I am a high school sophomore. I want to be a history or law major at Columbia University. I took a class called Math Analysis, or Pre-Calculus Honors, but I didn’t understand anything, so I talked to my counselor and switched to Pre-Calculus. I am taking all other honors classes. Will this jeopardize my chances of getting into Columbia?
No.
Nope. Work hard, get involved in something you enjoy and keep the grades up!
In general you need a rigorous schedule. But there is no paint to taking something that is not right for you. So one class is ok but if you took a less rigorous schedule in general it would absolutely impact you.
As you know any Ivy is a stretch for all. It’s great to have the goal but do realize last year Columbia admitted 6.3% of applicants. I believe this year was less but don’t see data posted.
You will experience a lot of changes and learn to understand more about college in future years.
My point- don’t fall in love with any one college. Be the best you and in two years you’ll find a whole set of colleges that can and will work for you, whether it’s Columbia or otherwise.
Getting good grades and take the right classes for you, not a school. No point in getting a bad grade etc
Good luck.
The best one to speak to is your guidance counselor. See if he/she will still mark on the recommendation that you have taken the most rigorous course load available at your HS with the classes you have taken/will take. If the answer is no then it could hurt your chances for an elite college.
That said, I still would not recommend taking a math class when you have not mastered the material in the previous class.
Keep in mind that the acceptance rate to Columbia is in the low single digits (5.4% in 2020) so it is a huge reach for any unhooked applicant.
IMO sophomore year is too early to focus on any specific colleges. As you enter junior year you should focus on creating a application list that includes reach, match, and safety schools that appear affordable and that you would be excited to attend.
Columbia in 2020 2544 / 40084. 6.3%. Still minuscule. And great guidance provided.
https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/Classof2024_profile_final.pdf
@tsbna44 I found the number on my post just by googling.
BUT actually the Class of 2025 acceptance rate is a mind-boggling 3.36% per the article below.
Regardless…I think everyone can agree that Columbia should be considered a reach for any unhooked applicant.
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Move the conversation forward past the discussion of acceptance rates please.
@Connor1 also keep in mind that if your ultimate goal is Law School, an Ivy undergrad might not be your best path forward. Lots of good advise on this forum on targeting schools for Law school
Do what you think you’ll enjoy most. For you, this sounds like pre-calc. You’re still on track to do calculus junior year, which is still pretty accelerated. Focus most on your mental health, and regular precalc sounds like your best choice.
With respect, I would not advise students looking to be competitive at top colleges to simply take what they are comfortable with. Those schools will want to see students who went outside their comfort zone and pushed themselves. This doesn’t mean students should stay in a class where they are completely overwhelmed. It may not be black/white.
I would say that OP should plan to take AP Calculus AB before graduation. Get tutoring or take enrichment classes to get yourself to that level.
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Of course this single class is not going to jeopardize your admission (which, to be clear, is a longshot for just about anyone).
More important, though, is what it may be telling you about your study habits and preparedness. Presumably 30 or so other kids are staying in the class and understanding the material. When you aim for a college like Columbia you are competing for admission against not just the top kids in your HS but against the top kids across the country. You just received valuable information about where you may stand. Its worth spending some time thinking about why you “didn’t understand anything”, about what your peers are doing and have done differently so that they can take and excel in that class.
Again, one class is not the end of your dreams but it may be a harbinger of the future. Instead of just ignoring this or chalking it up to bad fortune it’s up to you to take action so that in the future you can do as well as the best of your peers.
Not all kids have the same aptitude for math. It might take longer for some to get it. The OP is not applying for STEM related major, so a slower pace of math won’t affect her/his chances that much.
For this particular case, I think precalc is the best class for OP.
I didn’t say most comfortable, I said what you enjoy most, which I would argue means something completely different. Students aiming for top schools should enjoy challenging themselves, imo, and at least from what I’ve seen, taking classes outside one’s comfort zone should be both challenging and enjoyable for people who will fit in at highly academically-focused schools.
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Exactly. My D22, who wants to major in political science, worked like a dog last year for her A in AP Calculus AB. Lots of Khan academy and going over stuff with friends in BC.
Some classes are not easy but they are part of the high school’s “most rigorous” schedule and they need to be tackled if you want to earn that designation. Top colleges want depth and breadth
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I agree, somewhat, but my daughter slogged through AP Calculus and that was not in the least bit enjoyable. Some classes are just not going to be your thing, but you do it anyway.
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The reality is to “maximize” your chances at a school like Columbia, you’re going to need (if your school offers them) 10+ APs, great grades, rank, test score and the like. The breadth of classes should be wide - maybe it’s not Calc AB but for a social science major it’s AP stats.
My daughter is in international studies and is retaking calc this year - while she got an A in Calc AB, she bombed the test and got a 2.
So colleges still want to see it.
Will one class make the difference? Likely not but you’ll never know - because with the top schools, the margins of what you need and don’t need is so slim. and in the 94% chance there’s a rejection, you’ll never know why.
Better for the OP that is a sophomore, that they get in challenging classes, but classes that with hard work, grit and determination, they can work through.
But even if you have the perfect resume - the odds of Columbia are still long.
The OP should be the best they can be - and in another 18 months, can build a list that includes Columbia if still desired but also has those target and safety schools, whatever they are.
Colleges know that kids have different aptitudes, and I am not so sure that academics do more than meet a benchmark: admission is often about other things.
I know a kid who didn’t get near even precalc in high school, and went to a “top” Ivy. But did some interesting things outside of school.
There is no point in suffering for a goal that may not be realized, and it is often healthy to change the goal if fit is an issue. Enjoy high school as much as you can in these difficult times and don’t spend hours every evening feeling overwhelmed. You can take statistics and not even do precalc if you prefer.
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@CiaraFin I believe is a student at a sub 5% acceptance rate Ivy League school. I assume her comments are based on her successful experience and those of her immediate peers. To be honest I might not always agree with her/him but I will readily acknowledge that a current student has a much better vantage point from which to comment in an informed manner then an adult parent.
Consequently I find her to be an extremely relevant and informed voice for this high school sophomore.
It would probably be useful for others to offer context for their recommendations. Meaning if you are a college counselor, alum interviewer, HS parent whose kid is applying etc it may offer insight into your perspective.
Personally I try to limit my advise to an impressionable 14 year old to what I have personally experienced, observed or been told first hand by an expert on the subject matter. That is the standard to which I would want someone to treat my own kid.
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As a sophomore, the OP has two more years to demonstrate breadth by taking AP Calc.