<p>I am a Junior in High School and unsure if I should continue with highest lane of MAth and graduate with BC Calc or drop a lane and graduate with AB Calc... as the former workload is limiting my time for other coursework. As I am interested in Engineering undergrad will AB calc diminish my chances of getting into an engineering school like UCs, Columbia , Duke etc..</p>
<p>You say you are a junior and taking AP calc, so even if you take AB, won’t you get to BC anyway?People get into those schools with less than the type of math you are taking right now. Don’t worry so much, just focus on understanding the materials.</p>
<p>If you are a high school junior in calculus, you are two grade levels ahead in math. Shouldn’t math be your easiest and best subject?</p>
<p>Just because you’re years ahead does not mean math is the “easiest” and “best” subject. It just means they are ahead. Struggling is understandable.</p>
<p>Personally, I think it would look bad to engineering programs if you had the opportunity to take calculus and didn’t. And if you’re interested in Engineering, I’m not sure why you would want to drop out of math; it’s one of the most important things you can do in high school to prepare for college.</p>
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<p>Students usually don’t get placed two or more years ahead in math if they are not seen as being really good at math. Or at least that was how it was when I was in middle and high school. Has it changed now so that students who are not really good in math are pushed two years ahead even when it is not the best fit for the students?</p>
<p>The students who are two years ahead in math still have an aptitude for it. Math comes faster to them compared to their peers. However, just because they are years ahead does not mean that the new math knowledge they are obtaining does not warrant them the “right to struggle”. I’ve seen many peers who were two years ahead struggle in their calculus class. They eventually understood the material, but it was not their “easiest” subject. They were merely ahead because they were ahead. Dropping down a math was unnecessary, for they had already learned the material. Not taking a year of math would waste time. So they continued on their track because that’s all the could really do. This is why I believe your assumption that math is a student’s “easiest” and “best” subject because they are two years ahead is incorrect.</p>