@STEM2017 Honestly I’m jealous. I like the system at your school. Take AB one year, and then the rest of BC & multi-variable the next.
Our district has their head in the sand. Despite having record numbers of kids who finish Calculus their junior year. (Huge numbers than win math competitions.) They offer no higher math, don’t teach Physic C with Calculus. And those juniors are left taking AP Stats or AP Comp Science. (The later my son LOVES… so I’m fine with how it turned out.)
Thank you @Dolemite , I’ll ask DD to check it out.
Forgive my generalization. Of course it’s not important to all kids, but it is very important to my son and other engineering and/or physics students who will be sitting in lecture halls surrounded by students who have taken at least SOME calculus in high school.
@curiositycat333 You’ve taught me about how Calculus works in high school - thanks. I always felt that my son’s school was selling us short by not offering BC, but now I realize that his Calc II class is a better option.
@curiositycat333 I guess I need to clarify. I meant that powering through vs. dropping the class would be preferable if the senior was going into a STEM field. I never meant to imply that calc shouldn’t be taken again in college – even high school students who do well in the class can find benefit in that.
Also, about senior final exemption, it is offered to students who meet those requirements. It isn’t mandatory, and my D1 did take a final where she thought it could improve her grade.
Because Calc is often used as a weed-out course in college. I think a lot depends on whether you are planning on a LAC with small classes and a full professor that is concerned about you progress vs a large State U with 200 in the class and TAs teaching - add in the Pre-meds and Engineers fighting for the handful of As.
I don’t see a problem with learning Calc at a slower pace in HS, getting AP credit, and being able to start advanced classes a little sooner in college.
@STEM2017 I listened to a talk by a professor in the Engineering Dept at the local research university about this very subject. They stated emphatically they all they cared about was IF the students had the math to walk into their Calculus classes and do well. (Note… they weren’t admissions… you might need they class to be competitive enough to get accepted.) He cared more that students coming into his program had a really good grounding of Algebra, Geometry and Pre-Calculus. They were emphasizing don’t skimp on those classes because you feel you HAVE to get to Calculus.
I do know that if you don’t already have Calculus prior to starting an Engineering program, you are probably behind schedule and probably will need to take extra semesters to get everything to fit. Yes… if you want to do Engineering or Physics at university. And many top Engineering programs recommend you retake part of the sequence anyway. It’s a important to take Calculus before college if you are considering those fields. But it can be done and I know a young adult who are in Engineering programs who is doing quite well despite this fact.
But if @stlarenas doesn’t yet know what she wants, she isn’t likely going into an engineering program. Math is a subject dear to my heart. But I think more kids are pushed into Calculus than every really need it simply for the AP Credit & Status.
I need some wine. D is now relying on the UT forty acres extension (extended to December 8) and she still has 1 other essay that she hasn’t started and an SAQ. And she’s fallen back on her bad study/sleep habits. She says I shouldn’t “knock her methods.” I don’t like her methods. 
@curiositycat333 I will probably encourage my son to re-take intro calculus at the college level. Either he’ll get an easy A, or he’ll be challenged and learn different ways to solve problems.In either case, it will be a good way for him to transition to college level courses and professors.
An issue that can exist in taking calc in college if you never had it in high school is being in class with a bunch of kids who had some calc in high school. Makes it a lot tougher.
OK - thanks for all of the discussion, I appreciate it all. I think I am going to get her a tutor to get her through the end of this semester and let her drop the class next semester. She is doing well in AP Stats and likes math - I don’t want this one class to ruin that for her. Most of the class is worried about taking the AP Calc tests as all the kids appear to be struggling.
I “might” decide to fight the counselor about letting her take Calc AB next semester. I really feel like that is the best option as it will be a lot of review of this semester which is exactly what she needs - and I don’t think this change will really affect college admission decisions. If the GC won’t budge (or my D insists she doesn’t want this option) then we will need to pick a class for 2nd semester. D talked to the Gifted teacher and he said he would approve her to take his class - so maybe that would be ok (essentially a for-credit independent study class).
She did apply to 4 schools EA. 2 have mid-Dec decisions, 1 mid-Jan, and 1 mid-Feb. Will the GC just be able to note the course change on her mid-year transcript or is there an additional step to notifying them? Is this really going to be something that might hurt her from an admissions standpoint? I sure hope not.
@stlarenas Can you go up the administrative chain and speak to the principal? Get a second opinion about whether she could drop down to Calc A/B
@itsgettingreal17 Sounds like our house. Good gravy, teenagers!
@itsgettingreal17 yikes! I wouldn’t even want to think about that application!! How many essays??
@carachel2 It’s only one essay. But it’s one of those difficult diversity essays. And I won’t let her reuse one of her other diversity essays as I think the 40 Acres prompt is sufficiently different. She’s struggling to finish.
@HappyGoLucky2017 wrote
You should go to one of my favorite threads on CC, the Bag A Week Club:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1599005-the-bag-a-week-club-p1.html
Cap and gown are mandatory $120 buys. You’re not allowed to re-use other family member’s gowns (as per the email-D17 is our eldest so not an issue there, but I may test that not allowed theory next year with D18, who is the same height and weight as D17).
Sororities-I wasn’t in one, but if D17 finds one that’s a good fit for her, I have no issue with it. I think a lot of it depends on which school she chooses.
@stlarenas I’d lean hard on the Calc AB option and get the GC to explain why it’s “not allowed” and have her show you the policy in writing. If it turns out she can do it, I’d do it. I’d say shoot for getting into some kind of math class (do you have AP Stats there?) or getting a tutor if that works for you. D17 had to have a physics tutor for a month, and it made a huge difference.
I third using Wyzant. It’s yielded some great tutors.
Last day of class for me is Dec 12, then finals. I’m a little creatively drained from having three studios this semester. I have three next semester, and an additional portfolio production class, which is basically another studio devoted soley to making sure you don’t embarrass yourself at your senior defense and have good work to show. I will join some other people on here and have a nice glass of wine with the spaghetti I’m making tonight
^:)^
yes, Wyzant has worked for us in the past, though could not produce an AP Physics tutor for us this year. still struggling with that one.
Welcome @beachham and you too @MACncheez :-h
For @stlarenas 's situation, I’d vote for dropping Calc to reduce stress, one math class is plenty and it is ok to save some things for college.
If she decides to stick with it, pm if she wants a free skype peer tutor.
Oh, I need a bag a day club!
Good thing about having people over (thanksgiving) was that we had to purge piles of junk mail on the dining table and coffee tables so that we could use the space to eat 
Some of the stuff discarded was 3 years old :)) Lots of college mail got tossed too.