<p>Even if your school offers both, would it hurt if you took AB instead of BC since its considered "easier?"</p>
<p>I think it depends on what kind of math student you are and your area of focus, along with how many other APs you're taking.</p>
<p>Like, I'm a humanities person. I usually get B+'s in math (aka 93s) and I decided I'd rather get a good calculus foundation in AB than struggle in BC. (Interestingly enough, Calc AB is the easiest math for me so far...weird). But if you're a strong math student, take BC... You don't want to look like you're slacking. I prob. should have taken it since I look like a slacker now, lol.</p>
<p>It really depends on you. Calc BC ruined my GPA because it's practically self-taught at my school (and I love math, but I'm not brilliant at it). The most difficult part of it is that it moves really fast - there's not really a level difference in terms of difficulty, but you do cram in twice as many subjects as AB. If you think you can handle it, go for it, but there is a great deal of validity in theprez's reasoning for AB as well. Take whichever one you believe you can handle, since there's the potential to hurt your application either way. xP</p>
<p>well, because half of BC is AB (ie, first semester, which is derivatives and integrals), if you're not a math genius and/or have a loaded schedule next year, then i'd just recommend AB (it's a pretty fun class, Stanford gives equal credit for a 5 on the AB AP exam as for a 5 on the BC AP exam)...
unless you're planning on applying with a prospective math/engineering/physics major, take AB.</p>
<p>BC Calc
10char</p>
<p>At my school you can't take BC if you haven't taken AB... I always figured AB was like...the first part of Cal and then BC was part two. xD</p>
<p>Not at my school. If you've already taken AB, you'll almost never take BC also. AB is almost all of BC except for Power Series, Taylor Polynomials, etc.</p>
<p>Depends on your school- what are the top 10% into? if you are not tracking
the possibility for coming across as a relatively weaker applicant is
higher...?</p>
<p>If the school profile your GC sends in shows a high % taking the BC over AB,
not doing BC will potentially hurt no matter what your intended major?</p>
<p>Just speculating here....no hard facts</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>It would be easier to go into AB first. Personally, I am taking AB and I'm ok with the class. This is the first subtopic in math that is actually challenging me.</p>
<p>If you are good at math, then take BC, but keeping up with them could be hard.</p>
<p>If you do not do well in AB, I would say that you should finish AB, but don't take BC next year.</p>
<p>I've heard Statistics is easier. I do not think college admissions officers analyze every AP class you take for its rigor. An AP class to them is rigorous enough.</p>
<p>Stanford is looking for you to be very good and well-grounded in preparation for your major. If you're planning to major in science and especially mathematics and engineering you're going to want BC. AB is the first semester of college calculus while BC is two semesters (Calculus I and II at most colleges). Admissions councilors WILL notice that you took AB instead of BC and you'll fall behind if someone one-ups your math course. That said, you could always take AB then take Calc II at a local college, or take BC the second year.</p>
<p>Why would a school force you to take BC after AB? The course is designed to move you at the college pace which is one unit of calculus per semester. I found most of BC to be pretty easy. If you plan on taking more math courses later on in high school and you're choosing between AB and BC your sophomore or junior year, choose BC. It'll give you a better indication of how fast college mathematics moves. I took Calc III last semester and am now in differential equations. Calc III is 75% rehash of BC by content and differential equations moves faster than BC - at least one new solving technique or type of question per day.</p>
<p>AP statistics is laughably easy compared to BC and higher math.</p>
<p>Although for me, AP Stat seems ... odd.</p>
<p>The BC story...
I was a sophomore and our pre-calc teacher brought up the next year class options. I was not doing very well in precalc at that time, maybe a B-. I was bent on taking AB, confident I could not handle BC... And the teacher said consider BC, and I still did not. And alas I signed up for AB...
Well I managed to scrape by a B+ for the year, miraculously. Summer comes and goes, and my schedule comes <em>dun dun dun</em></p>
<p>"BC! why did Mrs. ********* put me in BC! I am ruined ruined forever in math! I am never getting into college!" (funny little pre-junior that I was) I storm to the guidance office several days before school... Turns out AP CalcAB was same time as AP French... "okay"... And I wasn't allowed to drop french, by the supreme rule of college admissions. "Well Mrs. ********* I will just continue in Latin 4. I like them the same. I don't want to take AP Calc BC!" And final story I had to take Calc BC, and drop Latin 4.</p>
<p>Calc BC was the most amazing class I had ever taken. And I discovered I really like math. Despite my approximate B in pre-calc, in the end I got a five on the BC exam and found out I like math (more than latin). Colleges will appreciate the face that you stretched yourself, and who knows? Maybe you will really like it.</p>
<p>(sorry for the long blathering story)
If you're still bent on taking Calc AB just go ahead and take it :)</p>