<p>I am a senior and am currently taking AP Calc BC. </p>
<p>I somehow managed to get a B+ for this quarter, but I realized that this course is too time-consuming.
My counselor said that it is possible to drop down to AB Calc, but I would get a W/P ("Withdrawn" + "Passed") on my transcript for this quarter (She also said she is definitely going to explain why I decided to drop down).</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that I would enjoy AB Calc more and would get a better grade but was wondering if this decision could hurt me at all. I applied EA to UChicago and am thinking about Northwestern, Brown, Harvard, USC, and Michigan for RD. </p>
<p>It would really need to be in context with your remaining classes and you EC schedule. If your GC would still rate your schedule as “most demanding’” it’s probably not that big of a deal. However, I would not have your GC reference “too time-consuming” in her explanation. You would also need to inform UChicago of the schedule change.</p>
<p>Personally, I would stick it out. A B+ won’t kill your admissions chances, and I’d rather get the full-year BC credit than the 1 semester AB credit.</p>
<p>Depending on how your school teaches AB and BC, you may find there is little difference. My D’s math teacher explained that at our HS, AB and BC are virtually the same for 1st semester, with BC only slightly faster since they go a little more in depth over the same material. Second semester, the AB class stops learning new material after a month or so and goes into AP test prep mode early while the BC class continues on with the new material. In a case like this, there would be little to gain by stepping down. And a B+ is nothing to worry about - BC is a class colleges really are impressed by, only the cream of the crop gets there, although that’s difficult to see in certain environments.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you stay in Calc BC. I don’t think that a B+ in BC will hurt you. It is true that BC does move faster because they have more material to cover. Those students who have taken Calc AB is at a slight advantage because half of the BC course load will be a review for them. </p>
<p>If you score high enough in the BC exam, you will get a full year BC credit, compared to only a half year in AB. Not only will you have to go through the trouble of having to explain why you withdrew from BC, you will also miss out on a chance to earn an extra half a semester worth of math credit. </p>
<p>What’s the rest of your schedule? How long do you spend on Calc BC work per week? </p>
<p>Thank you all for your responses. </p>
<p>My schedule is still pretty rigorous even though I drop down to AB Calc. I am currently taking AP Econ, AP Psychology, AP English Literature, and AP Physics 2. </p>
<p>I do not mind getting B’s from Calc BC. It is just the fact that I have to study 7-8 hours for tests recently caught my attention. If I were a junior, I would definitely take BC; however, I am a senior and have to get ready for RD soon.</p>
<p>My mind is pretty set; I just wanted to know whether my decision is going to hurt me a lot. And from what I’ve read, it seems that it is not that big of a deal. </p>
<p>If I am wrong, please correct me. Thank you! </p>