Hi Everyone,
Do colleges have preference over BC than AB during the application process. I personally feel more comfortable with the topics of AB Calc as I have been studying them for the past few weeks, however, BC is a whole different game. Would it be better to show my skill in AB Calc through AP exams or try to get a okay score in the BC exam?
Also, does it matter WHEN you take math courses in your high school year? I will be taking AP Calc AB sophomore year, so I am wondering if that shows colleges the math ability I am capable of?
Also, I have the oppurtunity to take AP Latin sophomore year, but personally I dislike Latin and do not enjoy studying it at all. I do feel I know the topics well, but I am thinking I should rather finish my last language requirement by taking a different latin course (Latin literature, latin history etc.) Should i take ap latin, along with ap calc or no?
Keep in mind I am also applying and hopefully taking the ap computer science course as well.
Your AP scores don’t matter too much on your application. Colleges don’t have a preference to AB or BC. Your math progression only shows how prominent you are in a subject - if you’re taking a college math course sophomore year, it shows that you are skilled in math, but it doesn’t matter if you take AB this year and BC junior or BC sophomore year.
If you feel that you won’t be successful in the BC class (not the exam) then take AB. As long as you do good in the class, it won’t matter what AP score you get. Don’t take BC and skip AB because you feel as if it will look impressive to colleges - it won’t.
If you don’t enjoy Latin then don’t take the course. Keep in mind that selective colleges require or recommend 2-4 years of a foreign language, so if you don’t have at least two years, you should take another foreign language class.
Colleges give no bonus points for an accelerated math path. And while colleges have no preference for AB vs. BC, your post begs the question: if you take Calc AB as a sophomore, what will you take as a junior/senior?
When colleges say they request/require 2-4 years of a foreign language, there is no expectation that the ultimate class needs to be AP. If you want to take a non-AP Latin course, do so. Keep in mind that colleges want you to challenge yourself with the curriculum. While it is not expected that you have to take the most challenging course in every subject, if you plan to take a less challenging course in one area, you should ensure that your overall schedule is still challenging enough.