Will my child who is bad at math, be able to get into any highly rated colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m terrible at math, like still do addition and subtraction on my fingers bad. My high school allowed you to enroll in honors classes if you really wanted to. My middle school teachers didn’t recommend me, but my parents asked the guidance office to give me a chance. My test scores didn’t automatically let me in either. I took 4 years of advanced math and calculus senior year. I honestly had very little idea what was going on, but high school is largerly about effort and with tutoring I was always able to keep an A- average in math. I had near perfect grades in everything else, played 4 sports, and had tons of extracurriculars, and great references.

I got into Yale. My math SAT was on the low end of what they accept, but everything else was on the high end. I did well there and never took another math class. I can still barely balance my check book, but I have a PhD in another field and a lot of professional success.

So, it’s not impossible, but if you have a deficit in one area you have to work harder than everyone else to minimize the impact and you still have to take the hardest level in that area.

I love this!

I have an undergraduate degree in a math field and still sometimes count on my fingers. I “don’t do math in my head”

If your kid can learn a foreign language they an learn and do well up through precal and possibly calc.

[Anonymous]

I was bad at math. (I liked math but have cognitive issues.) I went to a top 200 school for my bachelor's degree. A decade later I was admitted to a top 10 school for a master's program based largely on professional accomplishments; they didn't care about math.

It's a roundabout way to get to a top program.

[Anonymous]

Don't assume she's bad at math just because of her performance as a high-schooler. You say that she's in low-level math which I take to mean that she's either in Algebra 1 or Geometry. I wasn't seem to be that great at math in high school either. I took Geometry as a freshman, Algebra II as a sophomore, Pre-calculus as a junior, and AP Calculus as a senior, while a lot of my friends took Algebra II as freshmen, Pre-calculus as sophomores, and AP Calculus as juniors. But guess what? I graduated from college with a pure-math degree last year while a lot of my friends who were ahead of me in high school got degrees in completely non-math related fields. Someone looking at me in high-school would have thought that the idea of me ever attaining a math-degree laughable, including myself, but I pulled through anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's way too early to think of where she should go to college! She needs to do her best in high school first. Excel at what she has in front of her and revisit the question in 3 years. An outstanding humanities/social science student can be more attractive to elite colleges than another "average excellent" STEM applicant. Schools do want to see 4 years of math and sciences though, but AP calculus is not a requirement anywhere unless you say you want to be a science or engineering major.

FWIW, the math and science classes were a drudge for my DC. DC topped out with AP bio and AP stats. But, DC was in another league in the preferred subjects, had raves from teachers, and demonstrated serious leadership beyond school. The college counselor was extremely confident that DC would get admitted to any of the reaches on the list in the early round.

Math is really overrated, seriously. I got C in math in HS and college but now I am working in information security and I have people who majored math and engineering from Stanford and CMU report to me. The only math I need to know is binary math.

You don't need to read any books and you can be the president of the united states (someone like that just did it), and you will have the whole executive branch giverment report to you. That does mot mean that's wise.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know, if she is exceptional in all other areas she might have a shot at top schools if the only area of weakness is math. I’m assuming she has some other interests and talents, good recommendations and could write one heck of an essay. Also if she really excels in all these areas you might consider testing for a math related learning disorder. We had a red flag years ago when our child completely failed SOLs and after a long road we learned of working memory issues and ADHD. You never know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She has a chance to get into the top 100. Top 20 would be unreasonable.

and taking math all four years is a must, since it will take her that long to actually get through the stuff they expect you to know before college. She doesn't have to take calculus, but stopping before precalc would be a bad signal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m terrible at math, like still do addition and subtraction on my fingers bad. My high school allowed you to enroll in honors classes if you really wanted to. My middle school teachers didn’t recommend me, but my parents asked the guidance office to give me a chance. My test scores didn’t automatically let me in either. I took 4 years of advanced math and calculus senior year. I honestly had very little idea what was going on, but high school is largerly about effort and with tutoring I was always able to keep an A- average in math. I had near perfect grades in everything else, played 4 sports, and had tons of extracurriculars, and great references.

I got into Yale. My math SAT was on the low end of what they accept, but everything else was on the high end. I did well there and never took another math class. I can still barely balance my check book, but I have a PhD in another field and a lot of professional success.

So, it’s not impossible, but if you have a deficit in one area you have to work harder than everyone else to minimize the impact and you still have to take the hardest level in that area.

I love this!

I have an undergraduate degree in a math field and still sometimes count on my fingers. I “don’t do math in my head”

If your kid can learn a foreign language they an learn and do well up through precal and possibly calc.

No one cares if you can't do arithmetic in your head. That's not what math is about.

[Anonymous]

It is tough in the DMV where so many kids are done with AP Calculus in 11th grade. My kid is on the lowest Math track in a Science and math magnet and won’t finish Calculus until 12th grade So his college application won’t have an AP calculus exam result (most kids in his program self study for AP calc BC in 11th grade). There is little we can do about this. My hope is that getting As in all math classes and hopefully scoring low to mid 700s in SAT math and mid to high 700s in SAT reading will compensate for not being on the highest/most rigorous math track offered in his program . It might shut him out of some of his college picks but in the long run I hope he will benefit from learning Math at a slower pace and under less pressure. It should not be a race especially for such a foundational subject

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m terrible at math, like still do addition and subtraction on my fingers bad. My high school allowed you to enroll in honors classes if you really wanted to. My middle school teachers didn’t recommend me, but my parents asked the guidance office to give me a chance. My test scores didn’t automatically let me in either. I took 4 years of advanced math and calculus senior year. I honestly had very little idea what was going on, but high school is largerly about effort and with tutoring I was always able to keep an A- average in math. I had near perfect grades in everything else, played 4 sports, and had tons of extracurriculars, and great references.

