Confused about high school course selection

[Anonymous]

Like many in this area, my DS was placed on an accelerated math track and is taking AP Calculus AB as a junior. He does well but has no interest in it and does not want to pursue a STEM field in college. My question is whether he has to go on to Calculus BC his senior year because colleges expect four years of high school math? He insists his 8th grade Algebra is on his high school transcript, but I have heard others say middle school classes "don't count." Did anyone's DC (who wants to go to a non-Ivy but still selective college) not take math senior year in similar circumstances? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

What about AP stats or AP Comp Sci as an alternative?

[Anonymous]

Yes his MS Algebra 1 should be on his transcript - there are certain HS classes that can be taken in MS and will be on transcript. May be same for Geometry if he took in MS. However I would agree with the recommendation for AP Statistics - it is a useful class. Also, what is his planned major?

[Anonymous]

Taking Calculus BC after Calculus AB doesn't make sense, the content is completely overlapping, not sequential, just BC goes further and in more depth. I would second that he needs to be taking some math class senior year to be considered competitive for any top college/university, and that AP Stats makes the most sense, no matter what field he ends up in. Also it tends to be quite easy for kids that take it because they already took Calc in junior year and don't want to move onto multivariate/linear algebra, because the other kids in the class are often seniors who didn't think they could or wanted to hack calculus. My daughter was in a similar situation, on very accelerated math track without much interest in it eventually, doing well but in the end decided to take AB instead of BC calc junior year and focus on her other APs as well, and then AP Stat senior year. She got into 4 Ivys and as well as top SLACs.

[Anonymous]

My kid did not take math his senior year after taking BC calculus in 11th grade. There were no math classes offered unless he wanted to bus to another high school for multivariable calculus. In fact, he ran out of academic classes to take and had a couple of open periods (only five classes). It did not appear to hurt his college admissions.

[Anonymous]

What we were told is that colleges are looking for 4 years of math in HS, not 4 years of HS level math. So I'd say AP stat if he doesn't want to do multi variable calc. Agree with pp that BC is NOT the sequence after AB, it's one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What we were told is that colleges are looking for 4 years of math in HS, not 4 years of HS level math. So I'd say AP stat if he doesn't want to do multi variable calc. Agree with pp that BC is NOT the sequence after AB, it's one or the other.

We were told the same thing. In fact, at a parent meeting at our high school, a counselor stood up and said that UMD won't take our kids unless they have 4 years of math in high school (not just four years of high school-level math). I don't know if that's absolutely true, but it made a big impression on us. It also caused DC, who had taken AP Calc AB as a junior and wasn't particularly interested in math, to take Stats senior year. FWIW, DC had a great Stats teacher and loved the course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What we were told is that colleges are looking for 4 years of math in HS, not 4 years of HS level math. So I'd say AP stat if he doesn't want to do multi variable calc. Agree with pp that BC is NOT the sequence after AB, it's one or the other.

We were told the same thing. In fact, at a parent meeting at our high school, a counselor stood up and said that UMD won't take our kids unless they have 4 years of math in high school (not just four years of high school-level math). I don't know if that's absolutely true, but it made a big impression on us. It also caused DC, who had taken AP Calc AB as a junior and wasn't particularly interested in math, to take Stats senior year. FWIW, DC had a great Stats teacher and loved the course.

Yes, we were at UMD on Monday for Sophomore/Junior visiting day and the Science department said specifically that anyone hoping to major in the sciences at UMD needs to take a math class all 4 years of high school! We already have one child who is at UMD, and he took Calc AB junior year of high school and AP Stats senior year.

Also, keep in mind that all colleges are going to be looking for a rigorous course selection all four years of high school. Skipping a year of math may not be looked upon favorably.

[Anonymous]

OP here. This all seems like really good advice, thank you. The problem is that, according to my son, Stats conflicts with an honors thesis-writing program at his school that he really wants to do. (It's a small school, and upper level courses are sometimes offered only in one period--one of the downsides of a small school.) I guess I will have to work with the school on this one. I am curious where the child mentioned by 9:44 was accepted to college without a fourth year of math? And to answer another PP's question: major is undecided, but I know he doesn't want to study engineering, math, or computer science. I think a pre-med track is not of the question because he has an interest in attending veterinary school. Thank you again for the input!

[Anonymous]

Does the school have a college counselor?

We were told four years of math.