<p>Okay, so I've already signed up for Calculus BC because I want to take the hardest math class possible since colleges prefer that you do. However, does it matter that much to colleges if I drop down to AB instead? Although I got an A in pre-calc, I have many reasons why I'm considering taking AB vs. BC:
*The AB teacher is a good teacher.
*The BC teacher is HORRIBLE (from what I've heard from her pre-calc class), not to mention it will only be her 2nd year teaching at my school and this fall it will be her 1st year teaching AP Calc BC (I'm not sure whether she's taught the class before)
*Many people dropped out of the BC teacher's pre-calc class last year.
*I HATE math, but I want to take AP so that I don't have to take math in college.
*My summer Calc BC assignment isn't going too hot...</p>
<p>So, should I drop down to AB? Will it really matter to colleges like...UChicago?</p>
<p>Chicago cares most about you as a person and your creativity and intellect. Taking BC over AB will not impress them as much as writing killer essays or acing your interview. And acing BC will not make up for mediocre essays or a boring interview.</p>
<p>So yes, drop to AB. You already hate math; don't hate yourself for taking more of it.</p>
<p>My high school didn't offer Calculus BC - AB was the most advanced math class available. In the College of Engineering at UIUC, credit for the equivalent of Calculus AB was a PREREQ for enrolling in the equivalent of Calculus BC. What makes you think it's a good idea to jump from Pre-Calculus to Calculus BC?</p>
<p>Definitely drop to AB--BC isn't much more material anyway, plus if the teacher isn't a good one, you might be stuck learning less. Plus you don't like math, so why would you take BC? It hardly looks different on an application...like theoneo said, there are way more important things that can help you if you're worried about admissions.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I'm going to drop to AB now. I feel a lot better about my senior year now.</p>
<p>"What makes you think it's a good idea to jump from Pre-Calculus to Calculus BC?"</p>
<p>At my school, it's AB is not a pre-req for BC. In fact, my teacher recommended me for BC and refused to change it when I asked her too (otherwise, I would have to get a parent waiver to do so). Many people at my school took BC right after pre-calc...that is until the good BC teacher retired this year (so not cool for me..:().</p>
<p>I'm not sure thats the best idea, just for my two cents, I think you should take the class AB, study the extra BC material (it isn't much) and if you feel confident enough, go ahead and take the BC test. Calc isn't that bad compared to some of the other AP tests.</p>
<p>***!!! Are you high? Take BC, it is not much more work. Same difficulty in my opinion, just a tad more work. Just take the class and expose the teacher's shameful lack of skill. I plan on doing that this year for ap lit. AP lit is supposedly the hardest class in my school. Last year I avoided apush cause of the workload, but I am not doing again this time. To heck with the workload. Just take teh class and pown the teacher adn prove you are #1.</p>
<p>I think you're making the right decision with AB, that's what I'm doing next year. If the teacher was good for BC, I'd say go ahead and challenge yourself, but if you can have a good AB teacher, chances are you'll like the class better, even if you don't like math...and you're obviously still good at it. Colleges are still going to see you were taking more than you had to with the AP at all, give yourself a little bit of a break.</p>
<p>good choice w/AB. i jumped from math III (aka math b...) to calc, even though there was a reccommended pre-calc class in between the two. it was definitely one of the DUMBEST decisions i've ever made, plus it brought down my rank about 4 spots (which hurts when you're in the top 5!) so if you hate math as much as you say, definitely stay in math ab....your grades and your social life will thank you lol</p>