may seem rather drastic. But we have other reasons to look kindly at the CC – it’s a very good CC, with two-thirds of enrollees transferring out to four-year schools, and math going up to differential equations. CC would give her the chance to find her feet academically, be more certain of her chosen field. She might get into better four-year schools as a transfer (such as the flagship) than she would have access to as a 12th grade applicant, and she would graduate debt-free, maybe with some money left over.</p>
<p>The wrinkle in all this is if she wants to pursue one of the very specialized programs where you need to be on the four-year campus all four years, and you need to enter ready to take calculus. If that’s really her goal, and her calculus readiness is shaky (as best we can assess it at that time) then I could see her putting in the fifth year first, cheaply, at CC, getting ready for the calculus, maybe attending part-time, and maybe banking some generic electives that would transfer over and lighten her load at the four-year school.</p>
<p>The challenge will be to assess her readiness for calculus at the end of 12th. At our CC, one must enroll to take the Accuplacer. You can always drop after seeing your score. I am not sure that the Accuplacer by itself is going to offer much insight. Someone mentioned online assessments. I would also (gladly) pay a math professor to meet with her privately and evaluate her at that time. It would be money well spent, if steered in the right direction; better than a disastrous first semester at a four-year school.</p>
<p>What we will probably do (she is not yet in 12th grade) is let her apply where they have what she thinks she might want, evaluate the acceptances, and dig very carefully into the details of the curricula at that time, to see what she would be getting into.</p>
<p>I agree that it’s really important to keep taking math every year until you’re really finished with it. Especially if you’re not a “math person”. I had personal experience with this – high SATs, stopped math after Algebra 2 in 11th, no math first year of college, and then took Calc 1 the summer after 1st year. It was miserable. I squeaked by and changed my major. But the whole thing could have been handled so much better, if somebody had told me (a) stay in math every year, (b) take precalculus, (c) avoid summer math if it’s not your thing because it moves too rapidly.</p>