Hi everyone,
So as a junior, I’m choosing my set of courses for senior year (!!). I’m currently taking 3 APs (in science, English and history) and I feel fine with them. As of right now, I’m signed up for the highest level of Latin offered at my school (high honors but not AP) plus four APs next year: AP Environmental Science, AP English Literature, AP Government and Politics (offered as a full year history course at my school with intense projects) and AP World History. My only question mark is with math. I’m in precalculus honors right now with a low A and I’m signed up for calculus honors next year. Since my school offers AB and BC calculus though, I don’t know if I should take AB next year. Apparently the teacher for AB is not the greatest and I’m obviously more of a humanities type of person, but in the interest of college admissions should I go for AB or would it be too much? Should I take a risk or shoot for straight As senior year? Thanks!
Do they offer have AP statistics? Consider taking, that it’s an AP math and not as intense as AP calculus plus you mentioned you’re a humanities type.
They do offer AP stats at my school, but I worried about taking it because I’ve heard that it’s better to finish with Calculus. I’d consider it as an option though.
Calculus really isn’t that hard, but I suppose it’s black and white math: you get it or you don’t. I’d take it, one of my easier classes this year
Math (especially calc) is all about technique. Honestly, I think you should take it because it will force you to learn how to study… that’s the class I learned how to study in. Granted, I did get a couple Bs over two years of calc (out of four semesters), but by the last semester, I had it figured out. Way better to have figured it out in high school than college. I’m also a big believer in taking the hardest classes you can… colleges will understand having a dip in grades if you have the most difficult possible schedule.
For what it’s worth, I was accepted to Stanford, so Bs in math won’t hold you back any more than straight As will get you ahead (they won’t).
Take calc and strive for an A, but know that a B will not kill you.
I would say to take AB, as long as your purpose isn’t just for college admissions. Since you’re more of a humanities person, then it might be better to take something more practical like Stats (my older sister did this) because you may never have to take Calculus in college depending on where you go. I’m actually more of a humanities person as well, but I chose to take Calculus AB as well as Physics C because I actually enjoy the subjects. If you do well in math, it shouldn’t be a ridiculously hard class, but there may be instances where you’ll have a tough time understanding things. It will be easier (in my opinion) to get through these instances if you took the class because you want to learn or expand your mind or have a higher level of thinking in class than if you just took the class because of how you assume it’ll look on your transcript. Plus, who knows, you may squeak out an A.