Pre-Calculus Honors vs AP Calculus AB?

Applying to College
1

I’m taking Trig course over the summer to get ahead to AP Calculus AB instead of taking just Pre-Calculus Honors. I really do not want to take the summer course. Do colleges really care if I am taking the more challenging of the two courses? My guidance counselor said it would look good but idk???

2

What is the normal math sequence at your school and what are you proposing for your sequence.

3

It depends on the nature of this Trig course. Is it being offered by a licensed virtual school? Is it generally accepted as more rigorous than Pre-Calc? In the end, Calc AB is a shove-off compared to Calc BC, so aim to take the latter course during high school in order to “look good.”

4

Just take Precalc. Its easier, less stressful, and still looks good on your transcript.

5

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want to go to pretty selective schools like Vanderbilt, Rice, Princeton (major reach)…
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And you have an ACT 30, which is a strong score by itself, but not competitive for those schools w/o a major hook…recruited athlete, male URM, etc.

What is your major and career goal? At some schools, if you were applying directly into (say) engineering, and your school offers AP Calc and you only took pre-cal, that will not look good. If you took Calc, but not AP Calc, that probably would be ok because it may appear that you couldn’t fit the AP version in your schedule.

But if you’re not applying (directly) into eng’g, taking pre-Calc may not matter…but to highly selective schools like V, R, and P, then your ACT would likely keep you out.

What is your major and career goal?

How much will your parents pay each year? Ask them…

6

precalc honors is regarded universally (at our school its the hardest math class over AP Calc BC) as an extremely difficult course. most times, you can skip to calc BC by taking precalc honors. go for it! it definitely looks REALLY good, and will help you for sure to develop good study, listening, and test taking habits. most people who go precalc honors to AP calc BC are WAY more successful than the ones who went from AP Calc AB to AP Calc BC.
if you take the AP calc AB route, you will sit in calc BC for a LONG time before learning new things, which can be a blessing or a curse.
late but hope it helped!

7

At our school precalc honors, AB, then BC is considered a normal and acceptable route. I think it’s way too slow.