Preferred/ More Practical Math Class

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

Hi!
I’m currently a high school junior planning my senior classes. I feel pretty certain about all of my decisions, except for the match class options. If I plan on going into the humanities, and for sure not any math or science-based major, would it be more beneficial/ practical for me to enroll in AP Calculus or AP Probability and Statistics? I’ve spoken with my counselor and teachers who have all informed me that Calc would be the more challenging class but would count for math credits when transferred at the college level, whereas Prob & Stats would most likely just be counted as an elective credit. Is this true for Brown and most other private schools?

2

I am not totally certain, but from what I have seen on AP Credit charts, Statistics is much rarer and less rewarded than Calculus.

3

Thanks! And I meant *math (not match).

4

I attended an admissions talk at Brown last year where the admissions officer said they expected to see calculus as part of a rigorous high school schedule.

5

That’s certainly the case for Brown, which give no AP credit for stats.
https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/degree/policies/advanced-placement

6

To be clear, at Brown, these APs may earn you “credit” for the course, but none of it actually helps with Brown graduation course requirements. It’ll simply get you placement into a higher-level course in the same department. If you’re planning on staying in the humanities in college and never again taking another math class, it really won’t matter what you take once you’re in college. However, for showing off that you’re well-rounded to admissions, Calc would be better than Stats.

7

Calculus is more rigorous and therefore better preparation for college. Additionally, many colleges will require you to take calculus in order to graduate so taking calculus will either fulfill your requirement or make the college calculus class easier should you not go to Brown. Finally, I’m taking the two and AP Statistics is very easy in comparison to Calculus. Calculus has been very interesting and rewarding and i wholeheartedly recommend it to you.