Skipping Math Sr Year - Looking for BTDT Advice (IB School)

[Anonymous]

11th grade DD is an excellent student (straight As, demanding schedule) who is pursuing the full IB diploma at her HS. She was selected for AAP in 3rd grade, earned a HS math credit in MS and will complete the full IB diploma math requirement this year. Her school doesn't offer AP classes, so her options for next year are to take only 1 year of the alternate IB math track, take a college-level math class at NoVa or skip math entirely, as the requirement is already satisfied.

Further complicating things, is a new IB offering starting next year, that is of great interest to her. She can only fit the new class into her schedule if she opts out of math. Addionally, she's reached a level where math's becoming more challenging and is of little interest or future use. The new humanities IB class is the exact opposite and something she would enjoy.

We're obviously thinking ahead towards college apps and are curious to hear opinions on the options. Her greatest strengths and interests lie in arts and humanities and she will definitely not be pursing any STEM or STEM-adjacent majors. She's also very involved in her school and community, holds records, awards and leadership roles, etc. so will be a strong candidate overall but.... what about the math? Would the absence of another math class senior year be a huge red flag on her college applications given her background and future interests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11th grade DD is an excellent student (straight As, demanding schedule) who is pursuing the full IB diploma at her HS. She was selected for AAP in 3rd grade, earned a HS math credit in MS and will complete the full IB diploma math requirement this year. Her school doesn't offer AP classes, so her options for next year are to take only 1 year of the alternate IB math track, take a college-level math class at NoVa or skip math entirely, as the requirement is already satisfied.

Further complicating things, is a new IB offering starting next year, that is of great interest to her. She can only fit the new class into her schedule if she opts out of math. Addionally, she's reached a level where math's becoming more challenging and is of little interest or future use. The new humanities IB class is the exact opposite and something she would enjoy.

We're obviously thinking ahead towards college apps and are curious to hear opinions on the options. Her greatest strengths and interests lie in arts and humanities and she will definitely not be pursing any STEM or STEM-adjacent majors. She's also very involved in her school and community, holds records, awards and leadership roles, etc. so will be a strong candidate overall but.... what about the math? Would the absence of another math class senior year be a huge red flag on her college applications given her background and future interests?

So is she finishing AA HL or SL or AI HL or SL? I think some here/colleges would have that make a difference in how answer. In other words, are you saying she has all As in analysis HL and will be finishing that this year? Or is she completing AI SL at other end of difficulty?

[Anonymous]

OP: She's finishing up AI SL this year. Straight As are across the board, in all subjects.

[Anonymous]

You could consider taking math online, either AP or DE.

[Anonymous]

Since AI SL is the lower end of IB Math difficulty and you say not interested in stem or anything adjacent, then probably as good to take a HL of something else HARD in area interested in and get an A v taking AP Calc and getting a B. Could always include in the “anything else want to share” part of applications why chose not to take math and make it a good reason

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since AI SL is the lower end of IB Math difficulty and you say not interested in stem or anything adjacent, then probably as good to take a HL of something else HARD in area interested in and get an A v taking AP Calc and getting a B. Could always include in the “anything else want to share” part of applications why chose not to take math and make it a good reason

A reason cannot be my school doesn’t offer bc as prior poster said, can do AP online

[Anonymous]

My kid finished calculus junior year, got a 5 on the AP test, had a GPA well above 4.0, rigorous courses, 9 APs, 1500 SAT, great activities, yada yada yada. A dcum stereotype.

Wanted to go into humanities, so did not take a BC or multivariable class senior year and took AP econ instead. Was rejected from all of the more competitive schools, including UVA, in spite of having 4 math credits that ended with AP calculus.

Sibling with almost identical stats, except 1 year behind in the math sequence with AP Calc senior year instead of junior year, was accepted almost everywhere, including top 10 schools (no UVA ironically)

I would have your kid take a math class senior year. Does your high school offer any higher level AP or dual enrollment classes, or are they limited to only IB classes?

[Anonymous]

Math is an area that top schools want 4 years at HS not just 4 or 5 years of HS math. DS took Algebra and a language in 7th grade. we are more likely to let him drop the language after completing 4 years, although really suggesting he take the AP in his language, then math. He has to take 4 years of math in HS even though that will mean math beyond Calculus. That is what colleges want to see.

The poster who talked about the different college placements for their kid is not going to be the only one who has that anecdotal data.

It will depend on the colleges she wants to attend but if it is a competitive college, something with a lower acceptance percentage, then she wants 4 years of math. I get that she is a humanities kid but she risks a lot dropping the math class, especially since she went SL for her IB math class.

I don’t think colleges see math as any different then English or History/Social Studies. It doesn’t matter that you took some HS math in MS, you need 4 years in HS in those areas.

[Anonymous]

This is one topic that parents/students don't realize as they begin to take HS level mathematics courses in middle school (and earlier). Colleges want to see 4 years of mathematics taken in high school. Unfortunately, families don't understand this as they begin accelerating in mathematics and it hurts many students in their future academic years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is one topic that parents/students don't realize as they begin to take HS level mathematics courses in middle school (and earlier). Colleges want to see 4 years of mathematics taken in high school. Unfortunately, families don't understand this as they begin accelerating in mathematics and it hurts many students in their future academic years.

Yes. I’m a high school teacher (not math) and even though you only “need” 3 years of math to get a diploma, the counselors tell kids you really need 4 if you’re applying to a 4 year university. Not only for the acceptance but because most kids can’t really sustain a year off math and then do well in a required math course once they start college.

[Anonymous]

Not taking math in the senior year will 100% cross out all T20, dont even bother to apply to them. Makes T20 - T40 also take out more of these as serious choices,.

[Anonymous]

I have a high achieving senior who is a humanities student. She is not taking math this year (she took ap precalculus last year). I told her at length about how much schools want to see calculus. She did not listen to me. I assumed her hs counselor would try to encourage her to take math. NOPE! The counselor happily signed off on the course request without batting an eye or making any comments at all. My permission was not needed and there was nothing I could do about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a high achieving senior who is a humanities student. She is not taking math this year (she took ap precalculus last year). I told her at length about how much schools want to see calculus. She did not listen to me. I assumed her hs counselor would try to encourage her to take math. NOPE! The counselor happily signed off on the course request without batting an eye or making any comments at all. My permission was not needed and there was nothing I could do about it.

There are other math classes she could have taken, like AP Stats that might have been a better fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a high achieving senior who is a humanities student. She is not taking math this year (she took ap precalculus last year). I told her at length about how much schools want to see calculus. She did not listen to me. I assumed her hs counselor would try to encourage her to take math. NOPE! The counselor happily signed off on the course request without batting an eye or making any comments at all. My permission was not needed and there was nothing I could do about it.

There are other math classes she could have taken, like AP Stats that might have been a better fit.

Thank you, captain obvious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a high achieving senior who is a humanities student. She is not taking math this year (she took ap precalculus last year). I told her at length about how much schools want to see calculus. She did not listen to me. I assumed her hs counselor would try to encourage her to take math. NOPE! The counselor happily signed off on the course request without batting an eye or making any comments at all. My permission was not needed and there was nothing I could do about it.

There are other math classes she could have taken, like AP Stats that might have been a better fit.

Thank you, captain obvious

And yet you talked to her at length about a class she had not interest in? Did you mention other math alternatives and discuss why it was important? Your post makes it sound like all you talked to her about was Calculus.