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

[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 is the most well rounded and reasonable response in here. Most of you sound like you’re burning your child out and sending them straight to a freshman year anxiety attack. PP it sounds like you are raising a well balanced kid. Kudos!

I think it’s unfair to put so much pressure on a child. If it’s self imposed pressure, it’s unfair to validate how they feel. Your child will be just fine in their top 10 college or a top 200 college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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 is the most well rounded and reasonable response in here. Most of you sound like you’re burning your child out and sending them straight to a freshman year anxiety attack. PP it sounds like you are raising a well balanced kid. Kudos!

I think it’s unfair to put so much pressure on a child. If it’s self imposed pressure, it’s unfair to validate how they feel. Your child will be just fine in their top 10 college or a top 200 college.

Thanks. Must admit I didn’t realize until this thread that this might shut him out of the top 20 schools he is interested in and I am sad about that but I think/hope we would have the same attitude regardless. He actually enjoys his math class and doesn’t find it stressful and I think that is more conducive to learning a subject like math

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 is the most well rounded and reasonable response in here. Most of you sound like you’re burning your child out and sending them straight to a freshman year anxiety attack. PP it sounds like you are raising a well balanced kid. Kudos!

I think it’s unfair to put so much pressure on a child. If it’s self imposed pressure, it’s unfair to validate how they feel. Your child will be just fine in their top 10 college or a top 200 college.

Thanks. Must admit I didn’t realize until this thread that this might shut him out of the top 20 schools he is interested in and I am sad about that but I think/hope we would have the same attitude regardless. He actually enjoys his math class and doesn’t find it stressful and I think that is more conducive to learning a subject like math

Nearly everyone is shut out of the top 20 schools--it's a crapshoot regardless of top SAT scores, GPA and rigorous HS curriculum. There are just too many strong students for too few slots. Better to go in with an attitude of finding the right fit in a strong school. Doesn't mean he shouldn't apply to these top 20, just be aware that even if he took Calculus in 11th and got As, he'd be in nearly the same boat. Maybe a 1-2% edge at best. His awareness of this slight mark against his competitiveness may make him really find a school he loves that is slightly lower ranked. I've seen a bunch of top notch kids throw everything into their picks among the top 20, not get in any, and end up with a safety that is likely lower than if they spent time discerning --and attending to the applications of-- schools that are highly ranked but not in the "top 30."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 is the most well rounded and reasonable response in here. Most of you sound like you’re burning your child out and sending them straight to a freshman year anxiety attack. PP it sounds like you are raising a well balanced kid. Kudos!

I think it’s unfair to put so much pressure on a child. If it’s self imposed pressure, it’s unfair to validate how they feel. Your child will be just fine in their top 10 college or a top 200 college.

Thanks. Must admit I didn’t realize until this thread that this might shut him out of the top 20 schools he is interested in and I am sad about that but I think/hope we would have the same attitude regardless. He actually enjoys his math class and doesn’t find it stressful and I think that is more conducive to learning a subject like math

Nearly everyone is shut out of the top 20 schools--it's a crapshoot regardless of top SAT scores, GPA and rigorous HS curriculum. There are just too many strong students for too few slots. Better to go in with an attitude of finding the right fit in a strong school. Doesn't mean he shouldn't apply to these top 20, just be aware that even if he took Calculus in 11th and got As, he'd be in nearly the same boat. Maybe a 1-2% edge at best. His awareness of this slight mark against his competitiveness may make him really find a school he loves that is slightly lower ranked. I've seen a bunch of top notch kids throw everything into their picks among the top 20, not get in any, and end up with a safety that is likely lower than if they spent time discerning --and attending to the applications of-- schools that are highly ranked but not in the "top 30."

+1000.

[Anonymous]

LOL

Only on DCUM can admitting your kid will ONLY complete the first AP Calc as a 12th be seen as brave.

Being behind in math is taking algebra II or trig as a 12th grader. Getting to college without seeing much of ANY calc is behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 is the most well rounded and reasonable response in here. Most of you sound like you’re burning your child out and sending them straight to a freshman year anxiety attack. PP it sounds like you are raising a well balanced kid. Kudos!

I think it’s unfair to put so much pressure on a child. If it’s self imposed pressure, it’s unfair to validate how they feel. Your child will be just fine in their top 10 college or a top 200 college.

Thanks. Must admit I didn’t realize until this thread that this might shut him out of the top 20 schools he is interested in and I am sad about that but I think/hope we would have the same attitude regardless. He actually enjoys his math class and doesn’t find it stressful and I think that is more conducive to learning a subject like math

Nearly everyone is shut out of the top 20 schools--it's a crapshoot regardless of top SAT scores, GPA and rigorous HS curriculum. There are just too many strong students for too few slots. Better to go in with an attitude of finding the right fit in a strong school. Doesn't mean he shouldn't apply to these top 20, just be aware that even if he took Calculus in 11th and got As, he'd be in nearly the same boat. Maybe a 1-2% edge at best. His awareness of this slight mark against his competitiveness may make him really find a school he loves that is slightly lower ranked. I've seen a bunch of top notch kids throw everything into their picks among the top 20, not get in any, and end up with a safety that is likely lower than if they spent time discerning --and attending to the applications of-- schools that are highly ranked but not in the "top 30."

