<p>im a rising junior and im wondering if ap calculus is really necessary when applying. Im looking at top private liberal arts colleges and thinking about majoring in something along the lines of pyschobiology. I have straight As and plan on taking 8 AP classes, ive already taken 4. I play a varsity sport and have strong extracurriculars and teacher recommendations. Also Im interning at the top medical school in the country next summer in one of their neurology labs. Sorry if that all sounded super ******y and obnoxious but I didnt know if that information would change your answers. Ive already taken geometry and i would be taking algebra 2 my junior year. If i followed this path the only math classes available to me senior year would be AP statistics and precalc. I have the option of taking algebra 2 this summer for all of August as a kind of sped up version of the course. If i were to do this i would be able to take AP calculus senior year. So my question is, will me not taking AP calculus in highschool hurt my chances of getting into these very selective schools?</p>
<p>No AP calculus on your app is fine. It is more important to do well in the APs you do take. I don’t think you should rush through Algebra II in the summer.</p>
<p>It’s better to stay on your current track and do well than to rush through an integral algebra II course over the summer and not have a strong foundation for calculus. </p>
<p>Calculus isn’t necessary in high school, you’ll be fine without it. Just be sure to get through pre-calc.</p>
<p>Is it necessary if you took precalc as a junior…?</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter what your intended major is, it matters if you are taking the most rigorous schedule that you can handle. For selective schools you target 3 to 4 years of math, with 4 recommended. I’d want the calculus if I was applying to selective schools. (Just to illustrate, my daughter took Geometry and Alg II concurrently sophomore yr so she could get to calc by Sr year). But having to take the Alg II in one month doesn’t sound ideal. In this case I’d do the alg II in Jr year and the precalc Sr year. That is a solid plan and shows you covered your core classes to the best of your ability.</p>
<p>So BrownParent, if I took precalc as a junior is it a big deal if I take AP stats and not calc?</p>
<p>Someone who took precalculus as a junior would be expected to take calculus as a senior if available if s/he intended to major in something that needs calculus (e.g. engineering, any science, economics, or business).</p>