Like what class I want to take?

No, like where you can actually go and get money and admission and transportation worked out.

With Los Angeles traffic and lack of good public transportation, I don't think this is so simple.

Ya...

I mean

I think my parents are willing to help with the transportation

And I just don't know what course to do after linear algebra

I feel like posting a question on math.SE but I think it would get taken down

Abstract algebra. Differential geometry. Most schools would require an Intro to Higher Math course (which I know you don't need).

Hmm.

I was going to recommend that you get Pedoe's "Geometry: A Comprehensive Course" and learn some sophisticated classical geometry (projective geometry, hyperbolic geometry).

But I'm saying that abstract algebra would likely not just transfer to Harvard or MIT. So why waste the effort?

Ya

Good point

That's sort of what I've been trying to say all along.

Even with multivariable calc you've deprived yourself of an opportunity to take a really good course somewhere else.

Ya. I mean should I consult a professor at either harvard or MIT?

I'm not sure you'll get any response, frankly. But you could contact the undergraduate office at either place and ask how they proceed to award credit or exemption. You might get an answer. ... In the case of my former student, I had a connection, since I had been a postdoc at MIT and they knew me and I could specifically compare what he learned in my courses to the content of the particular MIT courses.

Man I guess that wouldn't work for me....

I'm just warning you that you should get over the idea that all college courses are the same. That's soooo not true.

Ya i do recognize that

I don't think it's worthwhile to take any old college course just to say it's "college." Many college calculus courses are horrible, for example.

So what are you saying I should do?

I think it requires some serious thought, and I'm not an oracle. But given your intense interest in math, I would recommend saving serious math for a good university and your college experience unless you can do something really very good. ... Did you consider graduating from high school a year early?

I haven't considered that

We should have had this conversation earlier. I mean, if you have satisfied your high school graduation requirements... And if not, what do they need you to do next year? ... But now you've missed the college application cycle for the fall, so it's sort of too late ...

But I doubt I would make the cut for college apps. I don't have enough ap's and nothing to truly make myself stand out

Yes, AP exams (assuming your school offers AP courses) are far more important than college math courses. We should have had this serious conversation over a year ago.

:(

I'm not sure why you didn't ask for advice from some of us more knowledgeable people. I feel bad saying these things now, but you can't just sit by and ignore reality.

I wanted the thing that would allow me to prove myself be mathematical research

That matters for grad school admission to some extent, but not so much for college unless you have the standard things to make you be competitive. You can't ignore those.

Ya.... I was kinda just thinking I would keep in taking higher mathematics courses until a professor would want to just ask the dean to admit me as an actual undergraduate

I am worried more for grad school than anything

Worrying doesn't do anything helpful :)

But reality hurts

Professors don't normally do that sort of thing, and you want to be in a good university, not at a local college. I think you need to get some real advice and get focused ...

Who knew being more advanced than anyone in my high school could cause me more problems

How do I get real advice and get focused?

That's not so extraordinary a situation.

You need to talk to your counselor at high school and try to talk to some admissions counselors at a few universities and see what they say you should do to get in. But SAT scores and AP scores do matter. Then a letter from a college math course can make some difference, but it won't do everything for you unless you've taken something really exceptional and get an exceptional letter.

Well what course is considered exceptional?

Topology?

Category theory?

Homology theory?

Remember. It's not mathematicians looking at your application. It's admissions counselors.

Ya..........

I have written for high school kids who took my Spivak Calc Theory class or even my Multivariable Math class. These are not just a standard college calculus class, but I could compare them to the best college freshmen at The University of Georgia. That probably made some sense to an admissions reader.

How many AP courses/exams have you taken?

2

3*

Chemistry

I assume your school offers a dozen of em?

Calc BC

And World history

Ya

I am taking 3 this year

Oh, good!

And redoing my BC test to get a 5

I got a 4 :(

So, then 6 is a reasonable number for someone like you. You had me panicking for nothing. ... A 5 on the BC only means 60% or better. I hate that exam.

Ya.....

But it is just that I want math math math

Lol

You're going to have to do lots of non-math in college. This isn't Europe.

You can't be a graduate student in college.

?

Graduate students in math do nothing but math. But college students don't get to do that.

And I approve of a well-rounded college education.

Well, keep me posted. I need to get going right now. Have to play duplicate bridge tonight.

Alright. So what should I be doing now?

Other than go about my daily school day?

I think you should actually try to get info from colleges you would hope to go to. And some at a slightly lower level (like UCLA) about what they would want from you. You can probably find a lot of this on-line.

And then there's a question of what math the math department would actually consider worthwhile. That's separate from admissions.

Most math departments at good places will make you take their courses.

(Once you're past calculus.)

Ok I will keep you posted. Thanks for the current advice.

Sorry I have to inject a little bit of reality. But I'll try to be helpful when I can. :)

Talk soon!