<p>UVA’s recommendations regarding math preparation in high school are interesting. According to the Common Data Set posted on the UVA website (I believe it’s 2010), Virginia requires 4 units/years of high school math. But they recommend 5. Maybe someone familiar with UVA can explain this. The only other university I have seen that recommends more than 4 years is Wisconsin (which recommends 4+).</p>
<p>The comment was about languages, but I thought it would apply to math as well. looks as though they are looking for even more math.</p>
<p>MD Mom: Your observation on foreign language requirements at UVA prompted my recollection of the unusual math requirement at UVA. I’ve looked at a lot of CDS reports over the years and this one kind of stood out.</p>
<p>Marian: You are correct when you state that just because you have the minimum four units of math for an Advanced Diploma in Virginia does not mean you are ready for calculus. My son sat in pre-calc as a high school freshman, and many of his classmates did not belong in that class. They still did not know their multiplication tables or how to convert fractions to percentages. My younger son, a HS sophomore, experiences the same in his chemistry class.</p>
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<p>Recommending greater than “4 years of high school math” typically means recommending taking calculus if available (since “4 years of high school math” typically means completing trigonometry and precalculus).</p>
<p>[Cal</a> Poly San Luis Obispo](<a href=“http://admissions.calpoly.edu/apply/freshman_sc]Cal”>http://admissions.calpoly.edu/apply/freshman_sc) also desires freshman applicants to have 5 years of English, 5 years of math, 4 years of foreign language, 4 years of science, and 2 years of arts in high school, which are significantly beyond the usual CSU requirements.</p>
<p>Note that math and foreign language are commonly understood to refer to the level, so this really means to take calculus if available, and level 4 or higher of the foreign language if available. Not sure how the fifth year of English is expected, unless it means that they are expecting AP or IB HL level, or taking an additional elective English course alongside the normal four year sequence.</p>
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<p>That’s a good way of looking at it. Also very valuable at DS’s state university was the ability with enough AP credits to receive advanced standing and have priority registration when compared to fellow classmates. This allowed him to have first pick of classes and class times, which is important in trying to graduate on the 4 year plan at crowded universities.</p>
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<p>I’ve noticed that some commenters have noted that the 3-year math requirements in their school systems were structured in a way that if the students completed some/all the standard curriculum courses before high school that they wouldn’t have to take additional math courses. Interesting. </p>
<p>That wouldn’t fly at the high school I attended. Kids who completed algebra/geometry/trig before 9th grade were still expected to fulfill the 3+ year requirement set by my school. They’d just take the next higher level courses in the math sequence to fulfill that requirement. For instance, someone who completed algebra/geometry/trig before 9th grade would need to do the following at a minimum:</p>
<p>9th grade: Pre-calc (With or without Honors)</p>
<p>10th grade: AP Calc AB/BC(In practice students can skip directly to BC calc if approved)</p>
<p>11th grade: Multivariate Calc/Differential Equations</p>
<p>The same was expected in other areas like science(4 years) or for foreign languages(3 years+) if one had prior experience with a given language and the placement exam result made them eligible to be placed in more advanced courses.</p>
<p>ucbalumnus – Thanks for the explanation.</p>
<p>Regarding the 5 years of English requirement, I looked for the Common Data Set report from San Luis Obispo for clarification but it is not posted online. The CDS is precise in noting that the responses from colleges regarding course requirements and recommendations should be expressed using “Carnegie units (one unit equals one year of study or equivalent). If you use a different system for calculating units, please convert.” If Cal Poly SLO really recommends 5 years of English during 4 years of high school that is most certainly a most unusual recommendation.</p>
<p>I homeschooled my kids. My son finished pre-calc at home. He did Calculus as his math class in college. My daughter who is in college now, has a learning disability that makes math learning much harder for her. She did worse than my son in math on the ACT but better in English and Reading. Anyway, she placed into pre-calc in college. That was not considered a remedial class. There were much lower classes that are considered remedial. Yes, much of the first semester was a repeat for her but she needed the extra practice. Her guidance counselor recommended a certain calc class this semester but I recommended she continue with trig since that calc class is a dead end. Since she is seriously considering economics as a degree, I didn’t think taking a math class that precluded her from ever taking any more math was wise. That not only would have limited her with economics but also with psychology, which she is thinking will be her minor. So she is taking trig now and calculus either in the summer or in the fall. </p>
<p>My third child will probably be in calc or higher in college.</p>
<p>I’m as concerned as anybody else about the state of K-12 math education in this country, but I don’t think this is a particularly good metric. If our future artists, chefs, PR executives, etc. don’t understand logarithmic functions, it’s fine with me. We need the educated citizenry to be numerate and understand probability, logic, and statistics, without which they can’t analyze claims made in countless other fields. Beyond that, math doesn’t play a role for most of us. I’m glad I passed pre-calc and calc because they were challenging and gave me intellectual confidence, but did I need to? Eh, I don’t see it.</p>
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Wow, they really do split Pre-calculus into 2 semesters. </p>
<p>Taking Calculus lite wouldn’t preclude her from taking other math courses, but she would only get credit for either Calc lite or Calculus I. Colleges never preclude anyone from continuing in a subject.</p>
<p>Differential equations in high school. Sorry, people… If that’s what it takes to ‘compete’ a lot of us would take a pass…</p>
<p>For truly gifted math kids, why not? My D goes to school with some math geniuses (one of her classmates taught himself calculus in ninth grade). Would you have these kids mark time or just take math courses they’ve already mastered? (Just to be clear, my D is smart but by no means a math genius.) </p>
<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>
<p>There must be a high degree of variability in calculus classes. I took it at UC Berkeley extension because it was a prerequisite for an MBA at Berkeley. I didn’t find it particularly hard, and I never took math in college and was at best an average student in the three years of high school math I had. Plus, I never used it in business school.</p>
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<p>I think it depends on the students somewhat. My D is currently taking calculus in her math and science high school. She says it’s easier for her than was her very rigorous four-semester precalc sequence (and her grades reflect that opinion). Yet she says that some of her classmates find it harder.</p>
<p>Berkeley has several levels of freshman calculus:</p>
<p>16A, 16B - for business and some biology majors, less rigorous
1A, 1B - for math, statistics, physics, and engineering majors
H1B - honors 1B, for freshman with AP credit looking for a more rigorous course</p>
<p>X16A, X16B - extension versions of 16A, 16B
X1A, X1B - extension versions of 1A, 1B</p>
<p>Supposedly, extension courses prefixed with XB (but not just X) are fully equivalent to regular Berkeley courses. (it is not clear what is different between 1A and X1A, or 16A and X16A)</p>