<p>You NEED to take Calc. i don’t anyone who got into an Ivy who didn’t take Calc AB. Most take Calc BC as well. I’d say go with the summer course like others have said.</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the number of people who take Calculus (let’s assume 98% of this year’s Stanford class) a lot higher than the number of Valedictorians (probably 5%-10% maybe?)</p>
<p>Right, and that’s why it’s so important that you do. It’s virtually required.</p>
<p>Just like there are more students who take AP and Honors courses than there are valedictorians. But a valedictorian who hadn’t taken any AP or Honors courses would be rejected immediately.</p>
<p>You have to take calculus to be competitive. Period.</p>
<p>Most definitely take calculus. Stanford uses the common app, which means that they’ll see your GPA versus the top one in your class. They’ll ignore 0.002 points in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>
snickers412, thanks for the snicker! You are RIGHT! (And I am a mom of a Val, so I get to say so!)</p>
<p>“me and her would be tied for valedictorian”</p>
<p>I’d suggest a grammar course too.</p>
<p>Altmom, you took the words right out of my mouth. :D</p>
<p>Seriously, OP: take Calculus. I know it will be galling if that displaces you from the Val position, but you can comfort yourself with the knowledge that it also proves how ludicrous the system of deciding val/sal at your school is.</p>
<p>If you can take calculus over the summer, though, by all means go for it.</p>
<p>It’s threads like this that make me thankful for my school not ranking.</p>
<p>I agree with everything everyone else said.</p>
<p>If you are going into any type of major that requires math, you will be at a huge disadvantage without calculus. I assume you have already checked this with your guidance counselor, but at my school, a community college is weighted the same as an AP course and shows up on the transcript as Dual Enrollment (which I think is the norm), so maybe your school would re-examine its policy?</p>
<p>You can take AP stats or AP Calc online through the virtual high school program (again, as already mentioned). Depending on your math SAT/ACT scores, another option would be taking these classes through the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.
[url=<a href=“http://cty.jhu.edu/ctyonline/courses.html]CTYOnline”>http://cty.jhu.edu/ctyonline/courses.html]CTYOnline</a> Course List & Schedules<a href=“I%20think%20you%20will%20get%20more%20instructor%20time%20through%20JHU,%20but%20it%20might%20cost%20more.”>/url</a>
If you think you could handle the workload, then I would suggest taking AP stats in school and AP calc through one of the two online options… Then you will have the extra AP course, and you will still be valedictorian!! 
I personally think AP Stats is also a really good class to have before college.</p>
<p>Your class rank at the end of junior year will be the rank that matters as far as your college app goes. I would not let rank influence your curriculum decision. My school got away from class rank last year for this very reason…</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>Hi again
I just checked for you - JHU CTY offers Calc AB in a 3 or 6-month format – individually self-paced, so i think you could do this on your own schedule over the summer if you want to! (and I think it is safe to assume you have a qualifying math score if you are applying to Stanford!)
[CTYOnline</a> - AP Calculus AB](<a href=“http://cty.jhu.edu/ctyonline/math/courses/calculus-ab.html]CTYOnline”>http://cty.jhu.edu/ctyonline/math/courses/calculus-ab.html)</p>
<p>Okay, I feel strange for being the first one to mention this (perhaps I’m missing something) but if you are CURRENTLY at the END OF JUNIOR YEAR tied for Valedictorian, then that’s exactly what’s going on the transcripts you send when you apply. Your first semester senior rank will only be sent when you get your midterms in (which is after you send in your transcripts and application, typically end of January), at which point colleges would be absolutely ambivalent as to whether or not you stayed at 1 or dropped a single spot. Midterms are really just reassurance that you’re still willing to put some effort into senior year. What matters an infinite number of times more is how you stood at the end of your junior year, which in your case is class valedictorian. Take Calculus. It will definitely be appreciated by any college you apply to.</p>
<p>Nobody gives a crap about AP stat.</p>
<p>Calculus, on the other hand, will be very helpful. And trust me, taking calc 101 in college is much more painful than AP.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Does anyone else find it strange that this brilliant person, currently tied for Val and considering taking a self-study Cal BC course, says “Me and her” instead of “She and I”? Maybe you’re good at math, but your grammar could use a tweak. “Me and her” are objective pronouns and can’t be the subjects of the sentence; “She and I” are subjects.</p>
<p>Sorry if I sound like a tight-a$$, but it really hurts.</p>
<p>Sorry for my crappy grammar, I don’t know how that slipped by. :)</p>
<p>Anyways, the Johns Hopkins course look interesting. If I were to take the online course would I put it under “college courses” on my college application, and would it be looked at as favorably as if I had taken it in a live classroom setting at a community college?</p>
<p>Sammyjankis, your excellent point was also mentioned in post #4, but I too can’t believe this debate continues - Valedictorian status is not decided until after all admissions decisions are made and therefore has no impact on those decisions.</p>
<p>You should take challenging courses. And any course you take through another school will be reported to colleges you apply to, as all of those colleges will expect all applicants to submit COMPLETE transcripts of all secondary and higher education courses previously taken.</p>
<p>Since you are aiming for the Ivies let me paraphrase a well worn axiom from the Harvard admissions office. When the question is asked, is it better to be valedictorian or is it better to get a “B” in calculus?, the answer is: It is better to get an “A” in calculus and be valedictorian. Regardless, the top colleges want to see their applicants challenging themselves. Take the calculus.</p>
<p>Another source for a “respectable” on-line course:</p>
<p>[Gifted</a> Learning Links :: AP Courses: Listing](<a href=“http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/gll/program/academics/courses/honors-ap/courses-ap/]Gifted”>http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/gll/program/academics/courses/honors-ap/courses-ap/)</p>
<p>and</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/gll/program/academics/courses/epgy/courses/[/url]”>http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/gll/program/academics/courses/epgy/courses/</a></p>
<p>Note the link to Stanford’s EPGY program, too. I believe you have to submit qualifications (i.e. standardized test scores) to qualify for these courses.</p>
<p>In spite of previous advice, an admissions committee will not hold it against you if you don’t take calculus when your HS does not offer calculus. But neither will they be very concerned with whether you are first or second in your class: admissions officers are very aware both that class ranking schemes vary greatly from school to school (for example, in whether or not they include coursework taken outside of school) and that close ranking differences can turn on either insignificant details or unfair rubrics.</p>
<p>However, as has also been mentioned, a transcript which shows challenging work has been sought out carries much more weight than one that does not. If you do find a way to take calculus in addition to your “regular” classes you will be doing yourself a favor both in terms of admissability and preparation (assuming you get a good grade, too).</p>
<p>So I would report a score from an online course and it would be received with the same credibility as a normal course?</p>
<p>Also, is there any way to take the actual college course online, and not just an AP course?</p>