<p>DD is fluent in 3 French, Russian and English. Her favorite subject matter is mathematics. She’s a straight A student in any topic that is interesting to her.</p>
<p>Some schools offer Latin and Greek as classical scholars. Is it beneficial if your child leans towards being a mathematician or a scientist? If the child was interested in liberal arts- I think this would be wonderful. If the child is more scientifically minded, would this course of study be beneficial?</p>
<p>If a child is pursuing the classical scholars approach, can they 1) take other languages as well or 2) continue with high level mathematics?</p>
<p>I know someone who was taking Latin, Greek and high level mathematics while in prep school. He was doing very well and ended up in a very selective college with a math related major. Taking two language classes at the same time is possible and encouraged in certain cases, but I think it’s a stretch on the schedule and I personally can’t figure out how but that may be because I didn’t seriously explore the possibility.</p>
<p>I think St. Paul’s is well known for its classical studies program. Personally, I believe a working knowledge of Latin will only help science students.</p>
<p>Oh, I have to very strongly disagree. Study of the classics is incredibly beneficial across the entire liberal arts spectrum. I would even go as far as to say that without some training in Latin and/or Greek (both language and culture), one hasn’t really gotten a true liberal arts education. </p>
<p>Groton requires two years of Latin in addition to a modern language, so it is built into the schedule. I would look closely at Groton. SPS as well if she wants high levels of both math and classics.</p>
<p>Will classics help specifically in math? Only in that studying highly inflected languages hones analytical skills. If your daughter might want to go into formal logic, it would probably help as she would be used to close reading, making translations into symbols easier. (What is says versus what it means - connotation versus denotation) But many things other than classics hone these skills.</p>
<p>Boston University Academy requires Latin or Greek for the first two years, I think. St. Mark’s offers a Classics Diploma, for a student who completes three years of one language, and two of another.</p>
<p>Knowing the Greek alphabet would be a help in math. Much of our “elevated” vocabulary has Greek or Latin roots. Our English grammar was constructed after the model of the classics. Learning the grammar for the classical languages improves a student’s grasp of English grammar.</p>
<p>If your daughter is interested in studying two classical languages, it can be done, but you’d need to confirm the details from each school. It can be difficult to fit two languages into a schedule. St. Mark’s recognizes prior language study, so if your daughter came in with some Latin or Greek, that could make it easier to fit it in. I assume that St. Paul’s must do something similar.</p>
<p>I am certain that it is possible to continue with high level mathematics. I would be astounded if it weren’t possible.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your answers. I can’t believe that I forgot about the roots of Latin in our science today. I am very glad to hear that one can study both classics and mathematics at the same time.</p>
<p>neato…I was basing that on my own experience. I had two years of Latin in high school and went on to pursue a nursing degree. Time and again knowledge of Latin has helped me with medical terminology.</p>
<p>My husband, a biologist, studied Latin for years before college. He regrets spending time on that language instead of being able to study another modern language. He says if he had the choice now, he’d learn Mandarin. </p>
<p>But if you love the classics, then studying them is good for you, regardless of your major. I just wouldn’t say it’s going to make a difference in a future as a scientist. One picks up the Latin roots one needs along the way. You can also get many of them from Spanish, and be able to speak to Hispanic people is really nice. (I’m a biologist who didn’t study Latin.)</p>
<p>Both SPS and Groton permit you to study 2 languages, although if you are studying Latin and Greek, you might have trouble with a modern language as a third language. The only way they would limit your math is by filling up time which otherwise might be free for additional electives in math or science (and some schools offer a lot of these). The real reason so many people are expressing interest in Classics is that, like squash and crew, they are perceived as giving you an edge in Ivy applications. There are a lot of endowed scholarships for students and chairs for professors of classics at the older universities and if the demand for the subjects collapses, this is a real issue. The schools don’t want to go to court to try and reform the donation instruments. Accordingly, if someone is perceived as being interested and gifted in the classics, this is perceived as being a hook. Whether it really is, who knows.</p>
<p>I am an alumn of St. Mark’s and received a classics diploma. I took 3 years of Latin and 2 years of Greek. My freshman year I took Spanish I (which I originally wanted to study) and Latin I (which my dad forced me to take). My Latin teacher, Dr. Hartnett, was my teacher for Latin I and because of him, I decided to stick with Latin and to go for the classics diploma. The classics program at SM is so strong. It is exceptionally rare for a St. Marker to score below a 4 on the AP exams. The teachers who teach Latin and Greek have been the best teachers I have EVER had, including my college professors.
If you have any questions about the program or concerns feel free to ask. I did after all succeed in getting the Classics Diploma.</p>
<p>I just realized I didn’t fully answer your question. I am going pre-med in college and I feel Latin and Greek together have been exceptionally beneficial. Furthermore you can take other languages as well. I had friends who took Latin and French/ Latin and Spanish/ Latin and German…</p>