I have looked at some of the discussions from students, but not from parents, and most Juniors have gone only as far as Pre-calculus. My son is a junior and his counselor has told him it will hurt his chance to get into college, if he does not take AP Calc AB/BC he is taking Regular Calculus now it is the class to take before AP which is the highest math offered. He moved from CA to VA and had he stayed in CA he would be in AP and in community college math150/151 in senior year. When applications for college are sent out in the summer how does taking a math class in senior affect his admissions? I would like him to have the opportunity to take some electives to figure out where he might like to study. He is in a STEM academy now and has found a some niches, but can’t explore more because of the 1 year (2 semesters) AP class (they use block scheduling). What is the HARM in having a more exploratory senior year? Before I go fight to get this AP class off the books when he isn’t going to take the $150 test anyway. I would like to hear the explanation of why he needs it? We opted him out of AP courses for honors/Adv as the teachers don’t teach the subject they only teach to the test, at least the last one he had.
Is he aimed at STEM? Is he applying at competitive uni’s? I cannot imagine any parent encouraging a kid to bypass math in 12th? Even if he just did stats. Really, what is the bigger plan of area of study and kinds of schools, and what is his SAT or ACT?
Listen to your college counselor. Skipping a year of math in senior year is, for most students, a serious academic error, this quite apart from the perspective of college admissions.
Has not taken the SAT/ ACT yet. He is a boy and and his area of future study fluctuates like the wind. Which is why taking elective options like “business marketing” or “programming” or other he was interested in seems reasonable. I thought HS was a chance to explore what might interest you before going to college. Now it seems like a competitive push toward tracks and AP I don’t understand why we can’t let kids explore before getting to college and wasting $$$$$ because they find a new interest and a drop of a hair.
So he is 17? This boy?
I understand your logic. However, I would say if you feel he can handle the work then have him take AP Calc. Calculus is required for a majority of majors anymore. If he does well in the class and gets a good enough score on the AP test it may rid him of the need to take it in college and give him opportunities to explore classes through electives that would not be available in HS. If he chose to go into a STEM field he would either be able to move on to higher level math courses or have the advantage of being familiar with the material. A lot of kids don’t know what they want to study when they go into college and even those who do often end up changing their minds. Even after graduating careers often don’t conform with the degree someone gets. The best someone might hope to accomplish in HS is to prepare themselves as best as possible for the rigors of a college education. As a rule universities have many more resources to help students determine the fields they maybe interested in than high schools.
16 will be 17 in Aug.
I appreciate your perspective @SAHMof2. Unfortunately, it seems like high school is a rat race to acquire AP’s, EC’s and a plethora of other highly-ranked acronyms just to get into college. You are the one who knows your son best so at the end of the day, do what makes him happy and do what is best for him.
You say his interests change and you just want him to explore his options. That’s great. It’s better to have him explore now then go to college and do the same thing for a much steeper price! I don’t personally recommend skipping math senior year, especially if he wants to possibly go into the STEM field. If there’s some way he can just do the CC course and possibly get dual enrollment credit for it, that would be the optimal route if your family isn’t a fan of AP’s.
Otherwise, maybe you should let him take AP Calculus. Your son is clearly on an advanced math track so doing the AP senior year may get him some college credit. Of course doing the Dual Enrollment course would probably give credit too so you can go either way. I know that it seems–especially around here–that it’s AP or die (I thought the phrase was ‘give me liberty or give me death’? 
) but trust me: you don’t HAVE to do it to prove you are a stellar student. Does AP cater to the test? Absolutely. At the end of the day, they want to see that 5. A 5, a 4, or even a 3 doesn’t matter in the full realm of things. It doesn’t make or break a student and it shouldn’t impact your son at all.
SO tl;dr do a math senior year. It’s your choice to do AP.
Well, the reality is you shut down his choices because of your own bias. What does he say? What is his PSAT then? This math track doesn’t; seem advanced though, selective schools will have most students coming into stem subjects with at least AB calc. Many will be BC or more. The idea that AP robs kids of their childhood makes me LOL though, I do hear that from parents and I wonder where it comes from? Is he cleaning chimneys on his days off?
"Well, the reality is you shut down his choices because of your own bias."
@Alfonsia While this is a reality, this is an allowed reality. Parents are certainly permitted to have an input in their child’s education. Take for example the PARCC debate going on in New Jersey. I heard that NJ wouldn’t allow students to be considered for gifted and talented programs if parents opted their children out of taking the PARCC. While this may not “seem” right, I wouldn’t consider it cruel that this mother wants her child to learn, not have material shoved down his throat to prepare for a heavily congested test in May.
" When applications for college are sent out in the summer how does taking a math class in senior affect his admissions?"
It depends on which universities he applies to. Most selective universities use rigor of curriculum as a very important factor in their admission decisions right up there with GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If he were to choose to apply to UVA or Virginia Tech lets say it could be the difference between getting accepted or denied admission. At a less selective university it probably won’t make much difference.
While it may not be “necessary” (depending on which colleges and which majors he may want to apply to), it’s definitely recommended. Our HS recommends that students take 4 years of math (regardless of which level they are at)… Kids who don’t want to take AP Calc will sometimes choose AP Stats instead. I understand the desire for him to have more time for electives, but it “may” hurt his applications next year (again, depending on where he wants to apply). Taking a 4th year of math just keeps his options open.
