Math path and college acceptances

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say GPA matters the most…

Nope GPA AND rigor.

Top colleges want both.

Just spoke with the AD at a top 20 school, and he talked about why they went back to test required. In that convo he mentioned kids who take 15 AP classes but then only score 3s on most of them. Grade inflation is rampant.

Make sure your kid actually gets the math. Too many schools push their kids through rote learning, and the kids get to real math in high school and can’t perform.

If you want your kid to really get math, have them do RSM. AOPS is okay but not as rigorous.

Starting at what age?

(satire follows) Birth. Goal is AP MV Calc by 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Not really. DCs cohort (Blair Magnet 2025) was the first to do Honors Algebra 1 in 6th grade home school when the magnet middle school (TPMS) admission policy was changed. Significantly outperformed the regular 7th graders. The majority this magnet cohort were done with Magnet Calc (equivalent to AP BC) fall 11th grade. The faster one (magnet functions) were done by 10th grade. Almost all took magnet stats. Many took the multivariable calc, diff eqn, linear algebra. 11 of 105 Blair class of 2025 went to MIT.

My kid went to public schools and did Algebra 1 in 5th grade. Went up to Calc BC in 11th grade. Passed on MV (not offered at his HS but would have passed on it anyway). Very involved in sports, 2 varsity, team captain and focused on leadership and other activities to be a well rounded kid. At Top 3 engineering program as a freshman and thriving and math has not been an issue.

So what’s this path?
5 - Algebra I
6 - Geometry
7 - Algebra II
8 - Precalc Part I
9 - Precalc Part II
10 - AP Calc AB
11 - AP Calc BC

I guess if this kind of speed-up-to-slow-down approach is what it takes to get the tiger parents off the math department’s case, I get it.