<p>AB is easy
BC is hard
That just about sums it up.</p>
Would it be impossible to get into Wharton without taking calculus in high school?
But, the AP Calculus BC exam is easy. Most of the material is Calc AB stuff, and ~40% of the people who take it will get a 5.
I skipped Calc AB, and managed to get a 5 on the exam. If you have a decent teacher and invest some time into the material (or Khan Academy), then it isn’t too hard to do well on the exam.
No. However, it would be nice to know the reason that you aren’t taking it. If it’s because your school doesn’t offer it (can’t afford a teacher qualified for the program, has strict limitations on the number of AP courses you can take, etc), then they probably wouldn’t consider it a detriment to your application, provided that you’re a strong applicant in other ways.
If you’ve merely elected not to take it, then there should be another way to demonstrate math proficiency (SAT Math II [no calculus required])? I suppose that you don’t necessarily need Calculus, but a good grade (and AP test score) in a calculus class does do some good.