I’ll be a senior this fall and it’s time to pick classes for senior year. I don’t know if i should take AP calculus AB at my school or take it a local college for dual enrollment?
Since one course at college is one semester I will be able to take 2 levels, one in the fall and one in the spring. As opposed to AP calc being 2 semesters long. Plus I was going to take calculus in the summer at the college so that will be 3 levels total.
Which will look better? My HS does not offer Calc BC.
Will colleges know that I’m taking the level 3 calculus course in the spring which won’t end until after admission decisions?
It may depend on the college you’re trying to take courses at, and the schools you’re looking to apply to. Generally, colleges like AP courses because the curriculum is standardized, so there’s no guessing about the rigor of the dual enrollment program. But three semesters of college calculus is a big jump up from Calc AB in terms of rigor (Why not BC if you feel confident enough to take college calculus courses?). If you can get the grades, I’d dual enroll.
Generally, schools request end-of-year grades, so they should know about the Calc III.
@OnMyWay2013
My HS does not offer BC.
The college I’m taking calculus at is a 4 year university with a 91% acceptance rate. So I don’t think classes there will be too difficult.
How would they know about the Calc III? I know high schools will send what courses you are going to take in high school all year, but I’m taking these in college. Do I request something at the college?
High school AP calculus AB is considered approximately equivalent to college calculus 1. So if you are a strong student in math, you may find the pace of college calculus to be more suited for you. It will also give you more of a taste of how actual college courses work before you go to college as a college frosh and take a full load of college courses.
Be aware that medical and law schools will include grades from college courses taken while in high school for GPA purposes, even though they will typically be transferred as credit only (without grades) to other colleges. Also check on the transfer credit policies of colleges you are interested in attending later, since some are less than friendly with transfer credit (e.g. University of Michigan College of Engineering is rather stingy, and some schools do not give transfer credit for college courses taken while in high school in some situations). If the latter applies, you could take the college courses and the AP exam to have double coverage (you would only get credit at most once, but if the college takes one but not the other, you would get it).
Your intended or possible major is relevant in determining whether calculus 1, 2, or 3 will eventually be needed.
ucbalumnus has some good advice. I believe that you request that your college sends your mid-year and final semester grades. I’d talk to your guidance counselor or someone at the college about how to request transcripts.
“The college I’m taking calculus at is a 4-year university with a 91% acceptance rate. So I don’t think classes there will be too difficult.”
Just because it has a higher acceptance rate, doesn’t mean the classes are easier.