Post calculus classes in HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS will take calc BC as a junior and will have several options for math classes senior year, including MVC, linear algebra, and an advanced math seminar. If he takes MVC and/or linear algebra, will he likely need to repeat in college?

Similarly, he will take physics C mechanics junior year. If he takes E&M senior year, will he be able to start with advanced physics in college?

It depends on the college and the kid. Both of mine started in MVC, one had taken it as well as LA/partial differentials in high school one had stopped at BC. One Engineering one premed, and it was no problem for either to start in MVC. The high school is a known challenging private that taught above and beyond the AP coursework, and both are at T10, one ivy one not, neither is MIT. YMMV from a weaker high school or at a different college. Most of the engineering kid's college friends started in MVC, and many had already taken it in high school albeit not as rigorous a course as the college version. Plenty of premeds start in MVC too, then take Stats and are done with math after freshman year or at least that is how it is advised there. If you start in MVC or BC, which seem to be the predominant starting places for premeds there: take that then stats then no more unless you want to major in math and be premed.
Physics C Mechanics with a 5 for one school and a high placement score for the other school allows one to skip the first semester of college calc-based physics. Physics C E&M credit/placement seems more variable based on the schools my kids seriously considered. The engineering student placed out of mechanics, the premed decided not to because that school advises two semesters of physics based coursework taken in the college for med school even with AP credit; they were not as confident in physics and did not have higher levels they were trying to get to. It was nice to have an easier A and it was, as promised, much harder than the AP course by many levels of magnitude. The engineering student got to start in Phys E&M and get to upper level coursework in their major and second E-major sooner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My engineering majors chose to start in Calc 2 and Physics 1 despite having taken MV and both physics at the highschool AP level. I have two engineers at different colleges and both schools cautioned that it was better to “repeat” some of these foundational classes at the college level because they are more in depth than the HS version and you don’t want knowledge gaps as you take the upper level courses. Both found them challenging despite some of the material being a “repeat”. Unless you’re really trying to save $ by advancing quickly and graduating early, I would not try to skip the foundation classes.

Thanks. I think he should take other electives in HS and leave the foundation classes to college. DS disagrees.

If he wants to have the best chance at the most competitive colleges, rigor of high school courses matters and he should take the hardest stem courses available at the high school within reason. In our school 25% take AP Physics C and 35% take BC or higher. Those who do not take either have zero chance at getting in to any T30 including UVA in state, unless recruited athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think DCUM parents are generally too insistent on repeating single variable calculus but I would be wary of skipping the sophomore mvc/la sequence for a higher math class, unless maybe it's intro to proofs.

The reason Harvard has Math 55, which is sort of a mutant version of the typical sophomore sequence, is as a containment measure to keep freshmen out of upper level math classes for which they lack the maturity.

You should have at least one college level math class under your belt before jumping into advanced topics imo. Can't answer for physics.

yes yes and yes

[Anonymous]

Mine did not need to repeat linear algebra or MVC in college, but the courses he took in high school were high rigor.

At college, he went straight into proof-based analysis, groups & rings, but mostly because that math interests him more.

But not all the other kids who took MVP and linear algebra in HS made that choice. Really depends on your kid, their interests, and the level of preparation they come in with.

[Anonymous]

Definitely repeat everything in college. There is no rush. In the grand scheme of college, being one or two classes ahead is not a big deal.

My kid goes to a good private where most kids take calculus as seniors (there are no APs) and plenty get into Ivy+ schools. So happy to be avoiding this rat race.

[Anonymous]

Calc at the Top 3 or 4 Engineering Schools will feel different than high school calc or AP. The top schools prefer you take it over with them. Not necessary but really preferred. But like someone stated above, every student will walk their own journey at these schools.

[Anonymous]

My kid got a five on the BC Calc exam junior year and then took MVC his senior year. His math teacher gave them the UMD Math Department Final Exam in MVC and after we paid thirty bucks he was able to get an A for his grade on the exam and credit for the class. He also is getting credit for his 5 on BC Calc. I see no reason for him to re-take those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For parents whose kids have taken MV/Diff Eq/LA via HS, did your child receive college credit?

When they take the BC exam, if they score high enough, they get college credit at many schools. MV et al are higher levels--how is credit handled if taken in HS?

I saw at RM (slide 39) that there is a test from UMD offered. Do all MCPS schools that offer MV et al offer this test?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/rmhs/guidance/rmhs-hs-courses.pdf

If no college credit is provided, would it be better to take the course as DE?

My child graduated from RM and is at UMD now. I believe Blair also offers the UMD MVC test. I don't know about other high schools.

Not only did kid get credit for MVC, also got an A grade that transferred. Unlike DE, AP, IB; for that specific MVC test, the grade also transfers if you enroll at UMD and want the grade as well. If you don't like the grade, you can take the class again. The test is the same one that UMD students take, and it is graded by a UMD professor.

My kid took the UMD MVC exam as a senior at Wheaton. Got credit with UMD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For parents whose kids have taken MV/Diff Eq/LA via HS, did your child receive college credit?

When they take the BC exam, if they score high enough, they get college credit at many schools. MV et al are higher levels--how is credit handled if taken in HS?

I saw at RM (slide 39) that there is a test from UMD offered. Do all MCPS schools that offer MV et al offer this test?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/rmhs/guidance/rmhs-hs-courses.pdf

If no college credit is provided, would it be better to take the course as DE?

My child graduated from RM and is at UMD now. I believe Blair also offers the UMD MVC test. I don't know about other high schools.

Not only did kid get credit for MVC, also got an A grade that transferred. Unlike DE, AP, IB; for that specific MVC test, the grade also transfers if you enroll at UMD and want the grade as well. If you don't like the grade, you can take the class again. The test is the same one that UMD students take, and it is graded by a UMD professor.

My kid took the UMD MVC exam as a senior at Wheaton. Got credit with UMD.

I will add - his teacher was a fantastic teacher who graduated with a degree in engineering from MIT and worked at Boeing. About twenty kids took the UMD MVC exam. All got credit and nine got As, if I understood correctly.

[Anonymous]

For those whose children took multivariable, linear eq and diff eq, what were their math SAT score?

The reason I ask is because it is incredibly rare to have math beyond Calc BC where I am from!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those whose children took multivariable, linear eq and diff eq, what were their math SAT score?

The reason I ask is because it is incredibly rare to have math beyond Calc BC where I am from!

750+, usually

[Anonymous]

Smart move is to take the classes in HS but not skip the foundational classes in college. Starting of college where some of the material is review will only help the college GPA and the high school course will not provide a solid enough foundation on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those whose children took multivariable, linear eq and diff eq, what were their math SAT score?

The reason I ask is because it is incredibly rare to have math beyond Calc BC where I am from!

800, without prep, and they didn’t think it was hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those whose children took multivariable, linear eq and diff eq, what were their math SAT score?

The reason I ask is because it is incredibly rare to have math beyond Calc BC where I am from!

My kid who took all three had a 770.

And, it is very very rare for kids in the DMV to take MVC, LA, and DE in high school. Don’t get the wrong impression from this thread.

MVC is more common but it is much less common to do the other two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those whose children took multivariable, linear eq and diff eq, what were their math SAT score?

The reason I ask is because it is incredibly rare to have math beyond Calc BC where I am from!

800, without prep, and they didn’t think it was hard.

I will add, in case I come across as a huge braggart, that my kid has to work their rear off in humanities classes, because unlike math, literary analysis doesn't come naturally. They are at a rigorous school and spend minimal time studying for post-calc math and physics courses but have to devote a whole lot of time for lit and history classes. Definitely not pushed into higher math.