<p>hi, i'm a junior right now working on my senior schedule- i'm probably taking AB calc next year instead of BC since i'm taking 3 other APs (euro, english, and french), an honors class, and a mentoring program so i don't have the time for the hardest math class especially since although i enjoy math, it's not the field i'm going into. Calc AB at my school is marked as an honors/ap class (instead of an accelerated/ap class, which is what it was called in previous years) like Calc BC but a lot of students go into it from accelerated math and i'm taking honors right now. so i was wondering- will taking AB instead of BC be seen as a step down?
thanks for your feedback! :)</p>
<p>EDIT: just to give more info, my counselor said my courseload is still "most rigorous" so overall i'm ok, i'm just wondering how they'll view my math class</p>
<p>Calc BC covers the AB material by semester break. Thus, BC covers more material. So, ‘yes’, it is “lesser” than BC. Whether adcoms care is a different issue. It also matters on whether you are applying to highly selective colleges. (The kids in our HS aiming for the Ivies et al, take 5/6 AP’s senior year…)</p>
<p>It’s seen as “lesser” than BC (we just started the extra BC topics when the AB class is obviously not done with AB yet) but I don’t think it’s seen as a “lesser” AP like Psych and APES are. If you take BC senior year, I think it will be fine. However, I think not finishing the possible math sequence when you have the opportunity to would lead me to believe you’re not too interested in math.</p>
<p>I, obviously, chose BC but I’m a senior so it’s different. You can take BC next year.</p>
<p>If you are trying to build an academically masochistic schedule, by all means go for the BC. On the other hand, I am taking AP AB this year and I hate it. It’s not because its too much work. It’s just boring and there is no fun involved, not to mention that unless you want to go into math or engineering, almost none of it is applied (has real-life application). Next year, instead of taking BC, I will take AP Statistics, which is taught by the same guy as my current AB class, but it’s all word problems and stuff you can use in the regular world.</p>
<p>thanks for your feedback everyone!</p>
<p>@bluebayou: i am applying to a few super selective colleges; do you think they’ll look down on it if the rest of my schedule is very rigorous? just for perspective, even if 5-6 APs is the norm at your school, at mine even the top students rarely take more than 3. no matter what you think of what makes a schedule rigorous, assuming mine is rigorous enough do you think my math choice will hurt me?</p>
<p>@zxch555: oh, that’s too bad; that’s one of my concerns about AB calc- although BC will probably be too time-consuming i’m afraid of being really bored in AB. i guess i’ll talk to my current math teacher about it to see what the AB class at our school is like…</p>
<p>sorry OP, I have absolutely no idea how adcoms perceive the difference.</p>
<p>@zxch555: sorry, but you will find that Calc is required for business, econ, and some of the social sciences in college, i.e., more than just math/engineering/physical types. While I agree that Stats is an excellent course, the simple fact is that Stats only requires an Alg I background. (Sure, your HS may require Alg II, but the course content does not.) In contrast, Calc requires higher-level math skills than Stat – which is more applied math. In any event, if you think you may need Calc in college, its much better to take in HS, IMO.</p>
<p>fwiw: Dartmouth even states on its website that it prefers to see Calc, particularly if offered at your HS.</p>
<p>zxch555: So you’re saying that math has no practical applications… unless you’re doing math?</p>
<p>OP: I am a senior now in English AP, Physics, Calc BC, and IB European 20th Century. All I can say is that yes, BC is my hardest class. But it is by far my most interesting. I am also someone who likes math, and that class is the only one which is fun and interesting daily. True, we have lost 40% of the class since September, but I think it’s worth it. I’m going into Bio (or maybe Biomed engineering) and I still think getting a headstart on having a practical, high level knowledge of math is invaluable. The AB kids are bored and work at a slow, easy pace (though they still have trouble). My advice is to take it, because it’s useful, fun, and honestly not as bad as everyone says.</p>
<p>For those who aren’t math inclined, it might make more sense to take AB. My school doesn’t allow students to take BC before AB, and as someone whose not particularly gifted at math, this is a blessing. BC this year is much easier after having had a year for the more fundamental concepts to sink in. If you don’t grasp math concepts easily, go for AB.</p>
<p>Calc is definitely applicable in real life</p>
<p>^For sure. Yet, I do understand why some high school students tend to think it is not. You can’t see from the top of the building when you’re still climbing on the elevator.</p>
<p>It really depends on the individual. Some people are more mathematically inclined than others, and can handle a more rigorous schedule. AB may be seen as a “lesser” AP class compared to BC, but there really is no point in taking it if you know you won’t be able to deal with the work. You will be handling other challenging things at the same time, and AB is not necessarily a deal breaker. If you are eyeing selective schools, BC would be the better choice IF you are confident you can manage your time effectively.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Many schools, including mine won’t let you take Calc BC before AB… because honestly you need to learn how to do Calc before you start doing multivariable calc. Pretty simple as that… I still can’t understand how people skip AB? Its like Organic Chem without even taking an intro chem course.</p>
<p>Calc BC doesn’t include multivariable calculus. It covers all the topics covered in AB and then some extra topics, but it’s not like it’s a completely different class.</p>
<p>I learned the calc ab curriculum the summer before junior year in about a week. It is definitely possible to skip it.</p>
<p>You should consider your school’s particular situation too. For example, at my school, AB is a lot harder than BC, as in AB gets 20 multiple choice + 10 free response on every test while BC gets 7 free response questions with partial credit.</p>
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<p>And many schools do not even offer AB as a stand-alone course. It’s BC or Stats.</p>
<p>IMO, AP Stats would be looked upon as the least AP if AP Calc AB is lesser AP. Also, AP Calculus AB is much harder to ace in my school than BC, grades are solely based on tests and quizzes.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, even the top top top schools offer precalculus classes, let alone calculus classes. It makes sense then that doing well in AP Calculus, AB or BC, will reflect well on your application. Don’t overthink this.</p>
<p>It’s like asking the difference between Chemistry and Chemistry Honors.</p>
<p>One’s more rigorous.</p>
<p>On that note, AP Calculus BC demands more of the student and covers a greater variety of subjects in far greater depth. The difficult discrepancy is prodigious.</p>
<p>If you’re going to major in math, science or engineering, you should probably consider BC Calc. If you’re going to major in the liberal arts, BC Calc is probably more math than you’ll ever need.</p>