Will I still get into a good* college if I only take up to precalculus?

Why would they do that? They want their students to get into the best schools possible. If it is that important to you, you need your parents to get involved. And again, you use hyperbole with the word hate. Colleges care far more about your teacher recs than counselor recs. If you like your teachers and they like you, you will get good recs. Your negativity is truly worrisome.

I don’t know you at all.

You sound like a bright kid. But to be honest, if I had to write a letter of recommendation based on what I know of you from your threads, it would be kind of cautionary. You seem to find one thing that’s of earth shattering importance to you, and to decide that everything else is unimportant.

Mom went to “cruddy state college” or whatever you called it… Your guidance counselor “doesn’t want you to succeed” because she won’t let you take the classes you want… Seriously? You think THAT’S her reason? It’s not, say, school policy or a scheduling conflict or perhaps senior class already full of seniors?

And "But practically everyone else ever starts planning in, like, 6th grade what classes they’re going to take, " Um, nope. Most sixth graders I know are hoping that chicken nuggets are on the lunch menu, not worrying about college.

My guess is that your guidance counselor is worried about you, as several of us are. You seem to be setting yourself up for disappointment by choosing not to believe all the adults here – and most probably in real life as well-- who have told you repeatedly that there is more than one route from where you are to where you want to be. We’re all concerned that when some small thing differs from the path you’ve decided it should be on, that anxiety is going to kick into overdrive and you’ll be in full crisis mode. You speak in hyperbole and seem to really believe it. That’s cause for concern, real concern.

What does your therapist say about all your plans and issues with school, with your plans, with it all?

This just showed up on my FB newsfeed…

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/09/09/549133027/for-teens-knee-deep-in-negativity-reframing-thoughts-can-help

This is what posters have been trying to do – ask questions to help you replace your catastrophizing with realistic scenarios. The article might be worth a read.

@futurecollege00 Well, it has worked for me as a parent, to the benefit of my kids. I think one of the issues I got involved in was something very similar to what you have experienced - she wasn’t being scheduled to take Algebra I in 8th grade even though she and I knew she was capable of doing well in it. So I stepped in and insisted on it, and she got an A in the class, and moved on to high school as a better prepared math student.

The advantage to this approach vs. the approach you’re taking now, is that it puts the school administration in the position of having to deal with an adult, not a 15 year old. They tend to take parents more seriously. They also wont hate you for your parents’ actions. When I had to step in, one time all it took was dealing with the GC. The other time, I had to go all the way up to the principal. My kid has never been treated badly at school because of the actions I took on her behalf.

So ask your parents politely if they will support you and help you get the schedule that you want. Ask them to be persistent. Then be the best student you can be, both academically and behaviorally, and you will get good references, because they will be writing about YOU, not your parents. Lindagaf is right. Schools want their students to do well because it makes them look good. They are not going to sabotage your college admissions chances unless you do something extreme that warrants a bad recommendation. So, you need to stop the obsessive behavior and negativity because those traits are a huge turn off and that’s what might lead to mediocre references.

I also agree with Lindagaf about your “cruddy local state u” statement and everything else she said in #50. That kind of attitude and disrespect is not going to be looked upon favorably if you talk like that to your teachers or guidance counselors. Because most of them probably went to a “cruddy local state u”. I and my husband did too, and we were in the top 10% income bracket for the latter part of our careers. We had very satisfying and exciting jobs, and traveled the world to lots of interesting places (and I grew up in a place that would definitely be considered more of a “hick’sville” than upstate NY). Neither one of us (or any of our employers) gave a second thought to where we got our diplomas once we entered the work force - it was irrelevant because we were judged on our performance, not where we went to college. Going to a prestigious college is not going to be a magic ticket to anything. Your hard work, positive personality traits, and attitude are going to get you more respect and have more of an impact on your accomplishments.

That is an excellent article @bodangles . Should be required reading for everyone.

Please do not stress over every single little thing about the application process. It is annoying? Yes. But, that does not mean it should run your life in high school. If you really are a smart person and go-getter as you claim to be, which I believe you are considering the amount of thought and effort you are putting into this, you will get into a college you like if you keep at it.

Now go have fun! Stop thinking about college, you’ll feel better.

Signed,

Some college freshman procrastinating work on CC that’s never taken calculus.

Even bio majors often need to take intro physics in college. IMO, it’s better to have a high school taste of all of three of bio, chem, and physics before taking the advanced class in any of them.

