Sage Hill School uses the traditional Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Precalculus sequence rather than the Integrated Math (Integrated Math I, II, III) used in Irvine Unified School District, and grade-level equivalents between the two systems cannot be converted directly. The mathematics department has one key acceleration point: Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry covers the content of both Algebra II and Precalculus in one year, and students who complete it can move directly into AP Calculus. This page organizes the courses into four pathways by starting point and explains how the placement tests work, the requirements at each step, the rules for taking courses early over the summer, and the highest course available.
Four Math Pathways
Standard track (Algebra I in grade 9)
- Grade 9: Algebra I
- Grade 10: Geometry
- Grade 11: Algebra II
- Grade 12: Precalculus or AP Statistics
Geometry start (Algebra I completed in middle school; passed the Algebra I placement test)
- Grade 9: Geometry
- Grade 10: Algebra II; students with an A in both semesters of Geometry who pass the placement test may take Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry instead
- Grade 11: Precalculus or Honors Precalculus; students who completed Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry may go directly to AP Calculus AB or BC
- Grade 12: Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, or, after AP Calculus, Calculus C or Multivariable Calculus
Honors accelerated track (Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry in grade 9)
- Grade 9: Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry (requires passing the Algebra I, Geometry, and supplemental placement tests)
- Grade 10: AP Calculus BC (A- or higher in both semesters and passing placement) or AP Calculus AB (B or higher in both semesters)
- Grade 11: Multivariable Calculus; students coming from AP Calculus AB take Calculus C
- Grade 12: Linear Algebra or Advanced Topics in Mathematics, with AP Statistics as an optional addition
Grade 7 entry (two years of Middle School)
- Grade 7: Pre-Algebra; students who pass the placement test may go directly to Algebra I
- Grade 8: Algebra I or Geometry (in sequence, or with Mathematics Department approval)
- Grade 9: continue from the Middle School sequence; graduates of the school's Middle School do not retake placement
- UC reminder: students must complete one year of geometry with credit at some point in grades 7-12
The pathways differ in their starting points, which are set by the placement tests at entry. The standard pathway reaches Precalculus or AP Statistics in grade 12 without entering calculus; students who start in Geometry can reach Calculus or AP Calculus in grade 12; and only students who start grade 9 in Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry can take AP Calculus in grade 10 and move into Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra in grades 11 and 12. Students who enter in grade 7 complete Pre-Algebra and Algebra I during the two middle school years, or start directly in Algebra I through placement, and do not need another placement test when entering grade 9.
Requirements at Each Step
The table below follows the 2026-27 course catalog course by course. For courses that list a “math department recommendation,” the course teacher and the mathematics department must also approve, in addition to the grade requirement.
| Course | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Geometry (Middle and Upper School) | Completion of Algebra I; new students must pass the Algebra I placement test |
| Algebra II (Middle and Upper School) | Completion of Algebra I and Geometry; new students must pass the Algebra I and Geometry placement tests |
| Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry (Upper School) | Mathematics Department recommendation, an A in both semesters of Geometry, and passing the Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry placement; new students must pass the Algebra I, Geometry, and supplemental placement tests |
| Precalculus (Upper School) | Completion of Algebra II |
| Honors Precalculus (Upper School) | Mathematics Department recommendation, an A in both semesters of Algebra II, and passing placement; or completion of Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry |
| Calculus (Upper School) | B or higher in both semesters of Precalculus |
| AP Calculus AB | Mathematics Department recommendation; from Precalculus, an A in both semesters and passing the AP Calculus AB placement; from Honors Precalculus or Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry, a B in both semesters with no additional test |
| AP Calculus BC | Mathematics Department recommendation; A- or higher in both semesters of Honors Precalculus or Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry, and passing placement; students who have taken AP Calculus AB may not enroll |
| Calculus C | Mathematics Department recommendation; a B in both semesters of AP Calculus AB. The course covers the second half of the BC content, and students may take the AP Calculus BC exam |
| Multivariable Calculus (Post-AP) | Mathematics Department recommendation; A- or higher in both semesters of AP Calculus AB, or B or higher in both semesters of AP Calculus BC; students who have taken Calculus C may not enroll |
| Linear Algebra | Mathematics Department recommendation; B+ or higher in both semesters of Calculus or a higher course |
| Advanced Topics in Mathematics (Post-AP) | Mathematics Department recommendation; A- or higher in both semesters of Multivariable Calculus or Linear Algebra |
| AP Statistics | Open only to grades 11 and 12; completion of Algebra II or higher |
| AP Computer Science (Java) | Mathematics Department recommendation; completion of Algebra II or Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry, with an A in both semesters of the most recent non-honors math course or a B in both semesters of an honors or AP math course |
The requirements follow three patterns. First, Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry leads in two directions: Honors Precalculus, or directly to AP Calculus AB or BC. Second, moving from a regular course to honors requires an A in both semesters plus placement, while moving between honors courses requires only a B or an A-. Third, the school does not allow lateral repetition: students who have taken AP Calculus AB may not take AP Calculus BC and may only continue to Calculus C, and students who have taken Calculus C may not take Multivariable Calculus.
