<p>I was just looking at my math track, and I realized that I would be maxing out of math by senior year. I will have taken math up to diffrential equations. My concern is will this effect me in my college admissions?? I could drop one of my AP classes to take graph theory/discrete math, but it would lower my rank if I did. I want to be a doctor and possibly major in math undergrad. Any advice of what I should do??</p>
<p>take the math…there are few things more indicative of academic excellence than a 17 or 18 year old who has taken math through diffEQ and onto discrete math. </p>
<p>Let me point out that I think it’s a problem when a kid has to reconsider taking a much more difficult class that he will greatly enjoy, because of the effect of replacing an AP class on his rank. Somewhere, the college admissions process went wrong…</p>
<p>Is your rank all that important - are you likely to be #1 or 2? If not, wouldn’t any spot in the top 5 or 10% be good enough - just asking as I never went to a school that did weighted ranking. </p>
<p>One possible solution would be to take your AP class and do math as independent study. Either see if you can get credit from your school in a way that won’t affect your class rank or else sign up for a distance ed-type class on your own, such as one of these:</p>
<p><a href=“http://epgy.stanford.edu/courses/math/[/url]”>http://epgy.stanford.edu/courses/math/</a></p>
<p>I don’t know it this is helpful or if it would work for you, but it was the only thing I could think of. It seems like it would be a shame for you to have to miss a year of math when it sounds like math is one of your top interests. It also is absurd that taking more math would actually HURT you, in that your ranking would drop, but I understand that this is not a uncommon situation for kids today.</p>
<p>For those of us who are not math people, what is the typical sequence of math classes? Here is my guess:</p>
<p>Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Trig and Statistics
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Differential Equasions
Graph Theory/Discrete Math</p>
<p>Is that correct? I don’t even know a high school which offers the last two!</p>
<p>my school goes like this:</p>
<p>Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Precalculus
Calc AB
Calc BC
Statistics (can be done instead of Calculus)</p>
<p>Thanks or the replies!!
My school’s math sequence goes like this
Alg. 1
geomety
Alg 2
From here it splits into the 3 (most common) catagories
Precalc IB Math Methoods 1 IB Math Studies</p>
<p>AP Calc AB IB Math Methods 2 IB Math Methods 1</p>
<p>Calc II/III AP Calc AB IB Math Methods 2</p>
<p>Diff EQ/ Matrix Theory </p>
<p>The path is kinda confusing because classes like AP stats and graph theory/ discrete math are just there for you to take as electives. My math track was/will be
Precalculus freshmen year
AP Calc AB and AP Statistics sophomore year
IB Math Methods II junior year</p>
<p>I’m taking/took Calc 1, Calc II, Calc III, and Diff Eq at a local CC because the teacher at my school is really hard and I need to take the IB math exam for the IB diploma.</p>
<p>Exactly how much would your rank be hurt?</p>
<p>I would probably be the only person that wouldn’t be taking all AP/IB classes so I really don’t know. One semester is weighted w/ honor credit and the other semester is AP. But, then I’d need to take out either AP Physics or AP Env Sci</p>
<p>My school’s math sequence goes like this, (there are Honors sections of each course up to Calculus)</p>
<p>Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Pre-Calculus
AP Calculus AB or Discrete Math</p>
<p>AP Statistics can be taken at any point after Algebra II, assuming you meet the grade requirement (I believe you need at least a B), and is usually taken in concurrence with another math class (Pre-Cal Honors or AP Calc AB)</p>
<p>Assuming you would be taking this math class at a community college, or through distance learning, you should talk to someone in the administration and see if you can get permission to have the class equally weighted, noting that you want to take a more difficult class, but are worried about how it will affect your rank. If they have any common sense, they will understand, and hopefully there is little enough bureacracy for them to be able to help you.</p>
<p>bump…</p>
<p>Aren’t you just about to be a sophomore? I wouldn’t worry about rank yet. I wouldn’t worry about any of this until junior year.</p>
<p>Well, it kinda effects me sophomore year, cuz i might need to change my whole math plan in order to have the most productive high school career.</p>
<p>algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Algebra III
Pretcalc/trig
Calculus AB
Calculus BC (advanced integral calculus)
Multivariate Calculus</p>