^ @AroundHere is right. I’m about to apply as a bio major, and I made getting at least a basic level of all three a priority. You need to get a bit of everything to see exactly where you stand, and what subjects you’re truly interested in. Physics is an incredibly important class, and having a basis in it will help you understand other classes. The sciences all reach out to each other, and having an understanding of chem, bio, and physics is the key to doing well in each class. Also, maybe at this point your counselor won’t let you double up, but if you continue displaying a very high level of achievement, he/she will take note of that and likely trust you enough to venture out into a more challenging course load. As for the math, I have seen people get into top-notch colleges with a lower level of math, but if you’re actively interested in learning more math, perhaps try taking the Alg II class over summer. It’s the easiest one to fit in over summer, and if it doesn’t go well, you can always take it again during the school year. Overall, don’t fret so much about how every detail will look to college. Focus on what you have already, and make those factors the best that they can be.

Ok, I’ll ask my parents to talk to the principal and guidance counselor.

I understand what everyone is saying about taking physics, though. Of course, I can always double up on physics and AP bio senior year!

I’m sorry for offending anyone; all I meant to say is that my parents don’t have much experience with college in general. They have told me that they quote “slacked off in high school” and they both took much longer than 4 years to graduate. I was just trying to explain how I feel pretty much on my own in this whole process. I understand that attendance at a state school or one that is regarded as mediocre isn’t just for people who partied all through high school or who are bad students, and I in no way was insinuating that people who do go to those universities are bad people or anything.

So I keep asking my GC if I can take a summer school class to get ahead, and she keeps saying that it’s, like, a law or something that you can’t take a summer school class unless you have already taken it. However, I have some friends that have taken a class or two in summer school so that they could take a more accelerated class next year. Is this like a legitimate NY state law, or is my GC just uninformed and/or reluctant to tell me the truth?

Your school since it is so small may in fact only offer credit recovery summer school classes. Find an alternative class you’re interested in and ask specifically about that one.

For what it’s worth, in my metro area, I have yet to see an in-person high school summer math course that isn’t limited to credit recovery. Perhaps try a community college or something online.

As for the original question, I have often wondered the same. For a kid whose high school offers calc, but who is limited to precalc in 12th due to middle school math placement, how much of a detriment is that for application to a college that explicitly looks for calc? Can it really be said that such student had an opportunity to take calc?

Right, but CCs don’t offer Alg 2, do they? I mean, unless it’s remedial algebra, but what would really be the point then? If i were to take s summer cc class, it would be precalc b/c for regents classes, you have to take the class and the regents exam but it has to be, like at your school.

You have two school years to think about whether taking summer precalc at a CC is a good idea for you or not. This does not need to be decided right now. At the end of junior year, you would want to verify what would happen with your senior schedule if you were to take precalc over the summer before senior year. When the time comes, consider speaking with a math teacher, one who likes you, rather than asking the GC first.

As I said in a previous post, look into online summer classes. They are NOT limited to credit recovery. You have been given a ton of good advice, now YOU need to do something. Or not.

It’s a good idea if it allows me to take a higher level of math

From what I’ve seen, precalc at CCs is often split up into two semesters, so you might not be able to take it all in a summer. Look up options in your area though.

Most of those online classes cost a lot of money, and there isn’t a specific one for new york like there is for florida. And the class wouldn’t count unless I actually got credit from it. And since algebra 2 is a regents class, you need to have the NYS common core curriculum for it to count. My best bets are convincing GC to let me take alg 2 and geometry together or doing precalc before 12th.

Ok, my mom talked to the GC. GC said, quote, “taking two sequential math classes at the same time is impossible”, so no doubling up. Now, from everything I’ve read on CC, doubling up IS possible, so she’s either unaware of that fact or it’s some kind of wacky school policy. Honestly, IDK. BUT, GC said that what I can do is take college algebra over the coming summer (as long as the material covered is basically the same and the school approves the course) and take the algebra 2 Regents in August. I would get credit for the class and everything, so there would be no problem there.

As for chemistry, should I take a college class over the summer (as long as the school approves it) and take the Regents? would it be too much? I just really want to get ahead.

Stop. Doubling up is NOT possible IN YOUR SCHOOL. (Not yelling, just really trying to add emphasis.)

Each school has its own policies, and that’s one of the policies in your school. It is in mine as well, and my husband’s. It’s not “wacky.” It’s there for a good reason. It exists in many, many schools.

Your guidance counselor knows her stuff. Please start to believe her.

Make sure the summer course you take is Algebra II and Trig, not just Algebra II, if you’re hoping to take the Regents.

Question, though: what happens if you don’t pass that Algebra II and Trig Regents? Personally, I’ve seen lots and lots of kids struggle with that coursework.

I know doubling up is not possible, and I do believe my guidance counselor.

I’ll make sure the course is alg 2 and trig. like I said, I can’t just take any class without the school approving it, so I’ll be taking the right one for the regents.

If I don’t pass the algebra 2 and trig regents, then I will take the class in 11th grade like normal.