+1000.

Thanks again. I agree with what you say. He is not overly consumed with rankings and the schools he is interested include universities in the top 20 as well as universities all the way through the low 60s. Similarly for the LACs he has schools he likes in the top ten and schools he likes in the 20s. We are definitely prioritizing fit but want him to be in the happy position of accepting a spot he wants instead of taking the spot he is offered.
We have told him that the top 20 is a crap shoot and he should not take either an acceptance or a rejection too personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL

Only on DCUM can admitting your kid will ONLY complete the first AP Calc as a 12th be seen as brave.

Being behind in math is taking algebra II or trig as a 12th grader. Getting to college without seeing much of ANY calc is behind.

Go back to the OP.

Her child is behind according to your measure AND parents want her to attend a top 50 college, and seem disappointed that she may not be able to.

[Anonymous]

What is bad? C? My kid had Bs in Math and Science and is at Tufts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is bad? C? My kid had Bs in Math and Science and is at Tufts.

The scenario this thread started with is a child who is in pre-Algebra in 9th -- and parents were hoping for a top 20 or perhaps top 50 college.

So Algebra 1 in 10, Geometry and 11th and Alg 2 in 12th.

[Anonymous]

Several recruited athletes from our school got into Yale w poor math scores - Yake gave them summer math tutors

[Anonymous]

Correct me if I’m wrong but something like 95% of the math on the ACT is only up to Algebra 2. Only a couple problems deal with geometry/trig. A could on a normal non-advanced math track can score VERY high if they know what they’re doing.

The obsession with calculus & above math by all you striver families is so weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Correct me if I’m wrong but something like 95% of the math on the ACT is only up to Algebra 2. Only a couple problems deal with geometry/trig. A could on a normal non-advanced math track can score VERY high if they know what they’re doing.

The obsession with calculus & above math by all you striver families is so weird.

Agree although if colleges want to see you taking the "most rigorous classes offered" and many of your classmates are taking AP Calculus BC in 11th grade (which is normal in a top DMV public school especially among the top tier students), it does make for an unfortunate situation where kids feel pressured to accelerate in Math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct me if I’m wrong but something like 95% of the math on the ACT is only up to Algebra 2. Only a couple problems deal with geometry/trig. A could on a normal non-advanced math track can score VERY high if they know what they’re doing.

The obsession with calculus & above math by all you striver families is so weird.

Agree although if colleges want to see you taking the "most rigorous classes offered" and many of your classmates are taking AP Calculus BC in 11th grade (which is normal in a top DMV public school especially among the top tier students), it does make for an unfortunate situation where kids feel pressured to accelerate in Math.

Colleges need to come out with a clear-cut statement on what the upper limit for assessing the most rigorous courseload. Big public high schools may have 30+APs/IBs etc. including post-calc math. If a rural hs student in Virginia took the 4 APs offered at their school are they really "better" than the DMV area kid who "only" took 15 out of the 30? I always feel this is a way that top public schools sidestep the geographical representation question (e.g. UVA). If this isn't just a political sidestep, they need to clearly state that there's an upper limit on what counts as a rigorous courseload, such as 8 AP or IB and that for not taking courses beyond that you're going to get "dinged" for not enough rigor. For instance they could say, we want a rigorous courseload, including taking an AP/IB level calculus, AP/IB lab science, AP/IB history, AP/IB English/Literature if your school offers these. If your school doesn't offer them, then take the most rigorous option you have and your application won't be at a disadvantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Several recruited athletes from our school got into Yale w poor math scores - Yake gave them summer math tutors

Everything is different if you are a recruited athlete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL

Only on DCUM can admitting your kid will ONLY complete the first AP Calc as a 12th be seen as brave.

Being behind in math is taking algebra II or trig as a 12th grader. Getting to college without seeing much of ANY calc is behind.

It really depends on your race and gender. The math-track distributions by race and gender are as follows.

White boys:

Freshman: Algebra II
Sophomore: Pre-Calculus
Junior: AP Calculus
Senior: AP Stats or Multivariable Calculus

White girls and Asians:

Freshman: Geometry
Sophomore: Algebra II
Junior: Pre-Calculus
Senior: AP Calculus

Latinos and black boys:

Freshman: Algebra I
Sophomore: Geometry
Junior: Algebra II
Senior: Pre-Calculus

Black girls:

Freshman: Pre-Algebra
Sophomore: Algebra I
Junior: Geometry
Senior: Algebra II

I hope this clears everything up.