Well, it depends on the type of school. A holistic small school that accepts most applicants might look at this student’s transcript, be happy that they have done Calc, and not mind what math they take in junior and senior year. But a big public university that accepts most applicants might still have more rigid specific curriculum requirements about the absolute number of years of math classes in high school, or whether a student is taking math each year.
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Most colleges will have a minimum number of Carnegie units required. Most colleges will thus accept Algebra 1 or Geometry or English I or Foreign Language I that are taken in middle school if they are shown on the high school transcript. Having taken (and passed) calculus would probably count as having completed 5 units of math (algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, advanced math/pre-calc, and then calc AB). So long as the Carnegie classwork is on the high school transcript, I don’t believe that there would be problems at most colleges, whether they are holistic or not. They’re just checking off the boxes that those classes have been taken and passed.
Once again, however, my statement is in relation to most colleges in the U.S., but NOT in relation to highly selective/rejective colleges with low admission rates.
How many HS show this on the transcript? Ours doesn’t.
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In my state (Louisiana) this was true decades ago, when I was in high school, and is still true today (as seen when I’m reviewing high school transcripts). When I lived in Nevada (decades ago), the “high school” classes that were taken in middle school were shown on high school transcripts as well. It’s one of the reasons why kids were advised to only take the class if they thought they would be successful because it would be part of the high school transcript. It’s also the reason why public school teachers teaching middle school also need to be certified to teach high school in those subjects, so that the district can grant Carnegie units for those classes.
I will only speak for the school where I read apps(highly rejective school.)
We do see plenty of HS transcripts with jr high classes on them (typically math and/or foreign language.) If a student takes geometry or Alg 2 or Spanish 3 in freshman year of HS, it’s implied they have taken the pre-reqs in jr high, whether or not on the HS transcript. We wouldn’t consider the jr high courses necessarily as HS level courses, so they wouldn’t count for the four years we (ideally) want to see in HS. The school where I work is much more forgiving wrt foreign lang than math. If there is less than four years of HS math on a transcript it is always conspicuously noted.
I appreciate @austennut’s point that many colleges would love to have OP’s D as a student.
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I don’t think MS classes on a HS transcript is common here in CA, because the UC application and CSU application instruct kids to look at their MS transcript to find and enter eligible 7-8 grade classes (only Algebra, Geometry, and LOTE count in this case, not English or any other “high school level” classes, and the grades are not used).
But I think this probably varies a lot by state, and even within a state, may vary by high school. Here’s a thread where people talked about their HS policies about middle school courses and there seemed to be a ton of variation. Should high school level courses taken before high school count as credit on a transcript for college purposes
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Even if the student completes calculus in 11th grade?
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Yes it would be noted even if there’s an explanation. (And the explanation would be noted.) If the HS offered math beyond Calculus and/or AP Stats/stats it probably won’t go well for a student who didn’t take math senior year. We would not expect a student to leave the HS to take a math senior year of the HS didn’t offer any higher math or stats.
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Ours doesn’t have a grade on the transcript but there is a note that (in my kid’s case) Algebra 1 was completed in middle school. Its a graduation requirement so maybe that’s why?
Yep! In this document from the University System of Georgia it makes reference to classes taken in middle school and whether it’s on the high school transcript or if, in some cases, students need to send a transcript from their middle school if it’s not on the high school transcript.
But since I’m taking us pretty far afield from the original topic, @JayK, your D will want to make sure to look at the requirements and recommendations from colleges of interest. If any questions arise, it would be appropriate to reach out to their admissions offices, and it could also be viewed as an indication of demonstrated interest as well, for the schools that track that information.
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Please focus on the OP! Side bar discussion can be taken to PM or start a new thread.
TIA!
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It looks like your daughter is trying to escape “harsh grading” by taking the course someplace else.
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The other thing to keep in mind…there are some colleges where you must take all courses once you have matriculated there. You can’t go to a community college, for example, to take a course that the college offers.
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But it sounds like her HS offers math courses she could take there. I don’t see any compelling reason for your DD to take the math courses at a CC when her HS offers something she could take.
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One more thing…
If your daughter continues with her medical school aspirations (it is very, very early) she will be expected to complete the prerequisites at her 4 year college.
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