Math sequence and DE Questions

[ByGrace3]

My oldest is finishing up 9th. She did Algebra 1 in 8th, Geometry in 9th, and I have her signed up for Algebra 2 for 10th. My question is after that . . . I would normally plan to have her do precalc in 11th,  but she is pretty set on full time dual enrolling with the local university with the goal of an associates by the time she graduates high school -- its a big goal that may or may not happen, but she is aiming in that direction. Because of the associates goal, there really isn't a lot of wiggle room with me having her do anything outside of DE classes. Do I just let her take through Alg 2 and then take college algebra and then the next math (maybe statistics? or whatever she would need). Or should I have her take precalc even though it might detract from her associates plan? (she is currently planning on a degree in physical therapy so she wants to accomplish as much as she can in high school knowing she will have a ways to go still after. 

When I was in college, college algebra was a step down from my precalc class. . .  is that typical? 

[8filltheheart]

Can you explain why precal would detract from her associate degree plans?

[daijobu]

What math is required for a PT degree?  Is an associates degree required as a step toward earning a PT degree?  

[Guest]

What math is required for her AS? It's entirely possible that there is a precalculus class she could take at the college that would count for credit if she just has to have 6 credit hours of math. 

[Lilaclady]

Most junior colleges will offer precalc. Check to see if she needs to take a placement test to be placed in the precalc after Algebra 2. I won’t have her take college algebra unless she did not  do well in algebra 2. 
If her goal is to be a PT, she may not need an associates. Sometimes fulfilling the requirements for an associates may take away from course she can take towards PT. 

[ByGrace3]

On 4/17/2020 at 2:49 PM, 8FillTheHeart said:

Can you explain why precal would detract from her associate degree plans?

In order to get an associates before she graduates, she would have to take a "full load" of DE-- not leaving any time for at home courses...

15 hours ago, daijobu said:

What math is required for a PT degree?  Is an associates degree required as a step toward earning a PT degree?  

 

3 hours ago, dmmetler said:

What math is required for her AS? It's entirely possible that there is a precalculus class she could take at the college that would count for credit if she just has to have 6 credit hours of math. 

 

from what I can see, college algebra and statistics .  . . there are higher level courses she could take...

2 hours ago, Lilaclady said:

Most junior colleges will offer precalc. Check to see if she needs to take a placement test to be placed in the precalc after Algebra 2. I won’t have her take college algebra unless she did not  do well in algebra 2. 
If her goal is to be a PT, she may not need an associates. Sometimes fulfilling the requirements for an associates may take away from course she can take towards PT. 

 

I guess we will see how she does with Algebra 2 next year. She did fine with Algebra 1 and has done fine with geometry.

I suppose that it is fine for her to take college algebra and statistics and be done . . . I just worry about how it looks on her transcript as she applies for college. 

 

I also have encouraged her not to see getting an associates as the main goal for high school...I think it would be better if she just took classes and took some electives at home to further her interests.  

[ByGrace3]

15 hours ago, daijobu said:

What math is required for a PT degree?  Is an associates degree required as a step toward earning a PT degree?  

 

An associates is not required. She just wants a jump on her bachelors so she can apply to a doctor of PT program sooner. 

[Lilaclady]

I think it’s great that she has a plan and she is working towards it. She may want to look at the 4 year colleges and check their articulation agreement to see if the courses transfer. 4 year colleges accept courses not necessarily associate degree so if she takes the courses required in the first two years, then she will be in a good shape for finish earlier. She has Check that the courses will transfer between colleges.  

[Lecka]

My husband has just completed a 4-year degree and he did start at a 2-year college.  Well, I agree with previous posters about looking ahead to the 4-year degree.

My husband took some classes at the 2-year college, that fulfilled a requirement, but it did not fulfill Jr/Sr hours.

It turned out that it would have made more sense for him to take some classes to fulfill both a requirement AND a jr/sr hour.  It made it tight for him later on.

He also ended up taking CLEP and DSST classes, and felt like he could have taken some of his 2-year classes as CLEP or DSST, but that school did not do anything to encourage taking those tests.  

I definitely feel like my husband had some class suggestions from the 2-year that made sense if he only wanted an AA, but didn’t make sense the same way when he wanted to get a BA.  
 

But at the time he would say he wanted to do the AA requirements in case he didn’t end up completing a BA.  
 

The 4-year school he transferred to had a process where you “could” apply for an AA and they would talk about classes needed for an AA, but they were looking at the BA also and my husband ended up not applying for the AA because it ended up not making sense for him to take classes in that order (and by the time he had the AA requirements he was within a few sessions of completing BA requirements and knew he would do it).  
 

My husband wasn’t going to have an AA in anything practical — it would have been something like “general studies.”  He found that it would be good if he went on to a BA, but (seemed like it) would not do much for him job wise.  There are 2-year degrees that do seem like they are good job wise, but they are not necessarily classes that will transfer to a 4-year degree.

For someone wanting to transfer to a 4-year, ime, getting a 2-year AA in general studies (or something similar) is not very worthwhile.  Just take the classes that will make sense for the 4-year degree and transfer easily.  Unless there is a sensible 2-year degree or classes that would make sense even if they didn’t transfer to a 4-year degree.

 

[Lecka]

Also — my husband did online and has a situation where he just needs a degree to be able to do work he is truly already qualified to do (enlisted in the Army, but working with civilians who either require a 4-year degree or have preferential hiring/promotions with a 4-year degree).  
 

But locally the community college has pre-professional clubs for students going into a certain major or field, and locally at least I would definitely recommend going to the club to find out the best path forward to combine community college classes, and to make sure to get started on volunteer or observation things that might be needed.   I have heard really good things about the pre-professional clubs here, and sometimes there are things that help to do while students are still at community college.