Hello, I’m currently a junior and homeschooled.
I will be switching back to public school for my senior year, but would like to know which math class to take.
I’m taking algebra II right now (I know, I’m a little behind) and wondering if I should take my time and take pre-calculus in senior year or squeeze it into the summer and take calculus in senior year.
My school offers AP Calculus AB/BC and Discrete Math.
Thank you for your time and answers.
It’s going to be a transition already and precalculus can be a foundation for many math classes, so in my opinion you should take precalculus or precalculus Honors during the year.
What would the rest of your schedule look like?
sorry, take pre-calculus this year or senior?
I’d be taking English, AP Physics (not sure which exam), Music and Film Studies, Government, and two engineering classes.
The math prerequisite for engineering is algebra II and pre-calculus for AP physics.
I also aim to become a mechanical engineer, if that helps.
You aren’t behind. Just make sure you have Pre-Calculus by the time you graduate.
Would AP Physics be Physics 1/2 or Physics C? When you say pre-calc is the prerequisite, do you mean that you need to be concurrently enrolled in precalculus to take it or have completed it? If you can take AP Physics 1/2 concurrent with precalculus, that would be fine. Physics C would need calculus and although it would be helpful to have completed precalculus before taking AP Physics 1 or 2, it’s NOT required and AP Physics would look good for your major.
If you haven’t taken precalculus and it’s the official prereq for Physics, then you can’t take Physics unless you’ve completed precalculus over the summer. And precalculus in such a compact form would be very difficult, unless you spread some of the topics to your Algebra2 class (if it includes some trigonometry then you’re good). That being said, many students take AP Physics 1 after Algebra2 and concurrently with Precalculus so you should be fine either way in terms of content, the issue is administratively, will they let you register for AP Physics 1 without precalculus?
Have you had, so far (up to this year, homeschooled)
3 units of English/Humanities (Western Civ “counts”)
Algebra1&2, Geometry (some trig)
US History, 2 more social science classes
Biology, chemistry with labs
Foreign language through level 3
(art/music?)
Thank you all for your replies.
I checked the course description again for AP Physics and it says that it’s algebra based, so it would be AP Physics 1.
MYOS1634, yes, by the end of this year, I will have met all requirements for graduation, except a Government class, which I plan to take in senior year.
My prospective schools are Cornell, Ohio State, and NYU. Would they be okay with me taking Pre-Calculus in senior year? I know that Cornell is highly selective and might prefer that I take Calculus instead. Do you think they’ll actually care?
Thanks again!
Precalculus is fine, unless you’re applying to Cornell COE (but Cornell CALS IST is very good). That being said, if you feel able to accelerate through Algebra2 and finish Precalculus this summer, then register for Calc AB and Discrete Math next year, it’d be good for that level of schools.
What’s instate for you? Have you run the NPCs already and brough the results to your parents?
You need to find 2 affordable safeties (ie., colleges whose net cost is within the range given by your parents budget-wise and where you’re sure to get into) and a few matches (where you’re near the top 25% applicants). Then you can add reaches such as Cornell and NYU.
Sounds like you’re good for all classes, congratulations (it’s hard when homeschooled).
Some divisions at Cornell (Dyson AEM and engineering) require calculus, but others do not:
https://admissions.cornell.edu/pdf/freshman-requirements-chart
Neither Ohio State nor NYU requires or expects calculus in high school:
http://undergrad.osu.edu/apply/freshmen-columbus/who-gets-in#minreqFR
https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/all-freshmen-applicants/high-secondary-school-preparation.html
How have you been doing in your math classes?
How are you evaluated?
For Mech E, it would be good to have some calculus before you go to college, but many colleges assume you start wtih Calc 1 in the engineering curriculum.
So if you have been doing very well in math and have been independently evaluated, then do pre-calc over the summer (and nothing else).
If you have been getting B’s and your parent/yourself tests you, then maybe precalc might be better to see how you transiton to school.
You need to look at more match/safety/affordable schools