From Calculus to AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I’m a junior taking regular Calc right now, and I’m not sure which AP Calc to take.

Current schedule:
AP Lit
US History
Calc
AP Psych
Honors Spanish
AP Bio
Choir

Projected senior schedule:
AP Lang
Gov/Econ
AP Calc (AB/BC?)
AP Spanish
Honors Physics
Philosophy

I got an A- last semester and have an A right now in Calc, which means that my grades satisfy the prereq for BC. Originally, I was planning on taking BC, but my friend (who took honors pre-calc last year and is currently in BC) told me that many students who had taken AB last year were struggling in BC. I suppose I am good at calculus, and I think it is interesting, but I take an incredibly long time to understand some concepts.

My biggest fear is that I will struggle in BC and get a bad grade and have to input a lot of time and energy in the class. On the other hand, from what I gather, AB is essentially the same as Calc but with free response and is faster-paced, and I don’t want colleges to assume that I’m slacking off or taking a filler class.

I plan on double majoring in Neuroscience and English, if that is helpful information.

2

Without knowing how your math department curriculum is set-up, none of us can accurately answer that question. You should ask the math chairman.

That said, most students who take AP have pre-calc as their last class, so if you’ve had some version of calc, AB would probably be a lot of repetition. I think you’d be better off in BC.

3

^
If you’re comfortable with differentiating and integrating all the standard functions, I really can’t imagine what you can gain from Calc AB. You will probably get better at word problems and FRQs, but as for content, I assume you already know most of it. I recommend leafing through a Calc AB prep book (Barron’s, etc.), and if it just seems like review, then you should take BC.

4

If you’re taking a second year of Calculus, it’d better be BC. Most BC students are taking it right after Pre-Calc.