I am currently a freshman enrolled in AP Calculus BC and was wondering about the logistics of taking higher level math at a college. Sophomore year I was planning on doubling on Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra, then taking college classes junior and senior year. My High School currently doesn't offer CCP but I was wondering if there are any reccomendations for which classes to take and how to get in touch? All help is appreciated!
Your first point of contact should be your high school guidance counselor. Many high schools have dual enrollment agreements with local community colleges and universities.
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Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. You have also just started your freshman year so wait and see how BC goes this year. IMO, there is no reason to double up on MVC and Linear as a sophomore. You are already very very far ahead on your math track.
As suggested by momofthree24, talk to your GC later in the year to see about taking classes through your local community college or nearby university if you max out what’s available at your school.
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I agree you should speak with your counselor. @hebegebe what are your thoughts for a math plan for the rest of HS for OP?
I’m not sure how you do it as a student enrolled in a school. But, in terms of whether it is actually possible, the answer is yes. I had a ds who graduated from high school having almost completed the equivalents of minors in math and physics through dual enrollment at a 4 yr university. We homeschool, though, so the only bureaucratic hoop we had to deal with was actually getting the universities to allow him to DE for those classes (we moved to a different state 2nd semester of his jr yr, so he DEed at 2 different universities.
@cal2 ,
My recommendation is that you do NOT double up on math classes next year. AP Calculus BC by senior year is sufficient for admission to the most selective colleges, and beyond that, a class of multi variable calculus provides a marginal benefit.
But since you are well past that point, my recommendation is MVC sophomore year, linear algebra junior year, and then look at one college class for senior year. What college courses are available to you?
If you are applying with math as your strength, see if you can demonstrate your abilities in math a different way, perhaps through competition math. Many of the math students at the most selective colleges distinguished themselves through competition math or (less commonly) math research.
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The college courses near me that I could take would be Abstract Algebra, Topology, Real and Complex Analysis and I'm sure there are more. Right now I'm just not completely sure what to do once I am finished with MVC and Linag. Thanks for the help!
You could take other college sophomore level courses like discrete math or calculus based statistics.
The college junior level math courses you mentioned tend to be focused on proofs. If you prior math courses have mainly had a computational emphasis (which is the norm), going directly to a junior level math course may be a steep hill initially. Some math departments include a lot of proof practice in discrete math or in a course devoted to that. Honors math courses (calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra) in college may also have more proof practice than regular ones.
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