How to manage a MS that doesn't offer geometry and HS/college admissions

[Anonymous]

What high school expects all kids to take geometry in 8th grade? That seems unrealistic.

[Anonymous]

Dumb question (probably) - Where is everyone taking geometry during the summer? And how do you get your school to credit it?

[Anonymous]

Our PK-8th doesn't offer geometry either. I don't think it will impact HS admissions. I don't know about college but i think this extreme acceleration is ridiculous. Probably 2% of HS students should be taking something above AP Calc BC.

[Anonymous]

You don't have to rely on the school. There are accredited online programs that can teach your kid geometry. You can also send your kid to RSM, Kumon, or other private programs to get your kids math instruction.

[Anonymous]

See if she can take it through CTY. It is an accredited high school. They offer some self-paced classes which is nice if you're working around summer camps and travel.

She can also try to catch up by doubling up on math during high school or taking an online course during high school. I know it's hard when you don't know what high school she will be at.

[Anonymous]

There are a few solutions:

1. Realize this isn't a problem, and that a progression that ends in 12th grade calc is commonly seen as enough for "most rigorous." Yes, there are kids who are doing graduate-level math by 10th grade. But they are the exception, not the standard. (I have my own soapbox about the continual acceleration of mathematics instruction, and the damage that a hastily built foundation can do once students are supposed to be more advanced, but that's another rant. In short, completing something called "algebra" in 6th grade is not always helpful.)

2. If it still bothers you, contact the counseling office of your child's future school and ask how they can do summer study/test into the higher level course in the fall. They will have the information relevant to your school/district/state approval process.

3. Have DD do geometry in 9th grade, and then do the next step (Algebra 2? Trig? Whatever?) next summer. This will allow you both to get a better sense of which students are taking which classes, and if further acceleration is needed.

3. This is an excellent use of the "Additional Information" section on the Common App. Simply note that DD's most-rigorous middle school math progression was set up to end in 8th grade algebra, and then detail what she did from there to accelerate/catch up with the highest peer group *if that was needed*.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What high school expects all kids to take geometry in 8th grade? That seems unrealistic.

Yeah, I think the schools have been misrepresented to OP. No HS expects all or even most kids to take geometry in 8th.

Our k-8 did offer geometry, and between a fifth and a third of the 8th graders took it in any given year (grade size averaging about 30-35 kids). It’s not *uncommon*, but it’s not the norm, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take summer geometry for credit somewhere like Landon (think they let girls attend summer school too, but am not 100% on that).

Flint Hill offers a summer geometry class.

I believe FCPS has an online honors version, as well as regular.

Note that summer geometry is *intense*. If you really want your kid to take it, he needs to start a studying geometry (AoPS? Keys?) well before he's done with Algebra, so it won't be his first pass through the material when he starts the real course in the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What high school expects all kids to take geometry in 8th grade? That seems unrealistic.

Yeah, I think the schools have been misrepresented to OP. No HS expects all or even most kids to take geometry in 8th.

Our k-8 did offer geometry, and between a fifth and a third of the 8th graders took it in any given year (grade size averaging about 30-35 kids). It’s not *uncommon*, but it’s not the norm, either.

OP. I didn’t say that the Hs expects all entering freshman to have taken geometry, but rather that those who enter having not taken it have been warned by the college counseling office that their courseload won’t be categorized as highest possible rigor on their college applications. This matters at a private school since students are being compared by colleges to their classmates first and the rest of applicants after that.

[Anonymous]

DD’s friend got accepted into MIT and other ivies from a big 3 with only calculus senior year. Started with geometry in 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

One other data point:

The SAT covers Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2. You want that foundation solid. Racing through young, even if you gets As, is unwise if aiming for the top score bracket. And taking the test too early in high school means that the student is unlikely to capture the excellent English score they could get in junior year.

Cruise ahead if you must. Some students truly can. But don’t get sloppy.

Be certain that your student is internalizing all of the layers and topics and can not only perform the functions, but can also tease apart which functions to use when.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child goes to a K-8 that doesn’t offer geometry in 8th and still got into the top private schools. I was worried it might be a factor but it wasn’t. The top schools seem to want incoming 9th graders who have a strong and deep foundation in algebra.

This was our experience, as well. There appears to be growing pushback to the idea that “rigor” means putting students in math they aren’t prepared for.

I talked to our dept chair at a strong area private. He said that their goal has shifted from accelerating to keep up with faulty ideas of “rigor” to providing students with a strong foundation in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD’s friend got accepted into MIT and other ivies from a big 3 with only calculus senior year. Started with geometry in 9th grade.

Yes, my DC was accepted into STEM majors/programs at 2 Ivies from a Big3 this year with only Calculus senior year. The key seems to be getting As (including in the humanities), and having strong extracurriculars that show involvement/leadership in school and passion outside of school. Course acceleration was not a factor at all for my kid or classmates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go ahead and have her take geometry in the summer if that’s what she’d like to do, but do know that taking geometry in 9th still puts you on track for Calculus in 12th (whether that’s standard level, AP AB, or AP BC - or whatever advanced versions the HS offers) and that’s plenty of rigor. Post-calculus math in HS is not required.

This is the answer. Geometry in 9th grade is fine, everywhere.

A parent of a HS senior told me that if she didn’t take calculus junior year, she wouldn’t have “highest rigor” or whatever selected on her college apps and that would take many competitive colleges off the table. DH and I don’t expect her to follow in our footsteps (HYP, unfortunately) because we’re realistic about the new landscape of admissions and her interests, but we also don’t want to close any doors for her when she’s only 13.

I think that parent gave you bad information. In the majority of private schools in this area, it is quite uncommon for more than a few students to take Calc in 11th. Some schools don’t even offer post-Calc classes. If you’re really concerned, contact the high schools in question and ask how many students take post-Calc classes and whether not doing so automatically disqualifies them for “highest rigor.”

But none of this is relevant for OP if the school she is looking at is not one of these schools. I agree the best thing is to contact the school, but I wouldn’t automatically dismiss the parent of a current senior saying this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What high school expects all kids to take geometry in 8th grade? That seems unrealistic.

Yeah, I think the schools have been misrepresented to OP. No HS expects all or even most kids to take geometry in 8th.

Our k-8 did offer geometry, and between a fifth and a third of the 8th graders took it in any given year (grade size averaging about 30-35 kids). It’s not *uncommon*, but it’s not the norm, either.

OP. I didn’t say that the Hs expects all entering freshman to have taken geometry, but rather that those who enter having not taken it have been warned by the college counseling office that their courseload won’t be categorized as highest possible rigor on their college applications. This matters at a private school since students are being compared by colleges to their classmates first and the rest of applicants after that.

Who told you the bolded? At the "top" private schools -- GDS, Sidwell, cathedral schools, etc -- relatively few of their 8th graders take geometry. Yet their students do just fine in college admissions. I think you're overthinking the impact of this one thing.