<p>I'm a sophomore in high school and I have to decide my schedule for my junior year. This year I am taking Honors Alegbra 2 and I'm undecided on what to take next year. I have to decide between Honors Pre-Calculus and Statistics AP. I would rather take Stats, but I'm afraid colleges will not look favorably on the fact I didn't go the calculus route and it will affect my admission chances. </p>
<p>I want to apply to USC, NYU, University of Miami, and University of Chicago. Also, I want to have a career in law so, to be honest, calculus is kind of pointless for me. Plus, I've never been a super genius at math so those are reasons I want to take Statis AP. </p>
<p>So is taking calculus better for college?</p>
<p>My schedule for next year already include AP English, AP Biology, AP Psychology, and AP US History.</p>
<p>You will want to complete at least precalculus in high school. Precalculus in college would be a remedial course.</p>
<p>For the LSAT and law, you will likely find that more practice thinking mathematically and logically (i.e. taking more math courses) will help. The major groups with the top scores on the LSAT are math/physics, economics, philosophy/theology, international relations, and engineering.</p>
<p>Statistics is generally useful knowledge to have. However, if you have calculus, you may be able to take a more in-depth statistics course in college (which may be required for some majors). But AP statistics is certainly better than nothing.</p>
<p>It all depends if colleges really mean what they say. There’s an article by the MIT Dean of Admissions who says that he wants his applicants to have taken AP Calculus and the Sciences but doesn’t have a problem is they skip the other ones. [Essay</a> questions obsession over AP courses | Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2012/02/21/essay-questions-obsession-over-ap-courses]Essay”>Essay questions obsession over AP courses)
I think you have very good reasons for wanting to take Stats. And while Calculus can help logical thinking, so can a really good writing class. There was one at my college that a lot of pre-law students taking it since it raised their LSAT scores more than the ones who took the LSAT prep classes. </p>
<p>If it were me, I wouldn’t take calculus (and I actually did in high school) but I’m not the one applying and it’s not my “risk.” Try talking to your counselor about it and see what his/her experience is with kids from your school not taking calculus. It does vary by school. You could also try contacting the admissions offices and ask them. If you don’t take calculus, be sure to have a good explanation and be able to point to something that you were able to do because you didn’t have to spend extra time on calculus.</p>