Is AP calc ab too low for a hopeful computer science major? I understand all my math really well but it may be hard for me to advance my math so I can take calc bc senior year instead of ab. Any advice? I hope to attend UIUC so I can understand if my math background isn’t strong enough.
Calculus in high school is fine.
AB is not too low to CS, but I would take BC so you don’t have to take it at UIUC. You definitely want a strong math background but you won’t get them from taking classes. If you have been doing well in math class, then i think you have a decent math background. It isn’t what course you take, it is how well you do in them.
@idkName @ucbalumnus it may be a lot of extra work to take bc. Would taking bc over ab be a big factor in college admissions? I am willing to do my best to try and get into bc but I talked to the math department head and he didn’t seem to think it would be a big deal to take ab but I’ll talk to my comp sci teacher and see what his opinion is too.
It’s not a big deal either way as far as college admissions, but you should try to take BC in high school if you and your teachers think you’re prepared. If you’re not prepared right now, that’s fine too.
In my college, there’s an entry math requirement of Calculus 1,2, and 3 along with Discrete Structures just to be accepted as a Computer Science major. AP Calculus AB is good start and is equivalent to Calculus 1 in college. Similarly AP Calc BC is equivalent to Calculus 2. If you do take AB and BC that’s great but if you don’t, don’t worry about it because you can just take those classes in college.