Anonymous
05/12/2025 22:26
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Taking MV might even be a negative in some cases.
If they see you have MV, that conveys a set of expectations to the AO. The kid has taken advanced math. Why? Are they interested in the subject and thus taken the advanced class or did their parents fast track math for perceived admission advantage? How did they use it?
If you have MV and you made USAJMO or USAMO, that tells the AO that you are interested in math, they can see a link. Maybe you pursued some other opportunities. Maybe you listed math as a major.
Absent these, you list MV and you did not even get a good score on AIME, they know you are meh in math.
Competition math is not as impressive for college admissions as it used to be. AIME means very little. MVC will be a far better investment for advanced courses in physics.
AIME means very little. But if you cannot even make a good score on AIME, it shows that you are just accelerated and not really strong in math.
MV shows you are accelerated. Then they ask how come, why? No AIME score? Assumption is probably a helicopter parent who pushed kid into MV. This is for T20 privates. Others don't give a hoot.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 22:22
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:As a note to those who think calc only counts in STEM...if your kid is aiming for PE/Hedge funds, take MV if you can in high school. Finance admissions adore the math whizzes.
LOL
Absolutely no one in PE/Hedge funds thinks taking MV in high school makes you a math whiz. They are looking for USAJMO, USAMO and IMO.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 21:33
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Taking MV might even be a negative in some cases.
If they see you have MV, that conveys a set of expectations to the AO. The kid has taken advanced math. Why? Are they interested in the subject and thus taken the advanced class or did their parents fast track math for perceived admission advantage? How did they use it?
If you have MV and you made USAJMO or USAMO, that tells the AO that you are interested in math, they can see a link. Maybe you pursued some other opportunities. Maybe you listed math as a major.
Absent these, you list MV and you did not even get a good score on AIME, they know you are meh in math.
Competition math is not as impressive for college admissions as it used to be. AIME means very little. MVC will be a far better investment for advanced courses in physics.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 21:30
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
All courses in Statistics, Multivariable and Linear Algebra are one semester college classes and usually get the same number of credits.
If Multivariable is coupled with Linear algebra in the same year, one semester each, take both instead of AP statistics.
If it’s just multivariable spread over one full year, take AP statistics, likely it will give more credit and it’s more rigorous than what is offered in high school/community college.
If Multivariable is coupled with Linear algebra in the same year, one semester each, take both instead of AP statistics.
If it’s just multivariable spread over one full year, take AP statistics, likely it will give more credit and it’s more rigorous than what is offered in high school/community college.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 21:11
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
As a note to those who think calc only counts in STEM...if your kid is aiming for PE/Hedge funds, take MV if you can in high school. Finance admissions adore the math whizzes.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 21:08
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Taking MV might even be a negative in some cases.
If they see you have MV, that conveys a set of expectations to the AO. The kid has taken advanced math. Why? Are they interested in the subject and thus taken the advanced class or did their parents fast track math for perceived admission advantage? How did they use it?
If you have MV and you made USAJMO or USAMO, that tells the AO that you are interested in math, they can see a link. Maybe you pursued some other opportunities. Maybe you listed math as a major.
Absent these, you list MV and you did not even get a good score on AIME, they know you are meh in math.
I agree. Taking MV can be seen as a negative. That applicant screams one-dimensional, not well-rounded, some of the qualities that Harvard specifically dings you for.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 20:55
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Taking MV might even be a negative in some cases.
If they see you have MV, that conveys a set of expectations to the AO. The kid has taken advanced math. Why? Are they interested in the subject and thus taken the advanced class or did their parents fast track math for perceived admission advantage? How did they use it?
If you have MV and you made USAJMO or USAMO, that tells the AO that you are interested in math, they can see a link. Maybe you pursued some other opportunities. Maybe you listed math as a major.
Absent these, you list MV and you did not even get a good score on AIME, they know you are meh in math.
If they see you have MV, that conveys a set of expectations to the AO. The kid has taken advanced math. Why? Are they interested in the subject and thus taken the advanced class or did their parents fast track math for perceived admission advantage? How did they use it?
If you have MV and you made USAJMO or USAMO, that tells the AO that you are interested in math, they can see a link. Maybe you pursued some other opportunities. Maybe you listed math as a major.
Absent these, you list MV and you did not even get a good score on AIME, they know you are meh in math.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 19:04
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It seems the majority of freshmen at the top schools- Ivy, Ivy plus and engineering focused schools- have already completed MVC in high school.
