Math path and college acceptances

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS now has an option for Algebra 1 honors in 6th grade for a cohort of students. Better to take this “hardest” math path with possible lower grades, vs stronger grades but will be behind some peers? Which do colleges prefer? Realize this is ridiculous question since only in sixth grade, but have to make a choice.

It depends how many do it. In some schools there 2-3 kids each year others have almost 2 dozen on this path. It matters less if it is rare.
Internationally this path is common, fwiw.
Don't do it if they are not ready. Students who are ready are not risking lower grades by taking it early. They get A's anyway, or A+. That is the type of student this is designed for. The teachers will recommend it to some and not to others, best not to do it if not in the recommended group.

[Anonymous]

My kid took AP Calc AB senior year. Took both Precalc and AP stats in 11th. Heading to UVA in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which is better Calculus AB or BC? Both are not needed, correct?

This varies by high school. Some teach them in sequence, and at those schools you need to take them in sequence, because the AB material is not taught in the BC class. At other high schools they are alternatives, and at those schools, BC is the more rigorous.

[Anonymous]

If you are asking because of college admissions, an anecdote

Our HS offers courses beyond MV/LA, seminar style classes in various math topics.

Every year for the past 4 years a few kids go beyond that and take high-level math courses at a local university (a t30).

This year was the first time in 8 years a kid from my kid's hs was accepted at MIT. BC Calc senior year. No math awards, teams, competitions. No national awards. Just regular kid stuff.

Go figure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are asking because of college admissions, an anecdote

Our HS offers courses beyond MV/LA, seminar style classes in various math topics.

Every year for the past 4 years a few kids go beyond that and take high-level math courses at a local university (a t30).

This year was the first time in 8 years a kid from my kid's hs was accepted at MIT. BC Calc senior year. No math awards, teams, competitions. No national awards. Just regular kid stuff.

Go figure

Thank you for this helpful example.

Too many parents are in their suburban magnet school bubble and think their little snowflakes are the next Einstein. Slow down. Your kid likely isn't that smart. And neither are the kids around them. The schools are doing your kids a dis-service by pushing them forward so fast. Relax. Enjoy life. Play a sport. Watch trash on TV or Youtube or TikTok or whatever else. Fool around with the opposite gender (or your gender if that's what floats your boat).

For most careers, that will serve you a lot better than taking MV in the womb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are asking because of college admissions, an anecdote

Our HS offers courses beyond MV/LA, seminar style classes in various math topics.

Every year for the past 4 years a few kids go beyond that and take high-level math courses at a local university (a t30).

This year was the first time in 8 years a kid from my kid's hs was accepted at MIT. BC Calc senior year. No math awards, teams, competitions. No national awards. Just regular kid stuff.

Go figure

Thank you for this helpful example.

Too many parents are in their suburban magnet school bubble and think their little snowflakes are the next Einstein. Slow down. Your kid likely isn't that smart. And neither are the kids around them. The schools are doing your kids a dis-service by pushing them forward so fast. Relax. Enjoy life. Play a sport. Watch trash on TV or Youtube or TikTok or whatever else. Fool around with the opposite gender (or your gender if that's what floats your boat).

For most careers, that will serve you a lot better than taking MV in the womb.

Well, you are taking what I said a bit far. I have no idea if the kid did watched trash on youtube or tik tok from time to time. But that's obviously not what he put on his application/liknked in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are asking because of college admissions, an anecdote

Our HS offers courses beyond MV/LA, seminar style classes in various math topics.

Every year for the past 4 years a few kids go beyond that and take high-level math courses at a local university (a t30).

This year was the first time in 8 years a kid from my kid's hs was accepted at MIT. BC Calc senior year. No math awards, teams, competitions. No national awards. Just regular kid stuff.

Go figure

Thank you for this helpful example.

Too many parents are in their suburban magnet school bubble and think their little snowflakes are the next Einstein. Slow down. Your kid likely isn't that smart. And neither are the kids around them. The schools are doing your kids a dis-service by pushing them forward so fast. Relax. Enjoy life. Play a sport. Watch trash on TV or Youtube or TikTok or whatever else. Fool around with the opposite gender (or your gender if that's what floats your boat).

For most careers, that will serve you a lot better than taking MV in the womb.

Well, you are taking what I said a bit far. I have no idea if the kid did watched trash on youtube or tik tok from time to time. But that's obviously not what he put on his application/liknked in.

