<p>I'm going to be a senior this year at a rural, underprivileged high school in New Mexico. I'm number one in the class because I've already taken 6 AP classes in the course of two years (we went by a 4-period schedule and switched last year to 6 periods). </p>
<p>This year, there are only 4 available AP classes that I have yet to take. I'm interested in schools like UPenn, Rice, and Claremont McKenna. I can't afford to look like I'm slacking off my senior year! However, availability of AP classes is a problem at my school, because not enough students sign up to fill the classes. This causes most of the AP classes to only be offered during ONE period. Of course, two of the AP classes I need are during the same class period. I'm currently (desperately) asking teachers to allow me to take on an AP course load in a different period. The result is pending.</p>
<p>So as a back up plan, I'm wondering if I could take a course I took last year...again. It sounds bad initially, but I'm talking about AP Calculus. I took it last year, and I had a knowledgeable teacher...for half a year. He quit after the first semester, leaving me and my class with an unprepared teacher. This resulted in none of us learning anything. Everyone except two students got a 1 on the AP test. On my transcript, I have a B and an A (even though it's one class, we get two grades-yeah it makes no sense to me either) . </p>
<p>So if I took AP Calculus again this year, would it be enough to make a school deny me? Or do you think they would understand the situation, if I could possibly explain it? I'd love to hear any/all of your thoughts.</p>
<p>Does your school offer a higher level of Calculus? For example at my school we have AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC where BC involves more content.</p>
<p>Even if it’s not an AP class you certainly wouldn’t look like you’re slacking off if you’re taking a higher level of math.</p>
<p>1 year of calculus in your high school career is certainly more than enough to show you’re not a slacker. If I were you I’d go for a different class. Junior year I took AP Calc AB but this year I’m taking AP Statistics.</p>
<p>Yeah, I see what you’re saying Will. But Calculus BC is too much to expect from this school. I think Calculus AB has only been around maybe…6 years or something. But it’s a good suggestion! </p>
<p>And yeah I was planning to take AP Stats! But of course that’s the course that’s been doubled up. AP Psych and Stats are both during 4th period. This school is just ill equipped for students who want to go to college out of state. </p>
<p>Yeahhh I don’t want to have to pay several hundred or more for an online course just to make my transcript look better, especially since colleges are already sucking out all our money.</p>
<p>Not even the fairly standardized freshman calculus courses and sophomore math courses? In most states, the community colleges have articulation agreements with state universities so that transfer students won’t have to retake courses after transferring to the state universities.</p>
<p>In any case, your schools’ conflicting AP courses, Statistics and Psychology, are two of the lower value AP courses. It would be more worrisome if important ones like English Literature and Calculus were scheduled at the same time.</p>
<p>Yeah the college here is startlingly lacking. I’ve talked to the counselors about the credit situation, but they said that higher end schools like UPenn and Rice will not accept credits from a branch of UNM. I had high hopes for taking college courses, but in New Mexico, the majority of students seem to stay in state for college, where of course the credits will transfer. It is kind of sad because the educational systems here at any level (excluding technology schools) is pretty low.</p>
<p>And yes thank goodness the main AP courses are available at least two periods! The school was recently split into two schools, with the reasoning that the town is getting larger, but consequentially my school is now a lot smaller. Next year, they won’t even be offering French anymore. Spanish will be the only available language. So with that in mind, you could say I got off lucky to have the choices I do!</p>
<p>You may want to ask some of the other schools you are considering whether the calculus courses at your local community college will transfer.</p>
<p>It does appear that the University of Michigan accepts Calculus I, II, and III for transfer credit from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, and New Mexico Institute of Mining Technology. But you may have to ask specifically about courses from a community college in New Mexico.</p>