Anonymous
04/25/2026 07:41
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
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.
Anonymous
04/25/2026 07:28
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
https://www.justinmath.com/the-story-of-math-academys-eurisko-sequence/
https://www.justinmath.com/former-student-recruited-by-nasa-with-fighter-jet-ride-as-signing-bonus/
It's certainly not the right path for everyone.
""Matteo joined Eurisko as a 10th grader, during the last year it was offered,"
The math acceleration nonsense has nothing to do with it. He won the Regeneron science fair lottery.
He also joined the hyper-accelerated math program in 6th grade, when it started.
Anonymous
04/25/2026 07:24
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Did you miss the fact that he accelerated even faster than the normal students due to starting as a 10th grader? Or think about the role his advanced math and CS background played in his research?Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
https://www.justinmath.com/the-story-of-math-academys-eurisko-sequence/
https://www.justinmath.com/former-student-recruited-by-nasa-with-fighter-jet-ride-as-signing-bonus/
It's certainly not the right path for everyone.
""Matteo joined Eurisko as a 10th grader, during the last year it was offered,"
The math acceleration nonsense has nothing to do with it. He won the Regeneron science fair lottery.
Anonymous
04/24/2026 08:25
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
https://www.justinmath.com/the-story-of-math-academys-eurisko-sequence/
https://www.justinmath.com/former-student-recruited-by-nasa-with-fighter-jet-ride-as-signing-bonus/
It's certainly not the right path for everyone.
""Matteo joined Eurisko as a 10th grader, during the last year it was offered,"
The math acceleration nonsense has nothing to do with it. He won the Regeneron science fair lottery.
Anonymous
04/24/2026 08:22
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
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?
You need to start reading the books aloud when pregnant.
Anonymous
04/24/2026 03:00
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
https://www.justinmath.com/the-story-of-math-academys-eurisko-sequence/
https://www.justinmath.com/former-student-recruited-by-nasa-with-fighter-jet-ride-as-signing-bonus/
It's certainly not the right path for everyone.
https://www.justinmath.com/math-academys-eurisko-sequence-5-years-later/
https://www.justinmath.com/what-happens-when-middle-school-is-put-to-good-use/
Anonymous
04/24/2026 02:48
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
+1
Race to nowhere.
Yeah. I do value acceleration, but you need to be able to take math all four years in high school. It can get very challenging to do so if you end up in MCV in 10th grade (assuming school offers this, which many don’t). Community college doesn’t offer math beyond Calc III/MCV. So now you need to take a regular university class or online class, but sometimes those aren’t available or don’t coordinate with the rest of your high school classes. Then what? Just going to sit out math for 2 yrs? That not only looks bad on admissions, but there will be lost learning. MCV in 12th is the most acceleration that makes logistical sense. Perhaps in certain circumstances in 11th if there is an available and meaningful math option afterward for for 12th grade.
Realistically, a student in that situation can do an independent study. No school is going to say "you exhausted all opportunities available to you, that's bad". Community college offers linear algebra and differential equations, and many also offer independent study with a college professor, either formally or informally.
I don't see how maxing out coursework and then going further with independent study is "lost learning" relative to maxiing out coursework.
Anonymous
04/24/2026 02:45
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
https://www.justinmath.com/the-story-of-math-academys-eurisko-sequence/
https://www.justinmath.com/former-student-recruited-by-nasa-with-fighter-jet-ride-as-signing-bonus/
It's certainly not the right path for everyone.
Anonymous
04/23/2026 22:20
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
This is a depressing thread. Striver coded neurosis.
Anonymous
04/23/2026 08:21
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
+1
Race to nowhere.
Yeah. I do value acceleration, but you need to be able to take math all four years in high school. It can get very challenging to do so if you end up in MCV in 10th grade (assuming school offers this, which many don’t). Community college doesn’t offer math beyond Calc III/MCV. So now you need to take a regular university class or online class, but sometimes those aren’t available or don’t coordinate with the rest of your high school classes. Then what? Just going to sit out math for 2 yrs? That not only looks bad on admissions, but there will be lost learning. MCV in 12th is the most acceleration that makes logistical sense. Perhaps in certain circumstances in 11th if there is an available and meaningful math option afterward for for 12th grade.
Anonymous
04/23/2026 07:10
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
+1
Race to nowhere.
Anonymous
04/22/2026 23:19
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
And where does that get them in life? No thanks - hard pass.
Anonymous
04/22/2026 23:00
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Have they pushed AP Calc BC to middle school yet?
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
It started off as being super rigorous to take it in 12th grade. Now Asian kids are taking it in the 9th and competing who can beat that and take it in 7th.
Anonymous
04/22/2026 22:29
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
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?
Anonymous
04/22/2026 21:58
Subject: Math path and college acceptances
Anonymous wrote:This is all going to be very school dependent. But in general, the suburban public schools tend to be much stronger with math and science. Not a lot - if any - Sidwell, GDS, and NCS students are accepted to schools like MIT or any significant engineering program anywhere. They are not competitive.
But for other students, go for the highest available math at the high school. For a good school like Georgia Tech or Stanford, if the high school offers BC or MV, you should plan on taking it.
If you are just referring to DMV, then maybe yes. Lots of us NYC folks here. As discussed in other posts, SHSAT school kids (plus Hunter) are superstars at math. They are not hyper-accelerated but being hyper-accelerated isn't the only sign of math aptitude. Though all of the suburban DMV parents whose kids are taking MV in the womb will argue to the grave that their little snowflake is smarter than all of the Stuy kids because of this. Whatever.