AP Calc BC in schedule or not? HELP!

<p>Here's the thing: I'm an international applicant living abroad in the United States.</p>

<p>My dad's a doctorate student in Math and this summer, I took Calc 1 and 2 at his state university {free, w/o credit}, which basically covered differential and integral calculus and the integration of series and etc. I understood everything but I'm not sure if I want to take BC. </p>

<p>School's about to start soon and Calc BC is reserved for seniors at our school. I don't know any seniors and I skipped 8th and will be (technically) a sophomore so they'll be 2 years older than me and more hostile. On top of that, this is my "junior year" when I'll have to take my SATs, SAT IIs and APs in Us History, Stat, English, Phys, Chem. I really don't know if I want to actually "study hard" for my AP Exam in BC too. But on the other hand, I really don't want to give up another addition to my GPA (weighted) by not choosing to take AB. AP Classes are 4.032 or something at our school and I don't want to sacrifice the AP credit and a possible valedictory spot by simply skipping AB. </p>

<p>I know (atleast, I'm pretty sure I know) Calc AB and BC but I'm not sure if I want to take AB for an easy 5 & an A or BC in sacrifice for another AP Credit my school offers.</p>

<p>My dad has big plans for me: He wants me to take Number Theory at the university later instead of wasting a "good year" on something that I already know. But I'm not confident in Phys, Chem, & Us History and I want to do well in these, not to mention my SATs and SAT IIs. Do you see my conflict? </p>

<p>I'm so troubled: I need some help. Thanks.</p>

<p>Well if you take AP Calc BC junior year, you can do what I'm doing right now, taking AP Stats senior year. The AP exam for Calc BC gives you an AB subgrade as well anyway. So you're not really sacrificing an AP Credit. But then again, it seems like you're taking Stats in junior year? </p>

<p>Valedictorian doesn't matter as much as college admissions. Not all valedictorians get in everywhere. After all, in last year's graduation class at my school, the valedictorian went to UC Berkely (public), while 2nd place, 3rd place, 4th place, and many others in the top twenty went to Stanford, Yale, etc. Valedictorian isn't everything, as my friends made me realize when I ruined my chances for it this year.</p>

<p>What really matters is a tough schedule. I personally think you taking Calculus BC without taking AB, and getting a good grade in that, shows you have the courage to take a tough class, skipping the slightly easier prerequisites. And they don't have to know that you understood it well when you took it at your dad's college, so it'll basically look really good.</p>

<p>It's all your choice, but here's my point of view: Valedictorian is nice and all, but being 2nd place because you took the tougher schedule and got like 1 more B than the valedictorian is better. The college admissions office will most likely be more impressed by someone with a B in Calc BC who skipped Calc AB than someone who got an A in Calc AB.</p>

<p>Thanks; that's probably what I'll end up doing.
Ugh. Asian parents lol. The child never wins.</p>