<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I am currently taking AP Calculus BC. I expect an 87 (77 without the 10 points) in the class. Should I stay in the class or drop to AB?
I have a 3.67 GPA and have taken 9 AP classes. I am a junior and want to know how dropping/staying the the class would affect my chances/impression on engineering schools.</p>
<p>First of all, wow on the 9 APs. Your GPA looks pretty solid considering your courseload(me with my pitiful 3.48). APs grades are really important when it comes to engineering schools, but it depends on the school. An 87 is not that bad for Calculus BC. I’m in Calculus AB now an have about that grade and I’m doing alright with my application process(I’m also an engineering major). In every college your going to have to take Calculus anyway so I say just go ahead and continue in BC(you can only improve), but if you feel like you’d be better off dropping then thats fine two. Either way I don’t think the decision will affect your chances, you’ve already come so far. If I was in your position, I think i’d have a little more faith. Calm down. You’ve got this.</p>
<p>that doesn’t make any sense to me. You are almost done with the BC semester, which means that you have already covered nearly all of AB.</p>
<p>Well, if i drop to AB i will more than likely have a solid A in that class and rock the AB exam.
I’m doubtful I can get a 5 on the BC… surely I can work for it, but my low grade in BC will not look so good against a possible natural A in AB.</p>
<p>I’m continuing calculus as a senior, so I’ll review BC material there…
I just don’t want schools to think I’m not a dedicated person who sticks to tough situations. But in this case, it’s the only class I in which I have trouble.</p>
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<p>If I saw your transcript, that would be my first reaction. Particularly since, as bluebayou said, your entire spring would be a repeat of the second quarter of BC calculus.</p>
<p>I don’t know how demanding or selective the programs are that you’re applying to, but I think a lot of people who successfully complete undergraduate engineering programs also successfully complete BC in high school.</p>
<p>Obviously, your best course of action is to stay in BC and just do better. If that’s not in the cards, I think toughing out BC calculus, with the understanding that you may end up re-taking some or all of this material in college, is the better course for a future engineer. But that’s my opinion, and it’s not based on a lot of relevant knowledge.</p>
<p>If you drop down to AB to slow down the pace, then when you get to college, you will see math taught in college at the faster pace that BC moves at.</p>
<p>An 87 in BC and you want to drop?!?! As long as you can maintain that B+ (or even a B) in BC, don’t drop. Otherwise, next year you’d be taking BC again instead of Calc III/Diff EQ(that’s how my school works, at least) and admissions officers would be less impressed by course rigor.
I’m sure they’d care more about you taking the hardest classes possible than the difference between an A and B+. Plus, AB is definitely easier than BC, but probably not as much as you think. I’m in AB and when I look at my BC friends, they usually cover a lot more content but don’t delve in as deep or do problems as complex on each unit. I guess it depends on how you’re absorbing the content.</p>
<p>Thanks for you responses! I definitely see the benefits of toughing up in BC, even if i can only get a solid or high B before the AP bonus.</p>
<p>I was really close to getting an 80 (converted 90) on my transcript, but it didn’t work out.
Certain schools I’ll apply to don’t take into account AP bonus points. So instead of a 3 for a B, I would get a 2 for a C. </p>
<p>I have the intent of applying to competitive engineering schools - a 3.8 GPA will be within reach by that time. MY unweighted AP classes will count against me for scholarship reasons, so that’s why the factor of natural A’s tempts me.</p>
<p>@lancaster29
I’ll be taking multivariable calculus next year, which will be paced just as this year. I’ll have to take the college version of Calc III/Diff EQ again, even if I already did it in HS.</p>
<p>Why not take a real college course for multivariable calculus at a nearby college next year, so that you will get credit and placement for it when you actually get to college?</p>
<p>The math does not transfer from those colleges to universities I wish to apply.</p>
<p>There is a dual-enrollment program that provides credit recognized across the whole country, but it is highly competitive to get into.</p>
<p>My B in calculus basically threw off my minimum GPA to qualify for dual enrollment. So next year I will be doing college coursework, but without the credit :-(</p>