To be honest, I am much stronger in the English and Social Studies departments so I am taking AP classes in those subjects, while holding off on an AP Science. My interest in math is lower compared to other subjects and I don’t plan on going into a STEM field. However, if it would make a significant difference to take BC in the long run, then I am willing to reconsider
My daughter, a rising senior, is also ahead of the rest of her grade in math, but she is very much a humanities kid. Junior year, she opted to take AB rather than BC, with no regrets. She is a high stats kid and is planning to apply to elite universities and LACs.
We have been told by multiple admissions people that – unless you are planning to major in a STEM field – you’re fine if you take AB rather than BC (but they do want students to get through at least the AB level).
That said, schools do like to see four years of math, so taking AP Stats or another high level math class senior year is probably a good idea (my kid’s planning on taking linear algebra – her school doesn’t encourage BC after AB and she doesn’t want to take Stats).
You’re going to have enough on your plate with AP Bio or whatever AP science you’re thinking about. Unless math makes your heart go pitter-pat, you’re better off keeping the rigor in Social Sciences and Language Arts and taking AB (which has plenty of rigor!)
Can you do well in BC? Almost certainly. Should you bother? I think not, especially if your heart isn’t in STEM.
they’re not too different, just a few extra concepts (taylor series, etc.)
Take AB!
If you take AB, and go into humanities in college, you will never have to see Calculus again . . . unless you really want to.
I took AB junior year and am taking BC now as a senior. At my school AB is somewhat considered a prereq for BC, or at least the normal track. Math teachers place kids where they believe they belong, and the track is (or was before common core, which I luckily haven’t had to deal with):
Pre-Algebra (optional?) -> Algebra 1 -> Geometry -> Algebra 2 -> Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus (typically taken the same year, either each for a year in two class periods or each for a semester in one class period at an accelerated pace) -> AP Calculus AB or Honors Calculus -> AP Calculus BC OR College Algebra after Alg. 2 or Pre-Calc/Trig
BC is basically considered a 2nd year of Calculus, after either AB or Honors. Honors Calc is basically the same as AB, but the AP Calc AB test is optional for a Honors kids; both classes can feed into BC.
TL;DR At my school everyone takes AB (or equivalent) and then BC, across two years.