I want to pursue a career in engineering, and am going into my Junior Year. This is my schedule:
AP English 3
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science
Honors Physics
Honors French IV
Precalculus
I’m worried that colleges won’t be impressed by me taking precalc during my Junior Year… is that true?
Also, will colleges overlook it if I self study AP Calc AB and take the test this year?
Thank you!
No. Believe it or not, most students who take calculus in HS, take it as a Senior. Some students actually get accepted to engineering schools without having calculus at all. This is a non-issue.
Don’t worry. My son was accepted into Harvey Mudd and he took AP Calc as a senior. Same for one of his classmates.
No, I’m taking AP Calc as a senior and a girl last year who took it as a senior was accepted into MIT. I wouldn’t worry.
I wouldn’t worry about it at all. Most people in my high school who take Calculus take it as a senior. This will not hurt your chances in any way.
Since you are in precalculus, there is no problem. The only reason not taking calculus as a junior would raise questions is if you completed precalculus as a sophomore but chose to take no math as a junior even though calculus was offered to you.
Note that calculus as a junior is two grade levels ahead, which is rather unusual. Calculus as a senior is still one grade level ahead, so do not worry about being seen as being “behind”.
I think only a pretty small percentage of students take AP Calc junior year or earlier. The norm is to take it senior year. I wouldn’t recommend self-studying AP Calc this year, its really not necessary or even that helpful
Unless your school makes AP Calc AB and AP Calc BC as two one-year long course with no overlapping (i.e. must take AB first), otherwise, there is no rush to take AP Calc in junior year.
Thank you all so much for replying! If I can self study AP Calc AB, and take the test in the spring, will colleges be impressed?
No. Just take it as a senior. AP courses are more important than the test.
@ucbalumnus Advanced track math varies from school to school, district to district. The typical track at my school goes: Alg 1 (8th) -> Geometry (9th) -> Alg 2/(Trig) (10th) -> Pre-Calc H or Math Analysis (11th) -> Calc AB/BC or AP Stats (12th).
But to answer your question OP, no. It won’t matter. Although I have never heard of anyone in my school going into MIT or Caltech without being at least one year ahead, several students across the country accomplish that feat every year.
No. Colleges won’t be impressed with self studying. Period. There are better uses for your time.