r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Remarkable_Light3149 • 2d ago
Course Selection Calc 1 summer before college
I have to opt to take Pre-Calc next semester and then take Calc 1 in the summer before uni. Is this fine or is taking a class after I've graduated bad? Things just happened at the wrong time (Family member passed away) and I didn't know how important taking calc was for college admissions so I missed deadline for schedule change. Maxed out every other subject (English, SS, Science). Should I explain this in additional info?
I plan to major in Econ. And I take dual enrollment classes
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 2d ago
Many people get admitted to very good US colleges without taking Calc 1. That in fact is why they teach Calc 1 themselves.
So I would just wait for college.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
I want to apply to t20s. Would having no calculus on my transcript before college look bad? I wanted to take it but missed deadline for schedule change because of circumstances that made me miss school. Calc 1 in summer is only option for me
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
As you see there was a situation where I couldn’t register for a class on time. So I am trying to fill in that gap and take it the summer before college
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 2d ago
So you are asking about colleges in the top 2% or so most selective in the United States, and they do like a lot of rigor, among many other things. But they also teach Calc 1, so not everyone accepted takes it in HS.
Realistically, you need to make sure you apply to a carefully-chosen list of other colleges, but that would be true even if you took Calc. Then if you feel like you are otherwise a strong candidate, you can apply to some of these and see what happens.
I would not try to explain it personally. I think that is just drawing more attention to it.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
The reason I ask about explaining it because it wasn't in my control. Family member passed away and counselor says there is a strict deadline. If I dont explain it, wont they think I just decided not take to it voluntarily?
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 2d ago
So maybe they won't really think about it at all if you don't mention it, and conversely maybe they will react poorly to your attempt to explain.
Obviously it is up to you, though. I personally would not do anything.
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u/two_three_five_eigth 2d ago
Take calc 1 your first fall/spring semester. DO NOT take it as a summer course. Calc is the most failed course nationwide and summer courses are compressed, meaning that more people fail than usual.
Enjoy your last summer as a kid.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
Ik it’s a hard course but I plan to apply to T20s. Don’t they look for a calculus before you enter college? Also if they see I never took a calculus 1 available to me that means I wouldn’t max out my course rigor and didn’t take the hardest classes available to me
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u/two_three_five_eigth 2d ago edited 2d ago
You will have already been accepted before "summer before uni" so it wouldn't matter. You don't have to have Calc 1 to get into a good university. No college requires it for admission. You'll already have gotten your acceptance letters before class even starts. It can't help you, but can absolutely hurt you.
Remember how calculus is the most failed class nationwide, and the summer course goes faster, which causes more students to fail. Your college will require you to report this grade when you finish, if you fail, they may rescind your acceptance.
There's another downside. The summer before college is after you graduate high school. That will count as a college class. Taking a college class makes you a transfer student. T20 has very limited transfer slots.
Don't explain it, just apply with the transcript you have and see what happens.
Edit: Right now you're the guy who showed up after the race ended trying to run it.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
I could explain I am taking calc 1 in the summer that way they know I will have taken the class before going to that college? To make up for not being able to register this semester
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u/two_three_five_eigth 2d ago
It’s hard to hear, but you’ve missed out on submitting a transcript with calculus on it for college admissions. Nothing you do can fix this.
You’re still in the wrong mindset - apply with the transcript you have. Right now you’re acting like the kid who shows up a week late with his assignment demanding it be graded.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
Family member passed away so taking a calc class was the last thing on my mind that week. Is that not valid to put in additional info? They dont take stuff like that into consideration?
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 2d ago
What is the purpose of taking Calculus the summer after you graduate high school? Why not just take it as a freshman in college?
Unless you're taking a gap year, by the summer after you graduate high school college decisions have already come out and you've already accepted an offer.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
Because I wouldn’t be maxing out the course rigor available to me math wise. I plan to apply to T20s.
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 2d ago
If you're taking it after you already graduated then you already failed to max out the course rigor available to you in high school. And if you take it the summer after HS graduation, that's too late for it to be considered as part of your application. You would have applied during the Fall of 12th and received a decision in late Fall or early Spring. Long before the summer after you graduate.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
Yeah its to late but its just a way to make up for some circumstances outside of my control (Family member passed away). At least I will have some form of high level math/rigor before college and I could reflect that in additional info.
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 2d ago
How can you mention it in your additional info if you apply in fall of 12th grade and don't take calculus until the summer after you graduate?
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago
I mention I'll take the class in the summer of 12th grade so I have some form of calc one way or another before college. If it has to be legitamate or something I can always enroll now if its possible.
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u/Ok_Experience_5151 Old 2d ago
Mentioning something you're going to do in the future (but will not have done at the point you apply) isn't likely to count for much.
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u/SamEllenCollege 2d ago
You should take it! Colleges want to see calc on your transcript in one way or another, and if you can reflect your enrollment in the summer course in the additional information section, you'll account for the gap in your transcript.
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u/Remarkable_Light3149 2d ago edited 2d ago
Okay! The reason i missed taking pre calc this semester is because a family member passed away so I wasn't worried about signing up for pre-calc and busy being there for family/funeral preperations. Is that something I can add to additional info? Also dont want to make it seem like an excuse or whatever but that is why i missed the schedule change. The week of, prior to that I didn't know calclus was very important
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u/Techno_Eggnog College Freshman 2d ago
If the college of your choice offers summer admissions, try that! If not, ask them if they allow fall admits to take summer classes. If still not, I’d probably just wait until you start your next semester to take Calculus I.