How much Math ?

Marian
Tue, 24 Oct 2006 08:22:39 +0000

In general, “four years of math” means “math through precalculus.” It should not matter that the first year of the sequence was taken in middle school. Some of the more requirement-obsessed state universities might have different views, though.

My daughter, who is applying to colleges right now, only has three years of high school math taken while actually in high school. She took both Algebra 1 and Geometry in middle school and completed Algebra 2, precal, and BC calculus in high school. This year, as a senior, she could have taken multivariable calculus but chose not to because there was a course in another subject that she wanted to take as an elective. Her counselor seemed to think that this was not a problem since she does not aspire to a science or math major. The counselor did NOT say anything like “Universities X, Y, and Z won’t consider you because you don’t have four years of math taken while actually in high school.” Apparently, it doesn’t work that way. In our school system at least, high school level courses taken in middle school appear on the student’s high school transcript and count toward graduation in the same way that they would if taken in high school. As far as the school system is concerned, my daughter has five credits of math, even though only three were taken at the actual high school.

One other thought: Does your high school offer AP Statistics? If it does, and if there is some reason why your son needs four years of math actually completed in high school, he could take precal and AP Statistics at the same time as a senior. AP Statistics only requires Algebra 2 as a prerequisite.