High School Planning: Tips for Math and Science
- Plan what Math and Science courses you will be taking each year. Learn which courses are prerequisites for others. Determine which Math and Science courses are required or preferred for the major/college you want to pursue. As always, Academic Pathways is here to help.
- Colleges strongly prefer AP courses for Math and Science.
- If you are in an IB Program, HL Math and Science classes are preferred to SL courses for those students who want to major in Math, Science, or Computer Science.
- If you are going to take BC AP Calculus, take some other Calculus first. There are too many levels of abstraction to learn in one course. It is okay to start with AB AP Calculus if you are strong in Math.
- If your counselor will allow you, take Chemistry before Physics (if you are planning to take both). Chemistry (except AP Chemistry) requires only Algebra skills. Physics often requires some Pre-Calculus skills.
- If possible, take a course in which you will learn a modern computer language, such as Java.
- Prepare for your SAT, SAT II, and your AP EXAMS!
- A large percentage of SAT and ACT Math questions are designed so that they can be solved two different ways. The first way is straightforward, but slower. The second is faster and less prone to error, but relies on having a special mathematical insight into the problem. Academic Pathways teaches these math insights and how to recognize when to use them. This allows our students to more accurately and quickly complete the test. Speed is crucial.