Currently I am a sophomore who wants to major in finance. I have already taken AP stats and Math Analysis. Should I take Calc AB junior year then BC or BC then multivariable. Keep in mind I go to an accelerated Stem school where the math is significantly harder than the normal AP curriculum. If I take AB I will have an easy time and a high grade but if I take BC I will struggle and have lower grades. Will taking AB affect my chances at a top finance program?
How are you so sure you will struggle in BC? BC is a bit faster paced, more content…but it’s not that much different from AB. If you are so sure you will have an easy time in AB, then with some hard work/smarter studying BC might not be hard…but I really don’t know your situation/how hard your teachers are.
I’m a freshman in AB right now, so don’t take my word for it…but looking at the review book for the exam which also covers BC, there isn’t that much more to learn.
As for whether or not it will affect your chances, the admissions officers really won’t care that much. Small things like these won’t make too much of a difference.
best indicator as far as whether you can handle BC or not is your grade that you got in your Math Analysis class. Traditionally speaking, if you got B+ or higher in Math Analysis/Pre-Calc, people went to AP Calc BC; lower than that and people went to AP Calc AB. In many cases, you may need a rec from your Math Analysis teacher to go into BC.
BC will obviously be harder than AB not necessarily because the material is harder, but because the pace will be much faster. Both cover the same material more or less, though there will be about 25-40% more material covered in BC at the end (hence the “C”). Do note that a lot of schools have modified the curriculum such that students are taking both AB and BC as one-year courses. It sounds though as if you have the traditional curriculum of AB or BC.
The diff between taking AB and BC probably won’t matter for finance. It may matter for STEM majors though.
I understand that the difference isn’t that big but I go to advanced STEM program and the kids who had 100s in Math analysis now have abs in BC I am considering AB but I don’t want to look like I am slacking.
BC will cover material at the same pace as college calculus, while AB will cover material at a somewhat slower pace.
Are you looking at regular finance / business (where a year of single variable calculus, BC or equivalent, is enough), or quantitative finance (where much more advanced math and statistics is needed)?
It won’t look bad to admissions officers if you take AB. Just take whatever you’re comfortable with. Most normal finance/business programs should not require very advanced math, so don’t stress if you don’t take multivariable (very few people take multivariable anyway). The general rule of thumb is after taking 7 AP classes in your entire High school career, each additional AP class won’t add much to your application (if you school doesn’t even offer that many APs don’t stress, just take as many as you can).
While I don’t think taking AB will be look on negatively, taking BC can only help your class rigor and many college are looking to see if you are taking the most rigorous classed available to you. My son’s high school only offers BC and it is not a specialized STEM school.
Taking Calc AB junior year and Calc BC senior year is sufficient in terms of rigor. If you are concerned about your grades in BC, take AB your junior year. The additional rigor does not make up for lower grades.
@bp0001 most schools traditionally allow you to take AB ** or ** BC, not both. There are some schools nowadays that forces all calculus-eligible students to do AB first, then BC which I think is a big waste since you’re essentially making one year of normal college calculus into two years.
The age old question asked to admission offices is “Am I better off getting a B in an honors class or an A in a lower level course?” and the tongue in cheek answer is inevitably that they would like to see you get an A in the harder class. But IMO what you want to do is get grades as high as you can in the most rigorous program you can be successful in.
I strongly suggest that you talk to your current math teacher and guidance counselor and follow their advice. They will know the most about the demands of those courses in your particular HS and your abilities.
@NotMyName8 In your other thread you wrote: “I have an sat2 in math of 800” so it seems like you have the innate talent to do well in BC next year if you put the time in.
If you are planning to apply to top schools, and you “go to an accelerated Stem school” you want your GC to check the “most rigorous schedule” box when the time comes.
I would do Cal BC. Literally almost 75% of BC is AB material. With BC you just add a few more topics. You might as well do BC if you can. My school offers both in the same year, so I took AB first semester and am currently taking BC. It only took me a month to learn all the new BC material, and it is not that much harder compared to AB.
The original poster clearly said he could take ab and then bc as a senior, so clearly his hs offers this sequence. For most students, I’m not a fan of students taking multivariable in hs.
I think the answer depends on how quickly you work. Assuming a few other APs, if you grasp math quickly and are a quick worker overall, take BC. If you work slower, and have other time consuming APs, take AB, or BC with the option to drop to AB. I have one S who took AB ten BC, got great grades with not much effort. 2d S took BC, he’s a very quick worker and is getting around a 94. He says it’s much harder and moves faster tthan trig/precal modeling (got 97 in that). Our D is in trig/precal now, doing very well but is a much slower worker and will take AB (with other APs). She wants a slower pace.
As a finance major you will be fine with AB junior year and BC senior year. A better grade is more important and they are both AP’s so you aren’t slacking at all!! I agree you should ask your teacher what they think would be your best path but junior grades are important so also think about the other classes you will be taking.
Taking AB as a junior and BC as a senior would NOT be seen as “slacking”. It’d be seen as very rigorous.
The OP has to let everyone know if his/her school offers AB or BC where BC matches what is offered in college, or AB then BC in separate years.
I never advocate the AB then BC in separate years, the pace is way too slow. Smart math students get screwed in this environment.
I’d recommend doing BC without AB. AB has 2/3-3/4 the content of BC. I see no point in spending two years on AP Calc material when so much of it is repeated. As for whether taking AB will hurt you, I doubt it. But I’d still advise against it. BC won’t be much harder, and if you stay on top of your work, you will do fine.
Taking AB then BC in separate years may be viewed negatively for a STEM student by some highly selective colleges, so I wouldn’t recommend it either.
^nope. If that’s the school’s sequence, it’s not considered “slow”. Here, it’s the school sequence, and it’s very, very common. I can’t think of a school where the AB->BC sequence when it’s the one-year advanced track at that school would not receive a “most rigorous” mark. Completing BC senior year = most rigorous (and, often, actually, completing AB senior year = most rigorous). I know some high schools have other courses but there’s no bonus point for “super rigorous”.
Anyway OP can straight up ask his/her GC: “If I take AB jr year then BC sr year, will I get the “most rigorous” checkmark?”