<p>As a high school freshman aspiring to go to MIT, who is currently in Pre-Calc, when should I take it? I feel like it would be wise to take it now in June when the subject is fresh in my mind (I would most likely take the SAT Math II Subject Test), however, it also feels extremely early, as I haven't even taken the PSAT yet. So far I have yet to get lower than an A in Pre-Calc, and I got an A on all my other math classes. Also, do you recommend the Math II subject test, or should I just go with the Math I?</p>
<p>Math II All the way. Study for it and take it in june. Aim for an 800.</p>
<p>The only other thing worth mentioning is that I took Algebra II online through FLVS (I live in Florida)… So even though I got an A it was one of those online class As where you don’t do much and don’t learn much, even though it hasn’t hindered me in Pre-Calc</p>
<p>Math II isn’t a whole lot harder than Math I, and the Math II curve is lenient. I also took pre-calc in 9th grade, but didn’t take Math II until October, senior year, and still scored an 800. MIT doesn’t really place emphasis on Math I or Math II, but I think more people take Math II.</p>
<p>There’s no reason for a student like you to take level 1. That’s for kids who haven’t gotten far enough in the math curriculum to take level 2. I suggest you study for the level 2 test and take it in May or June. You should be able to tell from practice tests how well you know the material. This shouldn’t be too hard, but if you feel you aren’t well enough prepared, you could study more over the summer and take in in the fall. You’ll be glad to have it out of the way. My daughter took it as a sophomore and it didn’t require that much study, but you do have to review things (eg. geometry) that may be several years in your past. Probably would have been easier for her to take it as a freshman, but we just weren’t thinking about college testing at that time. </p>
<p>Math Level 2 is recommended for some MIT-ish places. Some of the questions are quirky, and were not covered in my Ds classes. She recommends working through the Barron’s and college board Math 2 subject test books. Give yourself a few weeks full time, or a few months part time, to prepare for the test, then you will be “one and done” since many of the most selective colleges require ALL test scores taken. </p>
<p>As a side question to MITer94, since you also took pre-calc in 9th grade, what did you take the following years? II’m pretty lost as to what I am going to take, since the only other classes my school offers is Calc AB and BC </p>
<p>@Emptyglo I took Calc AB sophomore year, Calc BC junior year, and multivariable calculus & AP Stats senior year.</p>
<p>Any time after you complete precalculus and trigonometry is a good time to take the math level 2 subject test. The last test date during the school year you are taking this course is often a good time since everything is still fresh in your mind.</p>
<p>This is a related discussion so would you suggest the same for someone in the same situation(other than the MIT, I personally want to go to a UC or Stanford if possible)? I have an A in Precal but want to know whether it would be better to take after the final in June (literally two days after the end of school for me) or during Calculus AB next year? The only dilemma is that I will be taking the World subject test for sure in June so I’d have both in one day if I did that. </p>
<p>From what people have suggested here, I would tell you to take them both now in June. Especially since you will have taken both Pre-Calc, (and I’m assuming AP World or something?) fairly recently… From what I’ve seen so far, Calc AB doesn’t really have that much Pre-Calc stuff in it, so since the subject test is only up to Pre-Calc, I suppose it would be better to take it in June. Especially because I’ve read a lot about it having a large curve, and you would still get all of Spring Break and the upcoming months to review for both. </p>
<p>However, I think it may be useful to check the UC and Stanford admissions websites to see if they say anything about it.</p>
<p>Alright, thank you! (I am doing AP World and doing well so I’ll do that for sure) I’ll check UC and Stanford admissions just to check. </p>
<p>My daughter was halfway through BC (after AB) when she took level 2, and in retrospect, I think it would have been better to take it earlier. It just meant more review for her, being 4 years past geometry. </p>
<p>@Pocky, you have to decide if you think fatigue will be a problem for you. If it concerns you, I don’t think it’s a big deal to do the math level 2 while you are enrolled in AB. I don’t think admissions will have any opinion on when exactly you take the tests. It’s fine to take them in different sittings; you don’t have to take 3 or even 2 in the same day if you don’t want to.</p>
<p>Take the Math2 after you finished Pre-Calc. To save money, take it with another 1 or 2 subject tests at the same time. The best time for other SAT2 test is usually in June right after you finished the AP test of the same subject. </p>
