<p>I am going to be a high school senior this year and I will be taking Honors Pre-calculus. But, I thought that perhaps I could improve my transcript by taking community college calculus this summer prior to taking Pre-Calc.
However, I have already missed a week of college level calculus and therefore I will most likely struggle this summer in this course. If I were to get a B, I feel like that would weaken my transcript even further, even though the course is not for high school credit as well. </p>
<p>Let's be honest, this is calculus, and I do not find it particularly fun (as an incoming political science major). So, "To take or not to take?" That is the question.
I want to be outstanding, but I do not want to rush into calculus if I may not be ready. </p>
<p>A Brown student told me that many students there have no experience in Calculus as freshman, since they were accepted for their strong interests in other areas. Is this true for Harvard as well?</p>
<p>How many students do you know that have not taken calculus prior to coming to college?</p>
<p>And also, would it be better for me to have a B (or god forbid, a C) in college level calc or no calc at all, and instead, an A in honors Pre-Calc and a strong SAT Math Level 2 score?</p>
<p>It doesn’t make sense to take Calculus and then take Pre-Calculus. You will most likely get really confused. It makes sense to take honors Pre-Calc and get Strong SAT Math Level 2 score, besides Pre-Calculus is good preparation for Math level 2</p>
<p>Well, look at the results thread for any of the ivies. I have and have not seen anyone who applied without taking Ap Calculus sometime during their high school career.</p>
<p>I further do not know anyone who has gotten into a top tier school, or a second tier school without taking Ap Calculus.</p>
<p>I think I am going to drop the course. Because failing it would not help me much in the college app process. Also, while I understand your point DannyNobel, after asking the same question to a harvard student and a Brown student, I believe that it is less important to rush into advanced level math courses and more important to focus on excelling in an area you are more comfortable in (or will be majoring in). I have decided to instead do an internship with a local government official this summer.</p>
<p>I hope this is a good choice. If anyone has an opinion on that, let me know. :)</p>
<p>Also, in all honesty, I just do not think I am ready to take the class. I want to know what I am doing in the course, and if I take it now, I am not sure that I would. Instead, if I can afford it, I am going to try and take a history or political science course online next semester. Harvard will not see my grades from that, but I am assuming they will ask for the classes that I am currently taking on my application.</p>
<p>^^^ Not necessarily true. I didn’t take AP Calc and was accepted to five Ivies, including HYP. My best friend didn’t even take pre-calc and is going to Stanford (she hates math). Do what you’re passionate about because of your passion, not for the college.</p>
<p>Thank you physicsnut1. I hope that is true because it is really nice to hear. Where are you going to school now? Are there a lot of other people in that situation?</p>
<p>I’ll be a freshman at Harvard in the fall, so I don’t know if many others are like me… sorry. But really, do what you * want * to do. Best of luck</p>