<p>My 9th grade son needs to choose which classes to take in 10th grade. He is in all honors classes and his math teacher recommended he double up on Math and take Trig/PreCalc along with AP Stats. 11th grade he would take AP Calculus which would mean he is doubling up again. Senior year he hopes to take engineering classes at a local college - although he is undecided on a college major right now (as he should be!) He obviously loves math but also loves music. He is a very good trumpet player in the school band, jazz band and chorus. SO he would be taking math in place of a music theory class or band. Obviously the AP stats will give him a better GPA. His GPA currently is 4.0. He is very bright and has big college goals. He wants to take AP Stats - but I would rather see him pursue music or another class in place of second math class but that would give him a lower GPA. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do colleges really want to see as many AP’s as possible or see you make the most of electives that are offered?</p>
<p>Take math because classes aren’t the only options for music. There are many extracurriculars that involve music. You can do pit orchestra, marching band, etc.</p>
<p>Coleges like to see someon etaking the most rigorous course schedule THAT YOU CAN HANDLE!!! If he can handle it I say he should definitely do it.
As a current freshmen my senior schedule will be PIB Chem I, PIB French III, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP U.S. Gov/VPS, AP English language, and IB Computer Studies-1. I would NEVER take that many APs if I didn’t get information ahead of time and see if I could handle it. I think he should decide if he’s ready of not. Precalc will (Probably) be his hardest math class to date, but if he’s as good at math as you say he is, he should go for the math class and just do after school music. :D</p>
<p>You need to look over the material for Trig/Calc because the topics in it are usually things that a student has never been introduced to before. I know a student who dreamed to be a math major his whole life, but after Trig/Calc he saw that the higher up math classes are completely different from algebra and geometry. Try to look at a textbook before signing up for two math classes.</p>
<p>Hmmm, I’m a music person…and I have to say, you have to ask your son. It also depends on your music department…for example, my old school had a great state-award winning jazz band, etc, and most kids were RECRUITED for music! Math you can easily take over a summer, while comraderie formed in a band cannot.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your replies. Our HS is very small - consequently we don’t have a lot of the band options mentioned but it also gives him an opportunity to shine in the options that are available. He has decided to take the two math classes and then take Music Theory and the following year take AP Music Theory- so I guess that’s a good alternative. He will be able to take band before school and participate in the jazz band but not take band as a class. Next year Honors Physics and Honors US History are the two hardest classes at the school so as parent I don’t want to seem him too overburdened. Thanks again for your help above!</p>
<p>^^^ Don’t worry! As long as you kid has taken Alg. 2 hon. before physics hon. he’ll be fine. Took it this year and it’s REALLY easy if you have a high math backround.</p>