The school does not allow students to leave the calculus sequence for another math elective and return to calculus the following year; lateral moves between courses with overlapping content are also not allowed, for example, students who complete Calculus C may not take Multivariable Calculus, and students who complete AP Calculus AB may not take AP Calculus BC. AP Computer Science, Advanced Topics in Computer Science, and Honors Money Management count as math electives, and the school recommends taking a core math course alongside them.
Summer Acceleration and Outside Courses
Summer at Sage credit courses cover a full year of content in five weeks, limited to one course per student each summer. In 2026 the session ran June 22 to July 24; math offerings were Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Precalculus at $2,800 each, plus Sage Connected online Geometry at $2,800. New students enrolling in summer Geometry or Algebra II must first pass the corresponding April placement test. Summer course grades count in the GPA and are recorded as full-year courses; more than two absences forfeit the credit; students may drop without a record before June 30.
The rules for outside courses are stricter. To use an outside course for advancement, students must obtain written approval from the department chair in advance, and only courses the school also offers qualify; students may need to take a proficiency test upon return. Approved outside courses do not count toward the school's graduation requirements, do not appear on the school transcript, and are not included in the GPA, but the outside transcript is sent to colleges together with the school transcript. Math has an additional rule: except for Geometry, math courses taken elsewhere are not accepted as the basis for advancement at the school. For this reason, students who want to move ahead one year usually take the school’s summer courses: Geometry or Algebra II in the summer before entry, provided they have already tested out of the preceding course on the April placement test. Summer course grades count in the GPA as full-year courses and appear on the transcript as a full year of coursework.
The Highest Course Available
At Sage Hill School, the math sequence ends beyond AP. The school lists 3 Post-AP courses, two of which are in mathematics: Multivariable Calculus and Advanced Topics in Mathematics; Linear Algebra and Calculus C do not carry the Post-AP label, but both also follow AP Calculus. Based on the requirements, a student who takes Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry in grade 9 and AP Calculus BC in grade 10 can take Multivariable Calculus in grade 11 and Linear Algebra or Advanced Topics in Mathematics in grade 12. The school course catalog lists no dual-enrollment math courses with a community college and no AP Precalculus.
Computer science courses belong to the mathematics department: AP Computer Science (AP Computer Science A on the UC list) is taught in Java and requires completion of Algebra II or Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry; the follow-on course, Advanced Topics in Computer Science, uses C# for simulation, graphics, and game development. These two courses and Honors Money Management all count as math electives, and the school recommends taking a core math course alongside them because some colleges do not treat them as traditional math courses. Under UC classification, all three belong to area c mathematics, and all three are UC-approved honors courses.
Math Course List
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation; from Precalculus, an A in both semesters and passing placement; from Honors Precalculus or Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry, a B in both semesters with no additional testUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: AP Calculus AB | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation; A- or higher in both semesters of Honors Precalculus or Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry, and passing placementUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; weighted at the school; students who have taken AP Calculus AB may not enroll; transcript title on the UC list: AP Calculus BC | c |
| AP Computer Science A | AP | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation; completion of Algebra II or Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry, with an A in both semesters of the most recent non-honors math course or a B in both semesters of an honors or AP math courseUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; weighted at the school; school catalog title: AP Computer Science (Java); counts as a math elective, and the school recommends taking a core math course alongside it; transcript title on the UC list: AP Computer Science, AP Java, AP Java A | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 11-12 | Completion of Algebra II or higherUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; weighted at the school; year-long research project in APA format; transcript title on the UC list: AP Statistics | c |
| Advanced Topics in Mathematics | Honors | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation; A- or higher in both semesters of Multivariable Calculus or Linear AlgebraUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; Post-AP course: introduction to proofs, set theory, number theory, and group theory; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Advanced Topics in Mathematics, Topics in Advanced Mathematics | c |
| Calculus C | Honors | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation; a B in both semesters of AP Calculus ABUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; follows AP Calculus AB and covers the second half of the BC content; students may take the AP Calculus BC exam; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Calculus C | c |
| Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry | Honors | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation, an A in both semesters of Geometry, and passing the Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry placement; new students must pass the Algebra I, Geometry, and 30-minute supplemental placement testsSchool-designated honors course, not weighted in the UC GPA; covers Algebra II and Precalculus content in one year; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Accelerated Algebra II, Accelerated Algebra II and Trigonometry | c |
| Honors Precalculus | Honors | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation, an A in both semesters of Algebra II, and passing the Honors Precalculus placement; or completion of Honors Algebra II and TrigonometryUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Accelerated Precalculus | c |
