It’s true, this thread was inspired by my kid’s current journey, but I’m the type of person who really enjoys threads where the information given doesn’t just help the original poster, but other students/parents who may have similar questions/situations.
In my kid’s case, their very small public school has been losing important APs with three teachers retiring (Physic, Chemistry, Calculus, French, Art History, Psychology has gone online this year…). There are no maths/science/engineering clubs, teachers don’t really wish to facilitate clubs after 3 p.m. So students are there mostly for learning, with way less extra-curricular clubs than most high schools.
It should be noted that this is an independent study school, where many kids also have outside interests or personal reasons for attending. My kid happens to be an athlete.
Math has been my kid’s preferred subject. But three years of the local math circle was a poor fit. Competition math just wasn’t an enjoyable experience for enough reasons so this year, it’s been dropped. Instead, my kid has been using their math skills in their sport to evaluate performance and change competitive strategies.
Also, my kid can’t fit in lab science this junior year because their schedule means they can’t be on campus much. Advanced Bio, Honors Chem and Physics have all been taken in previous years.
In my kid’s case, figuring out how to develop skills in Chemistry and Physics, and thus demonstrate interest, is where we are. Mechanical engineering would be their preferred undergrad degree (this far). But perhaps a masters that mixes practical math and engineering would also be a good fit. (Competition math was not a fit for my kid, practical use of math is.)