I’m graduating this year and have applied everywhere as biomedical or electrical engineering (in one case biochem). I enjoy science and had a good hook for it (rare disease), so I suppose I just went with it. However, I have had lower grades in my math classes throughout high school…I only got A’s in PreCalc.
I do very well in science classes, but I didn’t want to apply as a general science major. Engineering seemed more interesting at the time, especially with starting salaries.
I am currently in AP Calc AB and doing generally alright (B), but I’m not sure if I’m just horrible at math or have just had horrible teachers. My current teacher refuses to help students after school and the peer tutors I have tried are not very helpful because they cannot explain concepts very well, only tell me the answer. I can’t drop at this point because I would pretty much be rescinded from anywhere I get in.
Anyhow, should I stick it out and try to get a better tutor or give up for the year and try to catch up before I start my first semester at college? Not sure where to start.
Stick it out, review some over the summer, and then probably retake it at the college level. Most programs assume students will start with Calc 1, so you won’t be behind.
“Only got A’s in PreCalc”, “horrible in math” with a B in calculus? You seem to think that you are worse in math than you probably actually are.
Engineering degree programs generally assume starting in calculus 1 (starting in a higher level is a bonus). You may want to try this quiz on precalculus concepts to make sure that your precalculus knowledge is good for calculus 1: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/rur/rurci3.cgi . If you do well enough on the AP calculus AB test to be allowed to take calculus 2, you may want to try your college’s old calculus 1 final exams to determine whether you should do so (also, there is this quiz: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/rur/rurcii6.cgi ).
@ucbalumnus Thanks! Skimmed both quizzes; there are some gaps in my memory for trig terminology, but I am otherwise alright. Memory is probably my main problem – I do very well in the unit and then forget it if we don’t review or do related problems on it for a few months. My teacher is little help because she will only help in-class and laugh students off if the problem they need help on is “easy.” I think I am solid with things I learned this semester (derivatives, integrals, volumes of rotation and more) but I am feeling a little lost looking back on things like limits especially since we are now learning l’hopitals rule. I could probably cram Barron’s during the last week but would rather have things stick in my head. 
Do you know of any good online resources besides KhanAcademy? I used it earlier in the year but still have gaps in my memory…