Question About Calculus BC

<p>I will be a sophomore this upcoming school year, and I will be taking AP Calculus BC. However, because I plan to major in math or science, I really want to take more math courses, and there have recently been severe cuts to dual enrollment in colleges near me so this is not a likely option. Are there any online courses that are credible and would look good to a Ivy</p>

<p>I suggest taking a more discrete course such as number theory, or try competitions such as AMC/AIME/USAMO. These will definitely help you be more “well-rounded” in terms of math ability, as you’ll be able to do proofs and be creative with finding the solution to a problem (e.g. proving an inequality using an entirely geometric method, which students almost never see in a standard HS textbook). Also, qualifying for AIME/USAMO is a big plus on any college application.</p>

<p>You don’t necessarily need to rush through all the calculus, group theory, real/complex analysis, or algebraic geometry courses. Calc BC is definitely a good course, but don’t complete the standard calculus curriculum without knowing how to do proofs, for example.</p>

<p>This article basically sums it up: [The</a> Calculus Trap](<a href=“http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Resources/articles.php?page=calculustrap]The”>Don’t Fall into the Calculus Trap)</p>

<p>AoPS also has some good online courses.</p>

<p>Thanks for your reply. I am actually an active member of AoPS and I know about the Calculus Trap. The reason why I am taking Calculus this upcoming year is so I can start studying calculus-based physics. I have taken some courses on AoPS and have almost all their textbooks, of which I am currently in the process of reading the Precalculus book. My school doesn’t offer any courses after BC, and I do not want colleges to deem it as if I have not taken any math courses for two years. Thus, I am in need of credible online courses. I am only aware of EPGY, but am not certain if I am eligible for that.</p>

<p>Ah, okay. Have you taken the AMC exams?</p>

<p>You can also see if your school, by any chance, would be willing to offer multi-variable calculus the next year…that’s what my school did, since there was enough interest. That’s how I took multi-variable calculus my senior year. A few juniors are also taking linear algebra next year.</p>

<p>I took the AMC 10 in February, but I did not know of AoPS too long before that, so I didn’t qualify for AIME. I expect to do much better next year. I will talk to my Math Department Chair about that option, thank you.</p>

<p>Alright. Yeah, qualifying for AIME definitely helps on any college application. However, if you want to aim for USAMO/USAJMO, you’ll probably need at least an 8-9 on AIME.</p>

<p>Sure, you can definitely do that. However, my school’s a charter school, so they were easily able to offer a multi-variable class (during lunch time, not during any regular period). For a public school, it might be a bit harder…</p>