Math path for UVA/WM

[Anonymous]

If a student (or their parents) wanted to go to UVA or W&M, would it be imperative or recommended that they take Algebra in 7th grade (on the path to Calc A/B) in 11th?

I got into W&M with Calc A/B in 12th, as did my husband, but that was obviously a very long time ago.

Has this changed? We have to decide the math choice for our soon to be 7th grader.

[Anonymous]

The answer is that to get into those kinds of schools, your child will need to take the most rigorous of the math courses available by the time the college counselor writes the letter in fall of senior year. This would be compared against the other top students in the senior class. So if you are at Langley and 20 AP courses are offered in math, you need to be taking the most rigorous courseload available in that discipline by junior year. So work backwards from there. Or, if you are in a private that doesn't have those type of AP courses, then work backwards. You should have Calc B/C done by the end of senior year at a minimum if applying for math, STEM or engineering schools.

[Anonymous]

I would try to take Algebra in 7th with a plan to take B/C Calc in 11th and something like multivariable calculus, linear algebra, or differential equations in 12th.

[Anonymous]

If your application clearly indicates that you are not applying for a STEM major, then you won't need AP Calc B/C (or even A/B).

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not! MOST kids do not take Algebra I in 7th. My DD did APCalc AB in 12th, was OOS, and still got into UVA!

[Anonymous]

I would be surprised if colleges didn't think calculus in 12th was perfectly adequate for STEM admits, even if the course is offered in 11th. Those tracking decisions are made in 5th or 6th grades and are not necessarily reflective of performance in high school.

You could reach out to the high school college counselor and ask though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be surprised if colleges didn't think calculus in 12th was perfectly adequate for STEM admits, even if the course is offered in 11th. Those tracking decisions are made in 5th or 6th grades and are not necessarily reflective of performance in high school.

You could reach out to the high school college counselor and ask though.

Virginia Tech told us NOT to apply EA (it had EA back then) for engineering if DS had not finished Calculus BC by the end of junior year. The Admissions officer said our son would be deferred with a notation that VT wanted to see his performance in BC first. But that was specifically for engineering. On the other hand, it's gotten a lot more difficult to get into the state schools in recent years due to cost factors. It really turns on the level of courses that your own high school is offering. If it is offering lots of AP courses in math and your math major applicant didn't take them, then a question is raised in Admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be surprised if colleges didn't think calculus in 12th was perfectly adequate for STEM admits, even if the course is offered in 11th. Those tracking decisions are made in 5th or 6th grades and are not necessarily reflective of performance in high school.

You could reach out to the high school college counselor and ask though.

Virginia Tech told us NOT to apply EA (it had EA back then) for engineering if DS had not finished Calculus BC by the end of junior year. The Admissions officer said our son would be deferred with a notation that VT wanted to see his performance in BC first. But that was specifically for engineering. On the other hand, it's gotten a lot more difficult to get into the state schools in recent years due to cost factors. It really turns on the level of courses that your own high school is offering. If it is offering lots of AP courses in math and your math major applicant didn't take them, then a question is raised in Admissions.

I would ask the counselors if all the admits had BC Calc in 11th. I bet VT aspires to have that kind of student, but I don't think it's what they are getting. In 2020, they admitted 63% of engineering applicants (75.5% the year before).

[Anonymous]

I randomly looked at MIT and Princeton, and both require math through calculus only.

[Anonymous]

Son just got into UVA ED, and he is taking Calculus A/B this year. He applied to the College of Arts and Sciences. His counselor told him he needed to take Calculus this year to be credible for UVA and William & Mary.

[Anonymous]

My kid was just accepted ED to W & M. It was very clear from her application that she will not be a STEM major.
She took Alg 1 honors in 8th grade, Geom Honord in 9th, Alg 2 Honors in 10th and nonhonors Precalculus and Applied Calc in 11th and 12th. She got As and Bs.
She took 8 AP classes and has an above 4.0 but not amazing GPA. She has participated in the highest academic level classes and has a long experience with activities related to her potential major. She attends a FCPS HS that is well-regarded as being an academically strong school.

I cannot speak to future STEM majors or to UVA expectations, but it is possible to get in to W&M without killing yourself over math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be surprised if colleges didn't think calculus in 12th was perfectly adequate for STEM admits, even if the course is offered in 11th. Those tracking decisions are made in 5th or 6th grades and are not necessarily reflective of performance in high school.

You could reach out to the high school college counselor and ask though.

Virginia Tech told us NOT to apply EA (it had EA back then) for engineering if DS had not finished Calculus BC by the end of junior year. The Admissions officer said our son would be deferred with a notation that VT wanted to see his performance in BC first. But that was specifically for engineering. On the other hand, it's gotten a lot more difficult to get into the state schools in recent years due to cost factors. It really turns on the level of courses that your own high school is offering. If it is offering lots of AP courses in math and your math major applicant didn't take them, then a question is raised in Admissions.

I would ask the counselors if all the admits had BC Calc in 11th. I bet VT aspires to have that kind of student, but I don't think it's what they are getting. In 2020, they admitted 63% of engineering applicants (75.5% the year before).

DS was admitted EA to engineering school at VT with Calc AB Junior Year. He goes to the Clark School at UMD though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I randomly looked at MIT and Princeton, and both require math through calculus only.

I know four boys (my child and his friends) who applied to MIT. One had multi in 10th grade and the rest, in 11th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Son just got into UVA ED, and he is taking Calculus A/B this year. He applied to the College of Arts and Sciences. His counselor told him he needed to take Calculus this year to be credible for UVA and William & Mary.

Helpful! Thanks. My humanities focused kid is in Calc with Applications in 11th and is planing to take A/B in 12th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I randomly looked at MIT and Princeton, and both require math through calculus only.

I know four boys (my child and his friends) who applied to MIT. One had multi in 10th grade and the rest, in 11th grade.

Did they get in?