Why AP? Because non-AP classes can be stultifying, filled with students who slow the pace to a crawl and suck enjoyment out of learning the material. All the students you “want to be with” are taking the AP version.
Why Math senior year? This from a Cambridge University website (https://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/prospective/year10and11s/gapyear.html ):
His schools up until HS did not have AP options. He went to a Charter Stem Oriented Middle school. He chose to take Adv. not AP math as he likes math and did not want to lose his Like/love of math by having it rammed down his throat for a test. The track here has them take Regular Calculus to prep for AP. He is also one of only 5 Juniors in his Calculus class. Most are Seniors. We have together chosen not to do AP English or History and opted for Honors as the real world tech really don’t care for AP in those unless it is your major. My kid was already stressed enough moving from CA to VA right before junior the added pressure of AP he did not want. He chose not to take the AP test in world history. in 10th grade. He hated the class but LOVES history so does that tell you why he doesn’t have a desire for AP. He reads everything he can on history and watches all of those channels and for him to come saying he hates history made him decide not to stress and end up hating something he likes a lot. HS requires 4 math courses he has taken 7 already. this would be 8. Pre Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-calculus, Prob/Stats and now Calculus. He also taken Physics, Chem, Bio, and now has to take a 4th science. He has 4 core classes he will have to take next year because of move. A missing history (CA requires 3, VA requires 4), Honors Eng, Honors US GOV. and 4th Science Biology/ Ecology. Plus his STEM, 1 elective and AP math. We as parents feel that 7 math courses already when he could take a Business course or an extra STEM course would be just as beneficial. I guess he just needs to get busy hunting for colleges.
Most colleges will be satisfied with what he’s completed. My elder son only completed Algebra II (no Pre-Calc.), and he got into Rutgers (our state flagship). They actually called his college counselor to confirm that he met their basic requirements before admitting him. My younger son took the equivalent of Pre-Calc. (IB/SL “Math Studies”), and AP Statistics. I doubt that opting for Calculus over Statistics as a senior (which most folks here on CC will say is essential for college admissions) would have made any difference whatsoever in his admissions outcomes. He got into some very selective colleges, and rejected from a few reaches that would have been reaches with or without Calculus.
@woogzmama Yes, Rutgers is a great example. They only require I think 2 years of certain subjects. The whole 3-4 years of everything rule only applies if people apply to the cream of the crop (Ivies, highly selective schools).
If he isn't aiming at stem or selective, then it won't really matter then. At this stage he should know better than you how to plan his educational strategy for his plans. As it'sjustschool implys above, in many schools the difference between AP and non ap is that the committed students are in the AP classes.
Well, it shouldn’t matter. But it does. The sad fact is that universities increasingly require four years of math – and not just the ivies or for kids applying to STEM programs. The MD system requires it, even though I believe that not all MD counties require more than 3! (What gives with that? How can a state system require more math than its own public schools? As far as I know, Montgomery County requires 4 years but many others don’t … so, uh, chalk up one more advantage for kids from Bethesda. Other kids might not even be told they’ll need those 4 years! Whoops.)
The CO system requires it, and good heavens, CU-Boulder has 84% admit! (Wonderful school, I love it that they’ve stuck with their broader admit policy and give lots of kids a chance, but only with 4 years of Math? Even for English and Art majors?!? I do hope the CO public schools give non-math kids a sensible option such as Life Math – learning how to budget and so on, which of course is a good idea – but I don’t know if they do or not.)
VA seems to have a wider range of options. William and Mary is flexible on all four years of math. George Mason recommends but doesn’t require a third year. So if you’re in VA, there are more good, affordable options to check out. But it seems that, increasingly, if a kid can’t prove they’ve taken a full schedule of useful life skills for future artists and writers such as finding functions without a second derivative, they knock themselves out of contention for a surprising range of schools that aren’t just the ivies – including their own in-state schools.
Private colleges will presumably be more flexible on what they require, but not so easy on the budget LOL. And they’re not options at ALL for the kids who most need to rely on the state schools … which they might not be considered for without 4 years of math. I’d do a sit-in if it would make a difference. Instead, I just make sure that my son, who wants to study history and writing, takes his 4 years of math 
Why is it unusual for the state universities to require more course work than that required for high school graduation? Not every high school graduate will be going directly to a state university, so it is entirely possible that a state can have high school graduation standards that do not include everything that a state university requires for entrance.
For example, California requires 3 years of English and math through algebra 1 for high school graduation, but its state universities require 4 years of English and math through geometry and algebra 2 (of course, to be competitive for admission for the most selective campuses and majors, math through precalculus or calculus is preferred). High school graduation requirements include 2 years of physical education, which are not required by the state universities.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/hs/hsgrmin.asp
http://www.calstate.edu/sas/onestopkiosk/documents/csu-uc-a-gcomparisonmatrix.pdf
I have no idea if it’s unusual or not, but it feels just plain wrong. I get it about highly selective state flagships having those kinds of requirements, but for an entire public system to lock kids out? Over 3 vs 4 years of Math? For all majors? Well, at least the history majors will be able to calculate how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.