I plan on majoring in Chemical Engineering at U of I. Im in my seoncd semester of senior year was wondering that if I switched my class from BC to AB, would my application be jeopardized? I’m in three other ap classes and I have taken ap and honors classes throughout highschool.
I understand that Calculus is important for engineers but I got a B- first semester and was thinking that if I go to AB and learn at a slower pace, I would get a better understanding of the subject, rather than forcing my way through BC and not doing as good (potentially getting a C). AB and BC cover the same material and use the same book. BC just does three more chapters and goes faster. Any help would be appreciated.
It’s still AP Calculus. I don’t think it would affect my chances of getting in. My guidance counselor told me it shouldn’t either.
Definitely, definitely take AB if you are unsure. When I was in my senior year of high school I was taking 5 APs and working 17 hrs a week but still always felt crappy because I took AB instead of BC Calc. The BC calc teacher at my high school sucked and I didn’t want to take a course with him, so I did AB instead. Best choice ever. I ended up with a 5 on the AB exam and did good in college calc afterwards because AB provided me with a good foundation. People who took BC wound up retaking the entire calc sequence here, which is a bit of a weedout sometimes. Drop to AB if you are unsure, a lot of kids in my high school did it last year and worked out good for them.
Source: current UIUC student in CS Engineering
Thank you! That’s exactly my reason; I want to provide a stronger foundation in calculus so that I can succeed in college classes.
Do you think going to AB now is enough to screw up my admission’s decision? I think that if I email them (using the course change form) the reason I just explained, then they should understand?
Also my BC teacher was gone most off first semester. We had a substitute for three months but he couldn’t teach at all.
@northface25 Going to AB is not going to screw up your decision. If anything, it shows that you are responsible with your academics. If you email them and tell them exactly what you told me here, you should be fine. Good luck!
Plus, it’s not like you flunked out of BC either, a B- is still a fine grade. 
I can’t imagine it would make a difference. As bookworm mentioned, switching to the slower paced class shows that you have a desire to learn the material, and that you’ve recognized that you need to learn it at a slower pace to really get it. That’s not a bad thing.