I got into Yale. My math SAT was on the low end of what they accept, but everything else was on the high end. I did well there and never took another math class. I can still barely balance my check book, but I have a PhD in another field and a lot of professional success.

So, it’s not impossible, but if you have a deficit in one area you have to work harder than everyone else to minimize the impact and you still have to take the hardest level in that area.

Yeah, I think this would have happened 20 years ago (and I certainly benefitted in similar ways) but things have really, really changed in terms of expectations of achievement for all students in math, not just the top achievers. And this is because of the prevalence of technology in society now, quite simply.

[Anonymous]

My kid struggled in math through 9th grade before being diagnosed with ADHD, although she had high grades everything else. Once on medication, the math struggles disappeared. Same thing happened my my friend’s kid. It’s worth getting tested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She has a chance to get into the top 100. Top 20 would be unreasonable.

and taking math all four years is a must, since it will take her that long to actually get through the stuff they expect you to know before college. She doesn't have to take calculus, but stopping before precalc would be a bad signal.

+1. The colleges and universities really want to see that you have taken as much math as your school will provide. Same with the sciences (my DC took a college science course between junior and senior years in high school at a community college to prove her mettle). And most also want to see four years of foreign language. You should look at small LACs that have the time to take a more holistic look at your DD's application than the enormous institutions receiving 40,000 applications, because most of those are graded by part-time hired "readers" who assess the composite scores, GPA, SAT II subject matter test scores if provided, and check to see where your DD's GPA puts her within her own high school class. Only after students have passed that first clearance, do they ever get reviewed by a real admissions officer. Smaller LACs have more time to look at each application individually. You could also try the "test optional" schools, as well. And have her teachers address the poor ACT or SAT math score in their letters. Your college counselor should do the same when advocating on your child's behalf to the institutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m terrible at math, like still do addition and subtraction on my fingers bad. My high school allowed you to enroll in honors classes if you really wanted to. My middle school teachers didn’t recommend me, but my parents asked the guidance office to give me a chance. My test scores didn’t automatically let me in either. I took 4 years of advanced math and calculus senior year. I honestly had very little idea what was going on, but high school is largerly about effort and with tutoring I was always able to keep an A- average in math. I had near perfect grades in everything else, played 4 sports, and had tons of extracurriculars, and great references.

I got into Yale. My math SAT was on the low end of what they accept, but everything else was on the high end. I did well there and never took another math class. I can still barely balance my check book, but I have a PhD in another field and a lot of professional success.

So, it’s not impossible, but if you have a deficit in one area you have to work harder than everyone else to minimize the impact and you still have to take the hardest level in that area.

I love this!

I have an undergraduate degree in a math field and still sometimes count on my fingers. I “don’t do math in my head”

If your kid can learn a foreign language they an learn and do well up through precal and possibly calc.

No one cares if you can't do arithmetic in your head. That's not what math is about.

Exactly. I can’t do ‘arithmetic in my head’ and I took several years of college level math and did just fine. No one should be labeling themselves ‘bad at math’ and stopping their math education before calculus because they think that they can’t do it. That would signal a lack of intellectual curiosity to me and I’d take a hard pass on that student.
Sr

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is tough in the DMV where so many kids are done with AP Calculus in 11th grade. My kid is on the lowest Math track in a Science and math magnet and won’t finish Calculus until 12th grade So his college application won’t have an AP calculus exam result (most kids in his program self study for AP calc BC in 11th grade). There is little we can do about this. My hope is that getting As in all math classes and hopefully scoring low to mid 700s in SAT math and mid to high 700s in SAT reading will compensate for not being on the highest/most rigorous math track offered in his program . It might shut him out of some of his college picks but in the long run I hope he will benefit from learning Math at a slower pace and under less pressure. It should not be a race especially for such a foundational subject

This track is just fine. The public school kids seem to be on this track, but the private school kids often are not and they get into great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is tough in the DMV where so many kids are done with AP Calculus in 11th grade. My kid is on the lowest Math track in a Science and math magnet and won’t finish Calculus until 12th grade So his college application won’t have an AP calculus exam result (most kids in his program self study for AP calc BC in 11th grade). There is little we can do about this. My hope is that getting As in all math classes and hopefully scoring low to mid 700s in SAT math and mid to high 700s in SAT reading will compensate for not being on the highest/most rigorous math track offered in his program . It might shut him out of some of his college picks but in the long run I hope he will benefit from learning Math at a slower pace and under less pressure. It should not be a race especially for such a foundational subject

Either you are exaggerating or you worry too much. The large majority of kids, even in the DMV, do not take calculus until the 12th grade. Top colleges are fine with this. Yes, they want you to take calculus, but no they don’t expect you to take it in 11th grade.

[Anonymous]

I am terrible at math, but like a pp said, pushed myself to do my best. Went to a slac women’s college, though I got into penn, Michigan honors program, etc. became a journalist at prestigious news orgs, worked for a presidential administration as an appointee, and now hold a top job at a nationally known instition in my field, communications. Not all are destined for medicine, engineering or even law. There are other fulfilling, rewarding and comfortable careers out there.