I am going to be a senior in high school this upcoming school year, and last year I took AP Calc AB. I did okay in the class, but not anything fantastic (my average was in the low 90s). However, I just got my AP exam scores, and I got a 2 on the AB exam. I’m not sure if I should take BC next year, or if I should wait and take AB again in college and then continue with my math studies then. I don’t know if it’s smart to take BC next year and possibly do poorly in the class and/or on the AP exam, or if I should wait and retake AB in college and then continue with my math studies then. If I choose to not take BC next year, I’m worried that colleges will notice that I could have taken BC but chose not to, and I’m not sure if that will hurt my chances of getting accepted. If it helps, I will most likely major in chemistry or a similar science.
Thanks for any input!
Does BC at your school cover AB material in addition to BC?
I think you should continue in Calc BC.
You still got an A in Calc AB, so there’s nothing to say that you won’t also do well in Calc BC. The AP test is just one test. It just means that you may not get AP credit for calculus in college, but that’s fine. There’s no reason you have to. You’ll need to take calculus in college as a chemistry major, and it will be much easier for you if you continue in calculus in high school and then retake it in college. You will have seen the material before and will have some practice with it, so when you are learning it again in a faster passed college environment, it will be much easier to pick up. Taking Calc BC in high school is a MUCH better option than skipping a year of math and hoping you can pick it up again in college.
ambers58, I believe BC assumes you have an understanding of AB material, but I’m not sure if it reviews AB topics again
baktrax, thank you for your input. What you said makes sense. I emailed my guidance counselor to ask for his opinion, but based on what you said, I think I will continue on to take BC
Continue with BC. The beauty about BC is that a great score on the AP exam, at least for credit purposes, will override a less than great score on the AB exam.
I think you should continue with BC, like the other said.