Is AP Calc necessary ??

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northwestern University
1

Hey guys. So I go to a pretty good school that is really STEM (Science technology engineering and math) oriented, and like all of the smartest kids want to go into that area. However, I plan on applying ED to Medill. My grades are really good (Never gotten a B, only 1 A-) and I have taken loads of difficult classes, with 5 APs and an honors junior year, and am taking 6 APs and an honors senior year. The ones I have taken/ are going to take are:
AP US 1
AP US 2
AP LIT (junior)
AP PSYCHOLOGY
AP MACRO
AP ENVIRO
AP LIT (senior)
AP MICRO
AP PHYSICS 1 (School offers 1, 2 and C)
AP STATISTICS
AP COMPUTER SCIENCE
AP GOV POL

HONORS LIT I
HONORS LIT II
HONORS WORLD HISTORY
HONORS CHEMISTRY
HONORS LATIN II
HONORS LATIN III
HONORS LATIN IV

So those are the classes, and I have gotten all As in the ones I have already finished! BUT, there is no AP Calc, and Only Physics 1. I’m not into math and science, and took just academic calculus during my junior year (A). Do you think that this is a problem, because after all I am a Medill prospective. It has just been a little frustrating because these kids always like laugh that I don’t take calc when i work hard in many, many other difficult classes.

FYI, if it helps my SAT was a 2220 (800W, 770M, 650 CR… CR Is the only part that bugs me because I’m a medillite)
ECs: Started/president of tutoring program 4 years , tv sports anchor 4 years, newspaper 4 years (EiC junior and senior), 3 honors societies with leadership position in all 3), technical director and editor of all the school plays, swimming intern where I published an article on the largest swimming website in the world and it made a headline, Northwestern summer program, Harvard video journalism class, volunteered in the Dominican Republic for 3 weeks

Just this Calc thing is bothering me, and feel free to comment about anything else, or the CR score that is pestering me

2

Looks like a great profile overall. I would not be worried about calculus given you are applying to Medill. I would suggest taking the SAT again to get a higher CR score if possible.

3

Bring up your CR or try the ACT. It needs to be higher.

4

@CaliCash what was your CR? Wasn’t it around 650 too?

5

If you weren’t applying ED, and didn’t have nothing lower than A- in all honors AP classes I’d maybe tell you to raise you critical reading score for Medill. Your SAT is GREAT in the top percentile, and AP calc doesn’t matter if your not majoring in a math/sci field since your grades are amazing in everything you’ve taken. With a halfway decent essay you shouldn’t have ANY problem getting in ED-- I wouldn’t even worry about SAT/ACT testing anymore unless you’re aiming Ivy League or something RD on the slim chance you get rejected. Sit back, relax, and try to breathe sometime between now and December :-).

6

The volume of AP doesn’t matter as much as the right AP. Agree the CR could be improved. What that and AP calc would do is make OP more competitive in a highly competitive pool of applicants. It’s not all about whether a candidate meets minimums. And is AP Lit the only advanced level English course? These decisions have to make sense.

7

@lookingforward first of all, what does OP mean? And I can’t really tell are you saying not talking calc and my CR is bad or okay? Sorry probably just me. Also, I’ve taken all of the English classes my school offers(some academic level electives) which include:
Jounalism (A for the year)
Speech (A+ for the year)
Creative Writing (A+ for the year)
Media Communications 1
Media Communications 2
Media 3
Media 4 (all 4 media’s I got an A+)
Honors English 1 freshman year (A-… My only one in my high school career)
Honors English 2 (A+)
AP Lit 1 (A)
Taking AP lit 2 as a senior.

In the humanities area I also took AP US 1, AP US 2, AP PSYCH, honors world history, AP GOV POL senior year, and self studied AP Human Geo and got a 5. The only one I didn’t take was AP European history but only because I didn’t want to take 3 histories in 1 year and no Econ or physics
Let me know

8

OP means you, “original poster.”
Competition at NU will be high. The classes you noted in #6 help us get an idea of what more you did dig into. We don’t know what your hs offers, in total. But some of those AP classes are one semester, right? Basically, an intro? Does the school offer both AP English courses and include emphasis on composition?

If you think my opinion can help, feel free to pm.

9

All of the APs are full year classes. Junior year AP LIT’s full name was AP Lit and Composition… Why does that matter ? I took every English and humanity with the highest level, and just overall including normal academic classes because speech, jounalism, creative writing, and the medias were all 1/2 year, semester classes with no honors or AP, because every student has to take 2 electives each semester.

10

It matters because you want a major that includes the ability to interpret and communicate. Which is why the 650 also matters. On your own, you’ve made some good steps. The issue is Medill, the competition to get into NU.

Bottom line is you may need to take a hard look at what these colleges expect and see how you will best present yourself to adcoms, via the whole app, how you make all this make sense to them. Was AP lang and composition not available?

11

@lookingforward do you think if I write good essays then I have a good chance? Maybe a percentage… That would help. I did get all As in high school and have good and relevant extracurriculars so hopefully that, and my perfect writing can overlook the reading. Thanks so much

12

This Sept, you will be a junior?

13

@lookingforward , no, senior

14

In a March post, you seem to refer to yourself as a soph.

You need to get a serious read on what NU expects, what they like in students, the sorts they brag about and see how you match. That’s not all about stats, some focused ECs, and the path you want. Also get a sample of the Common App and any supp, see what you will need to respond to.

If “academic calc” was regular, at least you have that. We can’t predict the pool or just how well other kids will present themselves. I had to jump through several of your threads to get an idea of what you have done. You need someone to seriously work with you on the writing aspects, polish. I don’t think that should be a CC person- see if a current teacher can help you focus, tighten the writing, and reduce the casual, while keeping it natural. (Eg, you wrote. “I go to a pretty good school that is really STEM…and like all of the smartest kids want to go into that area.” That came across, initially, as, just like all the others, you want stem.)

All those media electives in combo with such a range of APs (enviro, CS,) but no 2nd AP English…you’ll need to somehow decide why that range was important to you. As an adcom runs down the transcript, he/she will be looking for it to make sense. The question about the 650 can be, is it a strong enough indicator for this field?

I’d say, look at the other top J schools, read their pages and re-read them, to see what sorts of activity the field values, what sorts of individuals the colleges show off, to glean what makes a good candidate, in general. And start tomorrow. I think you can get away without AP calc, IF you can conjure up a strong presentation in the app (much more than a routine chance me list of I did this and that. And remember how “show, not just tell” works.) And then, it will depend on the pool. Have some safeties you love. No one can predict an admit. Best of luck.

15

@lookingforward I apologize if I come off as not well focused. I can assure you that this is just like a blog for me where I can let off some stress and anxiety, because I am very well focused. Please disregard any grammar issues I just wrote what I was feeling, and then clicked submit. I have never published and will never publish something like I have written and will always read everything over, many times. But this is not that kind of situation. There is no one who wants to go to NU more than me, and in my application I will be sure to convey that, and everything that I do inside and outside of school is so I can better my chances at getting to Evanston. And if I was unclear before, I have taken all the AP Englishes that I could, junior and senior year. I don’t know where you got the idea that I didnt. My mistake, though.

16

@lookingforward I am also curious if you are a student, teacher, adult, etc., and what kind of background and experience you have

17

Will pm you.