My S17 was accepted to Cal Poly SLO, and from reading the threads it seems like having 5 years of math could have been a big plus for him. (Some of those still waiting to hear did not put middle school math classes on their application, and so did not max out the points for rigor.) I thought all was good until I realized that my S19 will not have 5 years of math. Schools in our area switched to Common Core math, so Algebra was not offered when he was in 8th grade and he was placed in Math 8 instead. I have since gotten him in to a higher track of math so he will get to Calculus by his senior year, but he will still only have 4 years of advanced math when it comes time to fill out the application. Will that be a common occurrence for the HS class of 2019, or will the rest of you still have 5 years of math?
I have a d17 and a d20
D20 took Algebra 1 in sixth grade.
She will be fine.
Keep in mind two things:
1.) the change in your particular district’s numbering of math classes as they switch over to common core curriculum is likely to be a one-time occurrence. Schools will not be offering less math, it will simply be organized differently.
2.) since common core is being adopted state wide, the vast, vast majority of CSU/Cal Poly applicants will be competing on a level playing field, with access to the same educational opportunities as their peers.
Can your child take math off site at a tutoring center or over summer at a community college to get further on the math track?
The problem is that not all school districts made the change at the same time. My '20 had Algebra in 8th grade. Some classmates had Alg in 7th grade and Geom in 8th grade. The district next to us eliminated junior high Alg and Geom starting with the class of 2020.
I tutored him myself, and he tested out of a year of math. He can now to get to AP Calc BC in his senior year, which is the highest math class offered at our school. He doesn’t really need more math at this point, but since Cal Poly’s MCA calculation is based on the number of semesters, I’m afraid that he may still be at a disadvantage if he ends up choosing to apply there. He attends a charter school for grades 7-12, and entered in grade 9. Since students at his school come from different districts, there is a wide variety in math level among his peers.
Homeschooling or independent study of A1 before high school would count in my opinion