In looking around at math programs at other well-regarded institutions in the area, most seem to have the calculus sequences as the "expected" coursework for beginning majors during their first year. Not sure why several people have insisted that this is "not good enough" for someone intending to major in mathematics.
Many of these same institutions will NOT permit AP coursework to be used in earning credits
for the major. They are used for placement only.
UW Math undergraduate program UW Undergraduate major in Stats (Note-- M124 is beginning calc at UW)
UC Berkeley Math Dept Applied Mathematics major at UC-B Again-- calculus IS the expected start point.
This was very clearly stated to my daughter when she met with the chair of the math department. There was no disappointment that she hadn't taken
calculus (and wouldn't prior to matriculation) only that she was missing the prerequisite course. The mathematician who met her is highly experienced-- was there when
I was a student there, in fact-- and seemed VERY keen on my DD after talking with her.
As noted before, the reason why she is missing that course is that her school basically doesn't offer it. They offer am online textbook and youtube, which we feel is inadequate in the extreme. If anything, this decision met with immediate approval that we have good SENSE about these things, since we're less worried about what's on a transcript and hustling DD into upper-division coursework ASAP than we are what's in DD's brain.
I am sort of shocked that anyone would assume that my 13yo is not up to the task of a major in applied mathematics on the basis of "only" starting as a regular freshman-- in calculus. She's not an autodidact, necessarily, but she
can be when highly motivated. This is a kid that learned pretty much the entire year of honors algebra I in about a week-- and has retained it. She enjoys teaching math, and is a popular math tutor. She may not be "mathy" in terms of thinking about
theory in her free time, but she definitely has the raw material for a math major, which is HER idea, not mine. Her idea because it closes the fewest doors on her multipotentiality
up front.The Honors track wasn't my idea-- that was the department chair's suggestion upon learning that my DD was 13 and a high school junior. The explanation was that this would give her more coursework that would suit her-- in a cross-disciplinary sense. We were thrilled, quite frankly, that this was an individual that immediately recognized DD's multipotentiality and wide interests for what they are.
Sorry if this is sounding a wee bit defensive; I'm feeling a bit like my parenting is being judged here, and I'm not sure why.
