EKT Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I'm in the thick of planning my oldest daughter's senior year. (She is currently a junior; we are working together to plan her senior courses.) She hopes to attend an art school for graphic design and/or fine arts, but she'll also be applying to our state flagship (Ohio State). She is an excellent student (4.0 unweighted GPA) and is currently taking lots of dual enrollment. Math is her/our weakest subject and I'm trying to decide if it makes sense for her/us to suffer through pre-calculus next year. (She is currently doing Algebra II.) She'll do whatever she needs to do to get where she wants to go, but she would much rather fill her senior year with challenging courses she actually cares about--WTMA French IV, a 4th lab science (would be taken at the community college) as well as more English and social science courses also taken at the cc--than pre-calculus. Basically: Is this a make-or-break situation? Would you say she definitely needs to have a fourth year of math on her transcript to be accepted to a range of art schools (including the prestigious ones that we probably can't afford, but hey let's take a shot), or does it make sense to let math go, given that she has demonstrated rigor elsewhere on her transcript? (Art school websites rarely list specific courses that students need. OSU's website states that three years of math is the minimum they'll accept, but she exceeds all other minimum requirements they list.) Note: Obviously, her art portfolio will be a huge factor in her art school acceptance. Her art portfolio is in progress and is strong; I'm strictly asking about the academic side of the equation here. Thank you for any input and advice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Following. My youngest is also a junior, probably a future graphic design major, also in Ohio. He is doing Alg II with Trig and we are on year two of that. I am starting to really doubt we will make it through Pre-Calc next year. I guess we could do Statistics? @EKT, have you looked at the math requirements for potential majors at Ohio State? I have only looked at UC. UC would probably be our first choice because it is commuter distance. UC requires a "Quantitative Reasoning" elective. So it doesn't sound like we have to have Precalc to do whatever math they plan next. I would think for the Quantitative Reasoning elective we could take College Algebra or Trig. If I didn't fear the pacing so much, I would have him do that next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Looking at UC's requirements, some of them are less even than College Algebra or Trig. I wonder if my son could manage one of those classes as a CCP student. Like this one for example: MATH1008 Foundations of Quantitative Reasoning 3 Undergraduate Credits Prerequisite recommend: 30+ ALEKS 420 Math Placement Test Project-based course, emphasizing problem-solving, model-building, and basic data manipulation in real world contexts. Topics include: problem-solving, statistical reasoning, linear and exponential modeling, and modeling with geometry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKT Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 Just now, cintinative said: Looking at UC's requirements, some of them are less even than College Algebra or Trig. I wonder if my son could manage one of those classes as a CCP student. Like this one for example: MATH1008 Foundations of Quantitative Reasoning 3 Undergraduate Credits Prerequisite recommend: 30+ ALEKS 420 Math Placement Test Project-based course, emphasizing problem-solving, model-building, and basic data manipulation in real world contexts. Topics include: problem-solving, statistical reasoning, linear and exponential modeling, and modeling with geometry. I know; that's another possibility: To do a CCP math class second semester senior year at the cc. She really doesn't want to do math through a class, though (at least when we do math on our own, we control the pacing and the assessments, etc.,). That's another reason I'm torn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Just now, EKT said: I know; that's another possibility: To do a CCP math class second semester senior year at the cc. She really doesn't want to do math through a class, though (at least when we do math on our own, we control the pacing and the assessments, etc.,). That's another reason I'm torn. We are totally in the same boat. The only math in high school that has gone reasonably on schedule is Geometry. The Algebra and Algebra II/Trig have been at a snail's pace at times. He tested well on the ACT so I am not worried but I am concerned about his pacing of math in college. I had considered having him test out. I think the only CLEPs are for College Algebra and Precalculus though (ETA: actually he can take the College Mathematics CLEP and test out of the math class I posted above). I just don't know what we will do next year if I have him test out. Home based statistics? I am also not sure if he is 4-year school bound. We might explore UC's 2 year program or Sinclair. He will probably take some studio art classes at Sinclair next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Just me, but I'd skip the Pre-Calc, BUT do a 4th math credit so there can be 4 on the transcript. I'd probably opt for Consumer Math, Finance, Bookkeeping, or Accounting -- something that would be of real-world value for the future. Or, do whatever College Algebra as DE, or as self-study and then CLEP test it. Do the specific College Algebra course (or CLEP) that will transfer and knock out in advance that gen. ed. requirement of Math that many college degree programs require. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 (edited) We’re skipping it for DS and doing stats and computer science instead. Math through Alg2/Trig is enough. DS will keep working on math with a tutor in case he needs a gen ed in college but even that can be pass/fail, not for a grade. A friend’s kiddo is an animation major and took a similar path. Edited January 24 by Sneezyone 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 Statistics is honestly a more useful 4th math for most non-STEM majors than Pre-Calculus. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 5 hours ago, Lori D. said: Just me, but I'd skip the Pre-Calc, BUT do a 4th math credit so there can be 4 on the transcript. I'd probably opt for Consumer Math, Finance, Bookkeeping, or Accounting -- something that would be of real-world value for the future. Or, do whatever College Algebra as DE, or as self-study and then CLEP test it. Do the specific College Algebra course (or CLEP) that will transfer and knock out in advance that gen. ed. requirement of Math that many college degree programs require. This. Or do Stats for the 4th yr. Useful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKT Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 11 hours ago, Dmmetler said: Statistics is honestly a more useful 4th math for most non-STEM majors than Pre-Calculus. As a non-math person, I honestly hadn't considered this. Maybe she can just take statistics at cc second semester senior year? I will think about that! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodlebug Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 (edited) I think doing some fourth year math is helpful esp where ACT is concerned - it keeps the math brain primed. DS (senior) pulled out two extra points in the math section this past Oct and I don't believe that wouldve happened had we dropped a fourth year math. Edited January 24 by Doodlebug 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 7 hours ago, EKT said: As a non-math person, I honestly hadn't considered this. Maybe she can just take statistics at cc second semester senior year? I will think about that! For most majors, it will also tick the math class box. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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