<p>“Any time after you complete precalculus and trigonometry is a good time to take the math level 2 subject test. The last test date during the school year you are taking this course is often a good time since everything is still fresh in your mind.”</p>
<p>I second this – assuming you did well in your class. My son took precalculus in 8th grade, and we figured since he wasn’t stopping with math, but was going to take calc ab ap and calc bc ap, he wouldn’t forget. However, when he took the SAT and SAT II ‘without preparing’ to see what he’d get, he only hit about 700 on the math part of the SAT and 690 on the Math SAT II, and he is really strong in math. So he reviewed, and took them again, and got an 800 on both. But the top schools want to see all scores, and during the course of this year, the UCs have changed to requiring all scores as well (which we didn’t expect). So his unprepared tests will be visible.</p>
<p>You will have to take Math II for MIT, and if you take the practice test and do well on it, you should consider taking it before you forget the material. In the long run, of course, my son’s review was a good idea in any event.</p>
<p>Taking any test without preparation is a bad idea. At least one show know his/her current standing before taking the real test. Never use a real test for practice. It hurts your wallet and your chance.</p>
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<p>When I was in high school, doing well in high school courses was sufficient preparation for the corresponding* Achievement tests (now SAT subject tests). The high school was (at the time) a non-elite public high school from which about a third of graduates went on to four year colleges (mostly state universities).</p>
<p>*E.g. precalculus/trigonometry for math level 2, high school physics (not AP) for physics.</p>
<p>@collegevetting - I continue to be impressed when reading about someone on CC who is in Precalc in 8th grade. Just wanted to say that.</p>
<p>@emptyglo, my daughter completed calculus her sophomore year, then took differential equations and multivariable calculus. Both of those required special arrangements through a local university since our school doesn’t normally offer any math beyond calculus. It would have been nice if we could have gotten her a linear algebra or discrete math class, but she’s not in any math at all this semester because we weren’t able to schedule anything. Scheduling was very constraining for her and we were lucky to get anything to work at all. Don’t underestimate the logistics, cost and time investment of cramming a commute to a college campus into your high school day. Last semester was insanely busy for her, so I think it’s just as well for her to have a lighter load now and be able to enjoy her last semester of high school a little better. It actually would have been better if she had been able to do the college class in the spring semester because she didn’t have quite as much time as she would have liked for it along with the college applications, which were very timeconsuming for her, and basically 5-1/2 other AP/dual classes. She’s studying some physics on her own in her liberated time. It should be possible to find some online versions of these post-calculus math courses, if you can’t schedule or afford tuition to take them at a local college. I didn’t look into this since she preferred a live class and she was able to get one of the classes she wanted.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus
In the good old days, some people would even recommend to try the test cold to have a faithful evaluation of one’s current standing. This idea is so outdated. First of all, one can get some idea from doing a practice test that is free. Second, it is getting more and more competitive to get into college these days (just look at the numbers of applicants for EA/ED and admission rates in recent years. You really don’t want anything that may have a negative impact on your chance.
Test preparation does not necessarily means attending an expensive class or to have a tutor. Even for students with very good academic standing, they should still do one or two practice tests to get familiar with the test format and verify their current standing before taking a real test. From time to time, there are students (usually found in this forum) that can do very well in ACT/SAT without any preparations, but I would not recommend anyone doing that.</p>
<p>As for test scheduling, I suggest to finish SAT/ACT by March/April of Junior year if possible. Focus on the AP exams afterward and then the subject tests. Take 1 or 2 subject test in June of sophomore year too if there is any suitable subject one just finished. For most subjects, it is better to take it when it is fresh in mind. At the end of Junior year, one should have finished all SAT1, SAT2 (two or more), and/or ACT. Retake in Fall only if necessary as one would be busy in submitting applications for EA/ED. A good planning would make your HS senior life a lot easier.</p>