Why Math Is So Important And What Your Progression Needs to Look Like to Be College Ready

While students should take courses in all core subjects, including math, English, science, social studies, and language but more attention needs to be paid to math and a student’s progression through it to determine college readiness.

Colleges review all parts of the transcript, but math is the one subject where sequence, not just the grade, tells the story. 

Why Colleges Care So Much About Math

Because math is a proxy for readiness. It tells them:

• whether you can handle abstract thinking,

• whether you have built sequential mastery (not just cramming),

• whether you will survive the quantitative demand of college.

  
  

Most students don’t realize this until junior year, when it is often too late to fix a weak math foundation.

The Real Math Progression Colleges Expect

Here is the minimum progression that signals college readiness at different tiers of admissions:

College Level	Expected Math Progression by Graduation
Nonselective / Open Admissions	Algebra I → Geometry → Algebra II
Moderately Selective (most state flagships, mid-tier privates)	Algebra I → Geometry → Algebra II → Precalculus
Selective / Highly Selective	Algebra I (8th grade ideally) → Geometry → Algebra II → Precalculus → Calculus (AB or BC)
Most Competitive (MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Duke, etc.)	Geometry/Algebra II by 8th/9th → Precalc in 9/10 → AP Calc BC (or DE Calc) by 11 → Multivariable or Linear Algebra by 12

Translation: If you want to keep every door open, especially at competitive schools, Calculus isn’t an optional “extra.” It is a baseline.

What Colleges Read Between the Lines:

If they see…	They assume…
You stopped at Algebra II	You avoided rigor
You took a lighter senior-year math	You plateaued rather than challenged yourself
You accelerated early to reach Calculus	You’re built for college-level thinking
You continued beyond Calc	You seek depth, not just checking boxes

If you’re behind because of the courses your high school offers or you had a slow start, it’s not fatal, but you must show an upward trajectory.

If you realize your progression is weak, here are credible fixes:

• Take summer geometry (if your school or dual enrollment allows it)

• Take Precalc before senior year, so you can fit Calc senior year

• Do NOT replace calculus with AP Stats if you haven’t taken Calc. AP Stats is helpful for college, but not at the expense of calculus.