The big debate seems to be if you should retake it in college to develop a better foundation.
Do you have stats to back up this assertion? I'm guessing no way it's the "majority".
Yeah, it's definately "not the majority". My kid is at a T30-40 school for engineering, and plenty of the kids start in Calc 1 or Calc 2.
Thats because your kid is special.
Np but it’s often recommended. Ap calc ab and bc are not as rigorous as most college calc 1 and 2 courses.
Other than top 5 schools like MIT or Georgia Tech etc., I don't think not having MV is an issue for most good engineering programs as long as Calc AB and BC are completed and grades are high.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 18:59
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It seems the majority of freshmen at the top schools- Ivy, Ivy plus and engineering focused schools- have already completed MVC in high school.
The big debate seems to be if you should retake it in college to develop a better foundation.
Do you have stats to back up this assertion? I'm guessing no way it's the "majority".
Yeah, it's definately "not the majority". My kid is at a T30-40 school for engineering, and plenty of the kids start in Calc 1 or Calc 2.
Thats because your kid is special.
Np but it’s often recommended. Ap calc ab and bc are not as rigorous as most college calc 1 and 2 courses.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 18:55
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Stats is dooming? You got anything to back that up? Been 6 pages of pure conjecture.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 18:46
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
But whether it's MIT or Georgia Tech, flaking on math senior year is going to hurt an app for engineering. Someone choosing stats over MV is pretty much dooming their application for a strong engineering program. Which I think was the original question.
Those two schools in your example are the extreme and I understand where not having MV would hurt for those schools, but kids applying to Top 20-30 engineering programs I believe would still be competitive without MV in high school.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 18:38
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It seems the majority of freshmen at the top schools- Ivy, Ivy plus and engineering focused schools- have already completed MVC in high school.
The big debate seems to be if you should retake it in college to develop a better foundation.
Do you have stats to back up this assertion? I'm guessing no way it's the "majority".
Yeah, it's definately "not the majority". My kid is at a T30-40 school for engineering, and plenty of the kids start in Calc 1 or Calc 2.
Thats because your kid is special.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 17:57
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It seems the majority of freshmen at the top schools- Ivy, Ivy plus and engineering focused schools- have already completed MVC in high school.
The big debate seems to be if you should retake it in college to develop a better foundation.
Do you have stats to back up this assertion? I'm guessing no way it's the "majority".
Yeah, it's definately "not the majority". My kid is at a T30-40 school for engineering, and plenty of the kids start in Calc 1 or Calc 2.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 17:56
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:For engineering, from a high school where many kids take MV, you have to take MV.
+1
This! And yes, you will have to retake in College. Where your kid will help set the curve (and annoy those who only took Calc BC and are seeing MV for first time). My kid's school had many kids doing this. 50%+ of their Calc 3 were kids who already learned the material previously.
You sound as if you know this to be fact. Is your kid still in high school or is he now admitted to college. If so, what engineering school were they accepted to?
Yes my kid is in an engineering school. And yes at their school it was facts for mvc and orgo (for freshman). Over 50% of those in the classes freshman year had already taken the course in HS.
U Rochester
Gotch ya. Makes sense. U Rochester is a good school. My son's school didn't offer MV so that's probably why it didn't matter for him.
My kid's HS didn't over MVC either. And yes, at UR, much of those taking MVC as freshman are international students or kids from elite private HSs.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 17:55
Subject: HS Math- which class to take
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:For engineering, from a high school where many kids take MV, you have to take MV.
+1
This! And yes, you will have to retake in College. Where your kid will help set the curve (and annoy those who only took Calc BC and are seeing MV for first time). My kid's school had many kids doing this. 50%+ of their Calc 3 were kids who already learned the material previously.
You sound as if you know this to be fact. Is your kid still in high school or is he now admitted to college. If so, what engineering school were they accepted to?
Yes my kid is in an engineering school. And yes at their school it was facts for mvc and orgo (for freshman). Over 50% of those in the classes freshman year had already taken the course in HS.
U Rochester
To me, that's the best reason to take the class in high school even if you'll have to repeat it in college. I'd much rather be a part of the 50% who have already had significant exposure to the material and not part of the 50% seeing it for the first time.
Yes, especially if you plan to be an engineering major or STEM major that will require beyond calc 2. My kid didn't have MVC at their HS, and at ours, you take Calc AB then BC, so you'd have to be a full 3 years ahead to get to MVC at the CC. It worked out just fine for my kid. But yes, those B+'s would have been easy A's had they already learned 90% of the coursework.