<p>I've taken honors math since 3rd grade, and I've always excelled in it; I got 36 on the ACT math on my first try, and got 770 on SAT math. I've always gotten As or A+s in honors math classes, and yet I'm terrified to take AP Calc BC next year.</p>
<p>Next year I really want to focus on Track, as I've been a varsity track athlete for 4 years and I'm one of the best in the state. I going to try to get the school record and win at state next year. On top of that, I'm planning on taking AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, and AP Chinese next year, and I just think that AP Calc BC on top of that would drain every second of time away from track practice. In addition, I'm the president of NHS, and that takes a good 15 hours a week to keep up with.</p>
<p>In short, I hear that AP Calc BC takes a good 2 hours a day in order to study and complete homework. Is that true??? If so, do you think that AP Calc AB is a better fit for me? Or do you think colleges would see the drop and assume that I "opted out" for the easier class?</p>
<p>Background info: I'm an Illinois Junior, and I'm looking to apply to UCSD, UCSB, or UWashington - Seattle. </p>
<p>Thank you so much!! :D</p>
<p>You sound better at math than me, and I have a 90% in BC Calc. As for whether or not it takes two hours per night to complete, that probably varies based on the school and the teacher. Sorry I can’t give you more concrete answers, but you should just ask around to get for information. I can tell you this: it only takes me 45 minutes per night on average. I think you’ll do fine.</p>
<p>Chance me?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1634240-chance-me-for-for-uva-georgia-tech-and-some-reaches-will-chance-back.html?new=1”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1634240-chance-me-for-for-uva-georgia-tech-and-some-reaches-will-chance-back.html?new=1</a></p>
<p>Ok, thanks for the help!</p>
<p>Definitely take AP Calculus BC. Firstly, it is an exceedingly easy course. It is not at all rigorous (it my my opinion that the AP curriculum is a waste of time) and you should be able to complete it with high marks and your extracurricular activities just fine (given you put in some, but very little, effort - the reason most people find AP difficult is because they are lazy, not because the course is difficult). It most definitely does not take 2 hours a day, unless you never attend class and have not opened the textbook. Generally you should be able to complete it in usually a maximum of 30 minutes each day. </p>
<p>@wannabefeynman</p>
<p>What’s the difference between AP Calc AB and AP Calc BC?</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard from friends taking the class the homework load all depends on what unit you are on. For them they feel like the homework can take as short as 15-30 minutes depending on if they understand it to an hour and a half to two hours if they don’t.</p>
<p>@Kawaiiii
They cover different curriculum. The former doesn’t cover single-variable calculus with too much depth and very little rigour. AP Calclus AB is traditionally taken after precalculus and is the first calculus course offered at most schools. AP Calculus BC includes all of the topics covered in AP Calculus AB, as well as convergence tests for series, Taylor and Maclaurin series, the use of parametric equations, polar functions, including arc length in polar coordinates, calculating curve length in parametric and function equations, L’Hôpital’s rule, integration by parts, improper integrals, Euler’s method, differential equations for logistic growth, and using partial fractions to integrate rational functions. Apparently, AP Calculus BC is intended for students with a bit greater mathematical ability (generally those who wish to pursue mathematics/science/engineering at university). </p>
<p>My HS only offered AP Calc AB, and all the schools I got accepted to did not seem to mind that (MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, and a few others).</p>
<p>I don’t think is it bad to do Calc AB, so long as it is the most challenging one available to you. But, If you can do BC, I would suggest doing that one.</p>
<p>Universities, especially the more selective ones such as MIT, do differentiate between a student who has taken the AB version or the BC. There is a significant difference in the material which is covered which universities consider. That being said, it won’t make too significant of a difference. </p>
<p>@nakoruru
The original poster said that his school offers the BC version, so AB is not the most challenging course available to him/her. </p>
<p>My point was not that there is no difference between AB and BC. Of course there is a difference.
My point was that, so long as you take the most challenging one that is available to you, even if AB is all you have access to, I don’t see it as a disadvantage.</p>
<p>@nakoruru
The original poster said that his school offers the BC version, so AB is not the most challenging course available to him/her. The original poster is asking whether he/she should take AB or BC, which is an implication that both are available at his/her school. </p>
<p>@wannabefeynman </p>
<p>is it ok if I just take AP Calc AB in 11th and AP Calc BC in 12th? Or take BC in 11th since it covers all of AB? </p>
<p>@kawaiiii
I would advise you take AP Calculus BC in grade 11. If you take the AB version and then the BC version, a large part of the BC course will be review (AP Calculus BC includes all of the topics covered in AP Calculus AB, as well as convergence tests for series, Taylor and Maclaurin series, the use of parametric equations, polar functions, including arc length in polar coordinates, calculating curve length in parametric and function equations, L’Hôpital’s rule, integration by parts, improper integrals, Euler’s method, differential equations for logistic growth, and using partial fractions to integrate rational functions). As you can see, the topics included are not a lot so the course will be boring for you (most of it anyway). And contrary to popular belief, AP Calculus BC (and AP courses in general) is not very difficult. As I said above, the only people who find it difficult are the ones who are uninterested in the subject or just slothful (or both), usually. </p>
<p>@outwest88 Current students at your school should be able to give you a better gauge as to the workload at your school. 2 hours sounds out of control; I averaged about 45 minutes a day. With your ACT and SAT subject scores I don’t think it would be too much to do. But if there really is 2 hours of hw, I would steer clear. I doubt that the schools you’re thinking of applying to will care if you take AB or BC. If you were applying to UCB or CalTech, that might be different.</p>
<p>@kawaiiii It depends on how your school structures the classes. Some schools require AB before BC and in Calc BC will spend a little time reviewing the AB concepts before delving into the BC concepts. Other schools in Calc BC spend approximately equal amounts of time on the AB and BC concepts.and do not have Calc AB as a prereq. Check with your math dept. The other thing to consider is, if you take BC as a junior, what are your math options senior year?</p>
<p>@nakoruru
What’d you score on your SAT?</p>
<p>@skieurope</p>
<p>After BC, I would be able to take Multivariable Calc., then after Multivariable is Differential Equations </p>
<p>The prerequisite for Multivariable is listed as “AP Calc BC or AB”, prerequisite for D.E. is Multivariable </p>
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<p>I would go with that option then.</p>
<p>@Kawaiiii
I immensely advise you against doing that. Take AP Calclus BC, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations etc but definitely take some time and go through those beautiful subjects in a more proper way, through a book such as Spivak or Apostle. </p>
<p>Alright - in terms of AB vs. BC, course wise? AB is one college semester, BC is two. Which means that depending on the school, if you take AB, you’ll only have credits for one semester. At our school, the BC teacher is impossibly difficult (I’m not kidding - kids CELEBRATE when they get higher than a 0% on his quizzes). I have a B in precalculus honors and am quite content with taking AB - I’d rather not flunk out of math my senior year. So really, it depends on the teachers at your school and how they run the class. From where I sit, it seems like you might as well do BC - math seems to come easily to you.</p>
<p>@skieurope @wannabefeynman </p>
<p>Haha, alright thanks! I will probably take BC in 11th grade, but I think I’ll try and self-study to maybe get ahead by a little bit. I will look at Spivak and Apostle. </p>
<p>Thank you again guys :****)</p>