The PP got a little carried away. Still, it’s funny how this forum gets all excited about the very high quality of academics at T20 schools, but then argues that it’s better to take college math from whatever random person is teaching at Springfield High.

[Anonymous]

^^^I'm not sure what your point is.

Most of the kids who did the advanced math i.e, MV Calc+ (at least the ones that are friends with my kid) have great college choices.

I just thought it was interesting that the kid whose math path culminated in calc bc was the one who got into mit.

[Anonymous]

Shouldn't this be based on individual ability and interests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are asking because of college admissions, an anecdote

Our HS offers courses beyond MV/LA, seminar style classes in various math topics.

Every year for the past 4 years a few kids go beyond that and take high-level math courses at a local university (a t30).

This year was the first time in 8 years a kid from my kid's hs was accepted at MIT. BC Calc senior year. No math awards, teams, competitions. No national awards. Just regular kid stuff.

Go figure

Thank you for this helpful example.

Too many parents are in their suburban magnet school bubble and think their little snowflakes are the next Einstein. Slow down. Your kid likely isn't that smart. And neither are the kids around them. The schools are doing your kids a dis-service by pushing them forward so fast. Relax. Enjoy life. Play a sport. Watch trash on TV or Youtube or TikTok or whatever else. Fool around with the opposite gender (or your gender if that's what floats your boat).

For most careers, that will serve you a lot better than taking MV in the womb.

My gender floats my boat, thank you for being an ally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't this be based on individual ability and interests?

Schools are obsessed with "max rigor." So if advanced math is offered to one kid at a school, then all other kids feel the need to do it so that they can also say they have "max rigor." Even though once they get to college they will only be a semester or two ahead, which doesn't do a lot of good, and, as someone noted, they will have been taught key fundamental classes by Mr. Joe Blow, with an MA from some teachers college, rather than Dr. Joseph Blow, with an Ivy PhD (which admittedly doesn't make someone a better "teacher" but definitely means they know the material better.).

Schools often are truly doing students a disservice by offering these classes and by pushing them ahead. They think it makes the school look better that they are offering this, but at some point, it really doesn't. But they are unlikely to claw it back as they think it will make them look bad compared to other schools. Nope.

[Anonymous]

If from a decently resourced public school, AP Calc BC by sophomore year is recommended. Many of the replies are from private school parents who are ignorant of the gate-keeping of public school students to Ivies. A public school student at a middle or upper-middle class high school has to be 10X the scholar a private school student has to be.

The majority of Princeton's non-hooked students took math above Calculus BC. At MIT, more than 50% of unhooked public school students had math higher than BC.

[Anonymous]

Lots of kids who take algebra in 7th move down and then try again in 8th. I imagine it will be the same with the kids who try in 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If from a decently resourced public school, AP Calc BC by sophomore year is recommended. Many of the replies are from private school parents who are ignorant of the gate-keeping of public school students to Ivies. A public school student at a middle or upper-middle class high school has to be 10X the scholar a private school student has to be.

The majority of Princeton's non-hooked students took math above Calculus BC. At MIT, more than 50% of unhooked public school students had math higher than BC.

I am fairly sure that basically zero kids at Stuy, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, etc. do calc as sophomores, and I don't think many even do it as a junior. And they do fine with college acceptances and once they get to college.

Colleges want kids who do the best with what is offered. So the schools don't need to offer these things to keep up with each other. Parents are being bamboozled. But the damage is done and it isn't being changed. So now you are forced to do it. Which is dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If from a decently resourced public school, AP Calc BC by sophomore year is recommended. Many of the replies are from private school parents who are ignorant of the gate-keeping of public school students to Ivies. A public school student at a middle or upper-middle class high school has to be 10X the scholar a private school student has to be.

The majority of Princeton's non-hooked students took math above Calculus BC. At MIT, more than 50% of unhooked public school students had math higher than BC.

I am fairly sure that basically zero kids at Stuy, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, etc. do calc as sophomores, and I don't think many even do it as a junior. And they do fine with college acceptances and once they get to college.

Colleges want kids who do the best with what is offered. So the schools don't need to offer these things to keep up with each other. Parents are being bamboozled. But the damage is done and it isn't being changed. So now you are forced to do it. Which is dumb.

Wrong. Dozens take it each year. So your "fairly sure" basically meant you were guessing.