Math Pathways

Answer: The choice of pathway should be based on the career goals, college ambitions, and interests of each individual student.

Career Goals: If a student is interested in pursuing a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), pre-med, economics, business, they should follow the Calculus Pathway. If a student is interested in a career in world language, English, pre-law, psychology, or nursing, they should follow the Data Science Pathway. If they are not sure about their career goals, we suggest they follow the Calculus Pathway.

College Ambitions: Colleges vary in their admissions requirements for high school math classes, so it is important to research. It is also possible different majors will have specific requirements. Students are advised to check admission requirements for colleges/majors on the postsecondary institution’s website or by calling the admissions office. **Many colleges require one year of math past Algebra 2 (AP Statistics, Prob/Stats, or Precalculus), but other schools will want students to take Precalculus in high school.

Interests: If a student enjoys the abstract thinking involved in an algebra class, and if they find themselves interested in the why and how algebra works, they should follow the Calculus Pathways. For a student that would prefer to learn more real-life applications of math and data, they should follow the Data Science Pathway. *If they are interested in eventually taking AP Physics, they should follow the Calculus Pathway.

For additional information, watch our informational video or view/download the presentation PDF.

You can also view the following videos on YouTube. The LRHSD did not produce these videos, but they provide an idea of what to expect in each pathway.

Calculus Video on YouTube

Data Science Video on YouTube

Answer: Colleges have different requirements for admission, and even some majors within a college will have different requirements for admission. It is important to research what math courses to select in high school for the best chance of being accepted to a particular college. It is suggested to reach out to the admissions office or visit their website to find the requirements.

Below are links to some local college admissions websites:

Rowan University

The College of New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Penn State University

Stockton University

Montclair University

Monmouth University

University of Maryland

Drexel University

University of Delaware

Answer: Although you may have been taught to believe the Calculus Pathway is the “harder” pathway, we need students to understand that both pathways are equally rigorous. Both pathways contain honors level courses which lead to multiple AP level courses. Colleges and universities are also now recognizing the academic rigor of classes beyond Calculus- including Statistics and Computer Science. For example, Harvard states on their website:

“**Applicants to Harvard should excel in a challenging high school math sequence corresponding to their educational interests and aspirations. We recommend that applicants take four years of math courses in high school. Ideally, these math courses will focus on conceptual understanding, promote higher-order thinking, and encourage students to use mathematical reasoning to critically examine the world. Examples include rigorous and relevant courses in computer science, statistics and its subfields, mathematical modeling, calculus, and other advanced math subjects. Students’ math records are viewed holistically, and no specific course is required. Specifically, calculus is not a requirement for admission to Harvard.” 

The choice of pathway should be based on the interests, career goals, and college ambitions of each individual student. See the question above for more information on interests/career goals/college ambitions.

If you need more help making the decision, please speak with your counselor.

Answer: Yes, you can! You can also double-up with Precalculus since you took the prerequisite course, Algebra 2 Functions.

Answer: First, we suggest you review math admissions requirements for colleges/majors you may be interested in. If this does not help you make the decision, we suggest the Calculus Pathway.

Answer: We suggest you choose the Data Science Pathway. Although the Data Science Pathway is just as rigorous as the Calculus Pathway, the Data Science Pathway teaches you practical applications of mathematics that you may be able to apply to your career after high school.

Answer: Yes! AP Statistics or Probability and Statistics can be taken anytime after a student completes the prerequisite of Algebra 2 Functions OR Algebra 2 Data Science.

Answer: Yes, Computer Programming can be taken at the same time as another math course. In fact, you can take Computer Programming 1 or AP Computer Science Principles at any time after you have completed the prerequisite of Algebra 1.

Answer: Yes. If you are interested in taking AP Physics in high school, you should follow the Calculus Pathway. In order to take AP Physics 1, you must have completed or be enrolled in Pre-Calculus. In order to take AP Physics C (second year), you must have completed or currently be taking Calculus.

Answer: Sure! Here are some quick videos that explain what you may expect to learn in the Data Science Pathway or the Calculus Pathway. Please note, these are not our videos, but they give a good explanation of the course content, and will hopefully help you make your decision.

Data Science video on YouTube

Calculus video on YouTube