<p>D12 had a choice of taking Calc BC without AP Stat or Calc AB with AP Stat next year. She chose the latter. Now we are having second thoughts about this. She wants to apply to a couple top tier econ programs. Will taking Calc AB rather than Calc BC hurt her chances?</p>
<p>PCP- No knowledge (and therefore no opinion) in this. Just wondering how S1 was doing? If you’d rather not say, that’s fine. Just curious. He seemed like such an interesting kid.</p>
<p>Check the threads on Wharton. My understanding is that they do want to see at least BC Calc. Quant scores are huge for them.</p>
<p>My son took Calc AB as a junior (he could have taken Calc BC and wouldn’t do it, much to my chagrin) and then Statistics AP as a senior (this was kind of a waste). But - he was admitted to University of Chicago and Wharton (attended Wharton). This was five years ago, though.</p>
<p>bovertine, thanks for asking. S1 is doing fine - he survived the first two pass/fail quarters and passed all the classes. He will be starting the third quarter this week. GPA counting starts this quarter! He will start his gene therapy internship in a Nobel laureate’s lab next fall. Caltech is harder academically and socially less vibrant than he thought going in. He is getting an “A” shadow grade in his bio class at the moment.</p>
<p>CD, D will not be applying to Penn, but is interested in UChicago.</p>
<p>levirm, thanks for sharing your son’s encouraging results!</p>
<p>OP- My D took AB Calc as a senior. BC class wouldn’t fit into her schedule without dropping AP physics at a local science center. She also had to take AP Econ as an on line class for the same reason. She took AP Stats as a junior. </p>
<p>Her intended major is Econ. So far she is 6/6 on the college applications…waiting on the Ivies tomorrow night.</p>
<p>I don’t think the Calc AB has hurt her- sometimes it is hard to work in classes in motivated students schedules.</p>
<p>It probably won’t hurt, but AP Calculus BC will give her experience as to how a university level math course runs (AB will be at a slower pace). AP Statistics probably won’t be accepted for subject credit in many economics major programs which require a calculus-based statistics course.</p>
<p>For University of Chicago specifically, here is the AP credit chart:
[Advanced</a> Placement Credit | The College](<a href=“http://college.uchicago.edu/newstudents/advanced-placement-credit]Advanced”>http://college.uchicago.edu/newstudents/advanced-placement-credit)
Note: Chicago’s [economics</a> major](<a href=“http://economics.uchicago.edu/undergrad_concentrators.shtml]economics”>http://economics.uchicago.edu/undergrad_concentrators.shtml) recommends more advanced statistics courses than the one that AP Statistics is equivalent to.</p>
<p>If the Cal BC teacher is strong, what is your reason for not taking the class?</p>
<p>Getting AP credits is not an issue as D most likely will retake Calc & Stat in college anyway. We are just concerned about her admission chances. </p>
<p>Gibson, congrats on your D’s results and thanks for sharing!</p>
<p>M2CK, the two choices were given to her by her current math teacher.</p>
<p>Basically, the comparison would be how it looks between:</p>
<ol>
<li> One “heavyweight” AP course (Calculus BC).</li>
<li> Two “lightweight” AP courses (Calculus AB and Statistics).</li>
</ol>
<p>Regarding retaking calculus in university, that may be a good idea for a student who got a 3 or 4 on the AP Calculus test and is going into a math-intensive field (including economics). But a student who got a 5 (especially if s/he thought it was easy) should consider either jumping ahead to what the university’s math department recommends; if s/he starts over, it would likely be more interesting to choose the honors version of freshman calculus if available.</p>
<p>You should have gone with Calc BC.
I’m in the intermediate calculus sequence at UChicago having not taken AP Calc at all before, and I swear it has reduced me to tears.</p>
<p>D 12? How have the older 11 done so far?</p>