Hello!
Ok so I am a senior this year, and my top choice university is Notre Dame. I’ve been really stressing out about it because especially this past year their admissions got a whooole lot more competitive. So this past week has been my first week of school, and I am currently enrolled in AP Calculus. The problem is we got a new teacher this year who has never taught AP Calculus before, and so the teaching isn’t the best. It’s only been five days and I’m already drowning under the work and I failed the first quiz (literally, I bombed it) and our homework is to complete an entire section of the textbook a night (40 problems +, many of which have multiple parts). I’m beginning to doubt that I will be able to get an A in this class (I’ve only ever gotten a B once, so I’m very anxious about this). I have the option to drop down to AP stat, which is a much, much easier class at my school. However, I’m worried that schools like Notre Dame will see I didn’t take the hardest math class offered and not want to accept me.
Would colleges in general, but particularly top 20 schools, rather see a C in AP Calculus or an A in AP stat?
I need an answer ASAP, because the last day I’m allowed to switch is this Tuesday. Thank you so much!
Well you have to keep in mind that most colleges won’t bother themselves much with your senior classes and transcript. The exception to this is that some selective colleges (I would assume Notre Dame as well) do not want you to fail any classes senior year. This would be D’s and F’s and they may even rescind your admission if you do so. I am not too sure about getting a C, but if the class is this hard for you in the beginning, then I do not think you should be taking it. Best of Luck!
PetEngineer makes a good argument here. I’d say a A in Stat is better than a C in Calc. But taking AP Calc will look better on your application, making your schedule look a bit more rigorous. If you make a B or C in AP Calc, no problem. But a D or worse could cause your admission to be rescinded. Sorry about the ambiguous answer. Hope some more posters weigh in. (Also, when does your school’s first semester grades come out? Are you applying ED anywhere, and when are RD apps due? Most are by Jan. 1).
thank you everyone! I think as of right now I am leaning towards sticking with AP calc for at least the first semester, and then if it really becomes too much, to switch out into a different class in second semester, although I haven’t made a final decision yet. To answer your questions- our first semester does not end until January 13th, so unless schools specifically ask me for a mid year report or I get straight As, I just won’t send them in. Also, I took regular calculus my junior year so my only math options are AP stat and AP and calc.
It wouldn’t be good to get a C, but it’s not necessarily realistic to think that you’ll get one, considering that you already took calculus and have done much better in previous math classes. It might be a good idea to talk to the teacher on Monday. Tell them you’re not sure you’re prepared for the class based on your performance so far, and ask for advice. They have more perspective on the class as a whole and can probably tell you if the quiz failure is actually a sign of anything. Of course, if you’re not interested in math and you’re not planning to major in a math-related field, this advice is less relevant and you’d probably be better off switching.
If you took AP ABCalc then I would switch to AP Stat. If you haven’t taken AP Calc I would hire a tutor immediately if you can afford it or else look to some online sites (maybe Khan academy? I imagine there are others as well) to get additional instruction. We had the same situation with my D in HS and found that a weekly tutor made all the difference in the world as the tutor was able to teach my D the material in a coherent manner. It was an expense, but my D was a STEM major in college and we felt that it was important that she learn the material.
Did you already take regular calc or was it regular pre-calc? I’m trying to follow why you would take AP calc if you already took regular calc so maybe you meant to say pre-calc? Or is it that you took Calc AB and are now taking AP Calc BC? It’s important to factor in what you plan to major in. If it is STEM related, then the colleges prefer to see Calc rather than Stats if it is offered at your school and in your case it is.
I understand your dilemma because my son was conflicted over which to register for because some of the selective colleges indicate they would like to see math through calculus. My son will not be a STEM major and AP Stats would be the best choice for his major. However, he was still concerned. His pre-calc teacher encouraged him to take both. The selective STEM schools have a standard beyond calc.
Regarding not sending the mid-year report, not sending the mid-year school report may not be an option particularly at top 20 schools. If you created your common app account, you will see the documents the school requires under the ‘Recommenders and FERPA’ section. If you don’t see this it may be that you still need to link your school naviance account to the common app. Your school will automatically send the mid-year report to those that require it and will send a final report to all of the schools you apply to. There is also a form within these Recommendation forms called “Optional Form” which your counselor can fill out if there is a change in your courses that occurs which I guess is sent if the courses change after the mid-year report. You might want to discuss this with your family over the weekend and then see if you can speak to your college counselor Tuesday morning to determine what is best for you. Personally, I don’t think one course/ grade makes or breaks an app but depending on the course and your intended area of study, it could be a problem. It’s best to speak to your college counselor.
@AMS9898…An A in AP Stat is much better than a C in AP Calc. Also, is the work required in AP Calc affecting your other classes? You definitely want a strong first half senior year.
Good luck with your decision.
Excellent point @funfatdaddy. @AMS9898, if your AP Calc course is a co-requisite for another course like a physics course, you want to factor that into your decision.
Notre Dame actually addresses this on their website. For applicants to Mendoza and most College of Arts and Letters programs, they require 3 units of math - algebra 1 and 2 and geometry. For applicants to the Colleges of Science, Engineering, Architecture, and a couple of more quantitative majors in Arts & Letters, they want 4 units of math including an “advanced mathematics” course that can be calculus or pre-calculus. Notre Dame also says that their most competitive applicants have 4 units of math.
So, calculus overall would probably look slightly better, especially if you are applying to a science or engineering major. However, AP Statistics is still a pretty rigorous class, and it’s better to have an A than a C. Plus you’ve already taken calculus and, I assume, have already met the requirements for any of the majors at ND. So an A in AP Statistics would most likely be a better option than a C in AP Calculus, especially since you’ve already taken calculus last year.
A C in an AP will not look good as it’ll imply you can’t handle Calculus at a high school pace (the fact our teacher is new and gives 40 problems a night won’t factor in for adcoms.) i’it’ll cast a shadow as to your ability to handle stem classes in college.
An A in statistics will be better.
Was the class you took calculus or pre-calculus?
Thanks everyone! Wow- so many responses!!! a few of you guys have asked so I thought I would clear this up-
I took pre-calculus my sophomore year
And then I took calculus with applications my junior year
and now its my senior year- as of right now I’m leaning towards AP stat
If push already took calculus junior year, a C in calculus BC would look especially worrisome to Adcoms. Take statistics and use that time for college apps.
a few of you guys have asked so I thought I would clear this up-