Sally_Rubenstone

Question: I have a son entering the 7th grade. There are some students who are starting Algebra I this year. This will put them on a track to take higher level mathematics in high school. We are considering this for our son. Do colleges place a lot of weight on classes beyond calculus? Is it [...]

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greennblue

I don't think that colleges value beyond-calculus math very highly. In our school's graduating class, there were two girls who were highly accelerated, having completed math through Linear Algebra. They had high grades and test scores, but neither was accepted to her first-choice school. Their ECs were weaker than those of their more successful classmates. Nonetheless, both girls wouldn't have done it any other way, because they loved their math classes.

Don't accelerate a student thinking it will help him/her with college acceptance. Only do it if the student is keen on doing it because they love math.

ari102791

He should do it if he loves math.

Krismom

I have twins who took Algebra in 7th grade. For one daughter, it was great, enabling her to take AP calc as a junior and and AP Stat as a senior. For the other daughter, wish I'd had her in a slightly slower track. She never really got comfortable in the fundamentals and is relearning a lot now for college. Think of wether he'd be bored in easier math or overwhelmed in higher math at each age.

colormehappy

There's no reason not to. If he doesn't take Algebra I now, what will he take instead? Will he really learn anything in that class? I think a lot of people struggle later on in math because they lack confidence. Will putting him in the lower class make him question his intelligence? Of course you realize that it's not a judgement of how smart he is, but to a seventh grader (who is already an A student) not being in the accelerated group might ding his confidence. And if worst comes to worst, he can always retake Algebra II in 9th grade. That would put him back on the regular track but he would be old enough (and would have struggled enough in 7th and 8th grade) to understand the benefits of slowing down. One last thing to consider is the quality of teachers. Is your son's middle school great? Will he have the same teacher for Algebra I if he starts it now or later? Does the high school have a good algebra teacher? And there's always your son's opinion to consider...

tomatoking

Parents are out of control on this site. 7th grade, I mean come on.

ExplorerCY

I took algebra in 7th grade. that is 1 step above where i was supposed to be. i'm taking calc as a senior next year.

but you should not be that concerned about your child getting into college when he is only in 6th grade. that is a little bit sickening.

tokenadult

My son took his first beginning algebra course at fifth grade age and took another (to fit into an established course sequence) at sixth grade age. More and more students are doing this kind of thing around the country

David Bressoud's Launchings from the CUPM Curriculum Guide

SIGMAA TAHSM

so it's not at all unusual for the stronger college math programs to have a lot of applicants who have had significant post-calculus math while of high school age.

I should point out, for international comparison, that there are several countries in the world in which ALL seventh graders, including the below-average seventh graders, take algebra as their routine seventh grade math course. My wife grew up in such a country.

tinkerbinker25

I took alegbra my seventh grade year, I just finished AP Calc this past year as a junior and will be in AP Stats as a senior.

I think taking accelerated math classes is a great idea. At my school, i would say at least half of my class was one to three levels ahead in math at one point in time. Even though I don't really like math that much, I liked having the ability of not having to worry that I would not get my requirements done.

Another plus of taking alegbra in 7th grade for me was that it really helped me get the foundations down for high school math, to get used to the types of textbooks, problems, ect. at an early age.

Also, if a student decides to take a math class early and it turns out that they are not entirely comfortable, there is enough leeway to go back to the normal curriculum. At least at me school that's how it was. I have a lot of friends who were in math classes with me in 7th and 8th grade, but forever reason in high school decided to retake courses.

Oh oh, and my last plus. At my high school you only need 2 math classes to graduate. And at the in-states they reccomend 3 or 4. Because I started taking high school courses in 7th grade, I could've not taken math junior or senior year and still had the reccomended 4 years.

Hmm, I think that pretty much sums up my take of accelerated math courses. Most people, in my experience at least, know right off the bat if they will be able to handle the course or not. And while it isn't for everyone, I think if your son is even considering entering algebra, he should go for it!

Marian

In our area, a lot of the kids who are good in math take algebra I in seventh grade. They eventually complete AP BC Calculus in 11th grade, leaving them with an extra elective slot in 12th grade, which they can either use for an extra math course (multivariable calculus or AP Statistics) or for something different (my daughter used the slot to take AP Economics). It seems to work out just fine.

olgita

Consider what your son would have to take instead of Algebra I. It's the same old information - fractions, decimals, etc. - that he has been learning for the past two years. Taking higher-level math classes will not necessarily get him into better schools (though I think it would help), but having this kind of mental exercise certainly prepares him to do better in all academic areas in high school and college. If he can't handle Algebra in 7th grade, he probably won't be able to handle the curriculum at any of the top colleges anyway.

And just as a side note, I come from a country where we began doing systems of equations in 5th grade and learning about stoichiometry in 6th, and everyone was somehow able to handle it. The American system is just dumbing down its own children while somehow trying to protect them from overworking their brains.

excelblue

I took an accelerated Algebra I class in 7th grade, and I'd have to say that's probably the best decision I've ever made. It kept me challenged and motivated, which really developed my interest in math.

I ended up taking AP Calculus BC sophomore year, multivariable calculus junior year, and doubling up on AP Stats and a few upper division college math courses senior year. The upper division college courses gave me an introduction to what college life would be like, and I'd have to say that it's an invaluable experience.

Additionally, having an upper hand in math allowed me to take some advanced science courses early, such as AP Physics C. It also eased up my experience in some other science classes since I didn't have to struggle with the required math.

CountingDown

I have one, who, like TokenAdult, started with Alg in mid-5th grade and a more formal class in 6th, and another one who started in 7th. To me, it depends on the level of instruction -- are they getting true depth, or are they getting the mile-wide, inch-deep "all our students finish Alg I by the end of 8th grade" braggadoccio?

My one who started in 5th was in a specialized math/science program. The quality of the teachers was exceptional, the pace was fast (but they knew when he needed a little time for maturity to catch up with the level of abstract thinking needed), and he is going to be a math major. Took four years of math at BC Calc level and higher while in HS. He also was able to do well in a very, very tough post-AP Physics C course because of the math background.

My other one has struggled, as he was in a humanities specialty program and is currently in IB -- he needs more direct instruction because math is not as intuitive for him (though he does very well on standardized testing). In retrospect, I would have fought to put him in the middle school math/science math program's math class -- because the teaching was better and they made sure the kids had the foundations for more advanced coursework.

However, it depends on the kid -- if he/she lives and breathes math and wants to plunge ahead, I say let the kid take the lead. I would make sure that a kid who is looking at a math-heavy college path is getting the fundamentals and a lot of depth, even if that means a slightly slower pace.

OriginalUsername

If you think he'll succeed in it, and if he thinks he'll succeed in it. I did it and because I'm extremely shy and easily intimidated, it was the wrong choice. I felt so out of place (and math isn't my strongest suit) so I ended up getting out of it and just taking it in the 8th grade. I was more ready then. It really depends on your child and where he's at emotionally and scholastically.

MamaDiva

At my youngest D's school, the entire curriculum is accelerated, so Algebra is the only math that is offered for 7th grade. "Out of control" or "sickening" as it may seem to some, we started our 2 older D's preliminary college planning in middle school. We have no regrets!