Math major here. Took LA in college and did well but never really got it. Had no trouble with calc AB/BC/MV, etc. LA is oddly hard.

Whether your kid is going to pursue higher math or not, I would recommend holding off on LA.

If she is going to pursue higher math, then she is better off taking LA after she has some other college courses under her belt and can do it right.

If she is not going to pursue higher math, then stats will be WAAAY more useful, easier, and interesting.

Anonymous wrote:My Blair Magnet kid took both MV Calc and LA her senior year. It was 2020 and she repeated LA in college as she felt she did not get the full course second half of senior year.

My Blair kid's math teacher sent an email stating there are two versions of LA at the Magnet. One was theoretical. The other was more computer-science-focused. My child took the theoretical version of LA, which we were told is more like a college class for math/engineering majors.

Regardless of what classes they pick, I agree that these kids should retake all or most of the college-level math they took in HS when they get to college.

My Blair Magnet kid took both MV Calc and LA her senior year. It was 2020 and she repeated LA in college as she felt she did not get the full course second half of senior year.

Anonymous wrote:Linear algebra is pretty different than algebra despite the name. Most find it easier than multivariate Calc just because the problem solving is often less cumbersome, though not always.

I agree. Linear Algebra is a lot more difficult to understand the concept. We are no longer working with a scalar (think of it as 1-dimensional). We will be working with a vector and a matrix...not simple stuffs. IMO, if the child is really into STEM, she/he should take linear algebra and MV Calculus at the college level so a good foundation can be built. I kind of wonder why there is a need to rush a 2nd-year college level math during high school...

Linear algebra is pretty different than algebra despite the name. Most find it easier than multivariate Calc just because the problem solving is often less cumbersome, though not always.

I was an extremely good math student, taking calculus in 9th. I had trouble with linear algebra. Did well in class because the professor didn't cover very much, but didn't really understand anything.

I’m a math researcher and doing linear algebra and solving PDE every day. I don’t feel I understand the core concept when I first took LA in college. Stats is more intuitively straightforward. Having said that, since my education was in another country that teaches math strictly and consistently challenges students to the level that they think they are stupid (yes, China or Russia, choose one), AP class here is very different and likely only intends to give some early exposure.

+100 for taking AP Stats for instead of linear algebra or multi variable. Stats applies to most majors in college. Linear algebra and multi variable was basically useless for my son and who is a STEM major. He took BC Calc in 10th grade and had to relearn key can concepts from Calculus in college. Taking AP Statistics his senior year of high school prepared him well for many required courses in his major.

+1 to the first response and particularly to stats; there may not be particular cause for taking it in college, so assuming one gets a better stats teacher there may not be prudent. Stats has much greater applicability in real life, and there's more likely college credit available via AP.

MVC/LA/DiffEq might be better if going into serious STEM, however (despite there not being an AP test/credit pathway -- arrangement for placing out of any requirement would have to be made individually with whichever college is attended/whichever department for which one pursues a major). The concern about continuity to MVC from Calc shouldn't be underestimated if this is the planned path.

As for LA vs. MVC, a typical college math path would have the latter follow the former. If more interested in LA, particularly more interested than in Stats, and not planning on further Math in higher ed, then taking LA can make sense. Don't do it for status, though. At this point, that's just pressure for no reason -- college admissions offices really wouldn't make any rank ordering based on LA vs. AP Stats unless maybe considering a candidate for a Mathmatics major or a Math-specific honors program.

Anonymous wrote:Few instructors teach statistics intuitively and rigorously. Misuse and abuse of statistics run rampant. Does a drunk use lampost for illumination or support?
I once browsed a book on AP Stat and it is mostly about formula. In that case, I would wait for a good college professor. Well, the focus is "good" rather than "college." There are always exceptions.

Everyone knows 63.2% of quoted stats are made up on the spot!

Anonymous wrote:Few instructors teach statistics intuitively and rigorously. Misuse and abuse of statistics run rampant. Does a drunk use lampost for illumination or support?
I once browsed a book on AP Stat and it is mostly about formula. In that case, I would wait for a good college professor. Well, the focus is "good" rather than "college." There are always exceptions.

Yup

Few instructors teach statistics intuitively and rigorously. Misuse and abuse of statistics run rampant. Does a drunk use lampost for illumination or support?
I once browsed a book on AP Stat and it is mostly about formula. In that case, I would wait for a good college professor. Well, the focus is "good" rather than "college." There are always exceptions.

I thought most people took AP stats after count BC linear algebra is matrix math. It was easier for me than multivariate. I'd still consider stats unless DC is planning on studying CS.

I took linear algebra in college and did well by memorizing the procedures, but not once did I understand the how or the why. Undoubtedly, this was affected by professor’s approach and other instructors might be more effective in explaining it. I understand it can be useful in STEM fields, especially computer programming, but generally speaking, I think it is totally irrelevant for most people.

If you are going into a STEM field, you may also need MV calculus. If you think you will need it anyway, I highly recommend taking it immediately so there won’t be any learning loss between the two.

What I would highly recommend for everyone, is Statistics. Everyone should have a basic, general knowledge of statistics to be able to evaluate the deluge of data they’ll encounter in their life. Many majors/careers have it as a fundamental requirement. I would definitely prioritize it over linear algebra.

If your child has taken linear algebra, can you please speak to the level of difficulty. DC is a junior in BC calculus this year, and did fine but had to work hard, and hasn’t loved the class nor is a math genius. DC wants to take linear algebra next year instead of MV because they liked algebra and found it came more naturally to them than calculus. This is permitted as DC’s mcps high school although their counselor advised that moving to MV after calculus is much more common than moving to linear algebra, so I am concerned linear algebra class will mostly be students who are outliers in terms of their math ability and interest. This is not a magnet program/high school. Thanks for your thoughts.