| Linear Algebra | Honors | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation; B+ or higher in both semesters of Calculus or a higher courseUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Linear Algebra | c |
| Multivariable Calculus | Honors | 9-12 | Mathematics Department recommendation; A- or higher in both semesters of AP Calculus AB, or B or higher in both semesters of AP Calculus BCUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; Post-AP course; students who have taken Calculus C may not enroll; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Multivariable Calculus | c |
| Advanced Topics in Computer Science | Honors | 9-12 | Completion of AP Computer Science or passing placementUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; Post-AP course (C# and game development); counts as a math elective; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Advanced Topics in Computer Science | g |
| Honors Money Management | Honors | 9-12 | Completion of Algebra IIUC-approved honors course, weighted for UC admission; Sage Center Designated Course (SCD); counts as a math elective; weighted at the school; transcript title on the UC list: Honors Money Management | g |
| Algebra I | CP | Middle and upper school | None; new grade 9 students starting in Algebra I do not take a placement testTranscript title on the UC list: Algebra I | c |
| Algebra II | CP | Middle and upper school | Completion of Algebra I and Geometry; new students must pass the Algebra I and Geometry placement testsTranscript title on the UC list: Algebra II | c |
| Calculus | CP | 9-12 | B or higher in both semesters of PrecalculusTranscript title on the UC list: Business Calculus, Calculus | c |
| Geometry | CP | Middle and upper school | Completion of Algebra I; new students must pass the Algebra I placement testUC requires one year of geometry in grades 7-12; a Sage Connected online version is also offered in summer; online version noted on the UC list; transcript title on the UC list: Geometry, Geometry (Sage Connected) | c |
| Precalculus | CP | 9-12 | Completion of Algebra IITranscript title on the UC list: Pre-Calculus | c |
| Pre-Algebra | CP | 7 | None; students who pass the Middle School placement test may go directly to Algebra IMiddle School course; not on the UC A-G course list | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Irvine families often ask: how does Sage Hill School decide math placement, and does it use ISEE scores?
It does not use ISEE scores. At Sage Hill School, the math starting point for new students is set by the school's own placement tests. Students starting grade 9 in Algebra I take no test; to start in a higher course, students must test out of each earlier course in turn: starting in Geometry requires passing the Algebra I placement test, starting in Algebra II requires passing the Algebra I and Geometry placement tests, and starting in Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry additionally requires a 30-minute supplemental test. Each placement test lasts 60 minutes, calculators are not allowed, and results are announced about a week later. In 2026, the upper school placement test was held on April 25, with a makeup date of May 9.
After finishing grade 8 math at an Irvine middle school, can a student take Geometry directly in grade 9 at Sage Hill School?
The student must first pass the Algebra I placement test. Sage Hill School uses the traditional Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II sequence, and the school states that middle school courses and standards vary widely, so it places students by test; Integrated Math courses in Irvine Unified School District middle schools do not map directly either. The school math placement page notes that the tests cover middle school content and advises students not to study beyond their middle school courses for the test. In addition, UC requires one year of geometry with credit earned in grades 7 through 12, so students who skip Geometry through placement should pay close attention to this requirement.
Irvine families want to know: what is the highest math course available at Sage Hill School?
Sage Hill School offers Post-AP courses beyond AP Calculus. Students who complete AP Calculus BC with a B or higher in both semesters, or AP Calculus AB with an A- or higher in both semesters, may take Multivariable Calculus; a B+ or higher in both semesters of calculus or a higher course qualifies a student for Linear Algebra; and an A- or higher in both semesters of Multivariable Calculus or Linear Algebra qualifies a student for Advanced Topics in Mathematics, which introduces proofs, set theory, number theory, and group theory. All of these are UC-approved honors courses.
Can students take math courses early over the summer at Sage Hill School, and what should Irvine families know?
Yes. Summer at Sage credit courses cover a full year of content in five weeks, and each student may take one course per summer. In 2026 the session ran from June 22 to July 24, and the math offerings were Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Precalculus at $2,800 each, with an online version of Geometry also available. Summer course grades count in the GPA as full-year courses, and students with more than two absences lose credit. New students who want to take Geometry or Algebra II over the summer must first pass the corresponding placement test in April.
Does Sage Hill School accept math courses that Irvine students take outside school?
Generally not. The Sage Hill School course catalog states that outside math courses other than Geometry are not used for advancement at the school. The school handbook further requires prior written approval from the department chair for any outside course used for advancement, and outside courses do not appear on the school transcript or count in the GPA. Students who want to take math early should enroll in the school's Summer at Sage credit courses.
Irvine families ask: are Sage Hill School honors math courses weighted by UC?
Most are. According to the UC A-G list for 2026-27, Honors Precalculus, Calculus C, Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, Advanced Topics in Mathematics, Honors Money Management, AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science A, and Advanced Topics in Computer Science at Sage Hill School are all UC-approved honors courses. Only Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry is weighted at school but counts as a regular course in UC applications.
