HS math sequence for engineering

[Anonymous]

11th grade: AP Calc BC, AP Chem
12th grade: Multivariable Calc or AP Statistics, AP Physics C

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11th grade: AP Calc BC, AP Chem
12th grade: Multivariable Calc or AP Statistics, AP Physics C

I went to engineering school. The equivalent of these were all required courses in college. This would prepare you well.

[Anonymous]

Most kids do not take both. Calc AB is the slower route. Calc BC is the stronger choice. AP Chemistry would be a good choice for next year. My Engineering DS took Calc AB in HS and then retook Calc 1 in college. It worked out very well for him. He had a strong math basis that served him well..sounds like you DD maybe a stronger student however.


That is not actually true. It was back in my day, but there is a push now to do both. My kid was told to do AB then BC. I pushed for her to go into BC because the teacher was much better. It was the right call for her. But, either version can be fine, and it really depends on what's available at your school, and how they approach it

You can certainly do both, but be prepared for some repetition of material. I pressed my son to do both (because he gets very good grades in math and science but mediocre grades in language arts and history, because he has zero interest), just to have two heavy weighted As for his GPA, and while it achieved that goal, he says he would have preferred to just do BC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most kids do not take both. Calc AB is the slower route. Calc BC is the stronger choice. AP Chemistry would be a good choice for next year. My Engineering DS took Calc AB in HS and then retook Calc 1 in college. It worked out very well for him. He had a strong math basis that served him well..sounds like you DD maybe a stronger student however.


That is not actually true. It was back in my day, but there is a push now to do both. My kid was told to do AB then BC. I pushed for her to go into BC because the teacher was much better. It was the right call for her. But, either version can be fine, and it really depends on what's available at your school, and how they approach it

You can certainly do both, but be prepared for some repetition of material. I pressed my son to do both (because he gets very good grades in math and science but mediocre grades in language arts and history, because he has zero interest), just to have two heavy weighted As for his GPA, and while it achieved that goal, he says he would have preferred to just do BC.

One benefit to doing both is additional repetition may help with retaining and mastering the material. I guess it depends on the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is interested in becoming an engineer and I don’t know much about what are the best courses to take to prepare for college and be a strong applicant.

She’s currently a 10th grader and is in honors pre-calc, AP Physics and AP Computer Science. She’s got an A in pre-calc and Bs in the two AP classes. I assume she will take AP Calculus AB next year, but what should she look at for science and electives?

I find the counseling at the school to be pretty lacking, so looking to crowdsource better guidance.

If your kid is getting B's in the AP classes, they are most likely too hard for her. A B today is equivalent to a C when we were in school. She's not picking up the material and/or the class is too fast for her. It's better to have a strong foundation in a subject.

This is OP, and I’ve been wondering about this. To be fair, she had an A in AP Physics first quarter, but it looks like she’ll get a B this quarter. But does this really mean the classes are too hard? Are all kids getting A’s in AP classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is interested in becoming an engineer and I don’t know much about what are the best courses to take to prepare for college and be a strong applicant.

She’s currently a 10th grader and is in honors pre-calc, AP Physics and AP Computer Science. She’s got an A in pre-calc and Bs in the two AP classes. I assume she will take AP Calculus AB next year, but what should she look at for science and electives?

I find the counseling at the school to be pretty lacking, so looking to crowdsource better guidance.

If your kid is getting B's in the AP classes, they are most likely too hard for her. A B today is equivalent to a C when we were in school. She's not picking up the material and/or the class is too fast for her. It's better to have a strong foundation in a subject.

This is OP, and I’ve been wondering about this. To be fair, she had an A in AP Physics first quarter, but it looks like she’ll get a B this quarter. But does this really mean the classes are too hard? Are all kids getting A’s in AP classes?

DP. No, A/B is fine.

[Anonymous]

I'd have her talk to her counselor, especially learning more about how good the teachers are for AB/BC. AB in junior, BC in senior -- especially if she really learns the material, gets good grades (As), and gets good scores on the AP exams (4/5), together with a strong STEM showing in her science classes, plus any engineering classes available, should enable her to put together a strong application for an engineering school. It doesn't require multivariate in senior year. Even with repetition, it's better to learn the material solidly to set up for success in college calculus.

AP Physics C and AP Chem for sure.

FWIW, it's not necessary to go to MIT or Carnegie-Mellon to get a great engineering degree and have strong job prospects. My spouse is an engineer in upper management who does a lot of hiring and, unlike other fields, the name brand of the degree is not determinative. It's all about the work experience. So your DD doesn't have to aim for MIT or Cornell Engineering and get the tippy-top grades and scores that would be necessary to even buy a lottery ticket for those schools, although she should still work hard and do her best.