I’m a current junior filling out my schedule right now. My two options for my senior year math course are AP AB Calc or AP Stat. While AP AB Calc probably looks better and is more rigorous than AP Stat, I’m worried that I will get a poor grade in the class (possibly even a C). At my school, AP Stat is much less work than the AP Calc courses, and I think I would enjoy it a lot more.
I should also probably provide some background: I’ve never been very good at math. Freshman year, I took Honors Algebra 2 (two semester B’s). Sophomore year, I took Regular Precalc (one semester B, one semester A). Junior year, I’m taking Honors Calculus (most likely expecting two semester A’s). So I’ve already fulfilled my calculus credit but only in an honors class and during online classes which cut a lot of content. I go to a pretty competitive school, and most of my friends take AP Calc AB or BC junior year – I’m worried that especially in the context of my school, my schedule will be considered less rigorous.
Moreover, I’m aiming for top liberal arts colleges (Williams, Amherst, Pomona), alongside other T20s (Brown, Emory, etc) as a philosophy major. I’m not sure how integral taking AP AB Calc is to my education besides the course rigor.
My current senior year schedule:
AP Lit, AP Euro, AP Research, AP AB Calc (or AP Stat), and three other elective courses in science, social studies, and world languages.
Maybe check out the standardized curriculum/topics for AP Calc AB online? Watch a few videos and see if the material seems like it could be difficult/how much it overlaps with the Honors Calculus course you’re taking this year. If you continue to feel badly about it, I would go with AP Stats. Most humanities intersect with Statistics in some respect, so this may actually prove valuable in the context of your prospective major. Even though you express concern that it might not read well with admissions, at the end of the day, I think the possibility of earning a low grade could diminish your chances much more than taking; it seems like you have a very rigorous schedule as is. Plus, AP Stats is still an AP math!
Philosophy does require some logical thinking; the high school subjects that are closest to that are math (particularly with proofs as sometimes seen in geometry), computer science, and statistics.
Okay, thanks for the feedback! I think I’m going to take AP Stats instead of AP AB Calc. Really quickly, I have a follow-up question: should I swap out one of my elective courses (probably the world language) for AP Human Geo to make up for course rigor? My understanding is that AP Human Geo isn’t very difficult, and is mostly about thematic concepts (which I do well with).
What level of foreign language have you completed?
Higher level of foreign language is generally seen as high course rigor. Some people may consider AP human geography to be less rigorous than a higher level of foreign language.
already completed up to spanish 5. the foreign language i would be taking in senior year is latin 1 (just taking it for fun, heard good things about the teacher)
AP stats
What matters is that you should have the strongest possible rigor in history, English and foreign language+ if possible dual enrollment philosophy.
(Could you take Latin 1 as an elective this semester and take Latin 2 next year? Does your school offer Ap Spanish language?)
However for philosophy AP calc isn’t required and the fact you took calculus as a junior (a math honors course) fully meets the most demanding expectations of rigor.
4 APs is plenty for your senior year. If you want to add in AP Human Geo because its something you’re interested in then absolutely do it. I took it, didn’t love it but it was easy. If you aren’t actually in it an would rather take Latin 1, do that. Colleges will admire your passion for learning new languages considering most students stop at 2 or 3 years of one language and don’t come anywhere near taking 2.
What are your peers that are applying to Williams/Amherst/Pomona taking?
You say you are “not good in math” but you are two years ahead in math.
What math courses are required in college? If you took AP Calc AB (which you will have seen much of already because of Honors Calc) then will you be able to place out of some Math credits in college if you do well on the AP test?