Senior Year Courseload Advice - Calc AB vs BC

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Posting for my S19. He is currently a junior and attends competitive high school. He is interested in communications/sports journalism/sports management area in college. This year, he takes all honors/AP courses and has As in all classes. His schedule is as follows:
AP Bio
AP Spanish
APUSH
Honors English
Honors Precalc
Journalism

He has only gotten one B+ in high school to-date and that was last year in Honors Algebra 2. Math, while he does well, always gives him the most trouble, Math/Science are his least favorite subjects.

For senior year, his schedule is as follows:

AP Lit
AP Euro
Honors Spanish V
AP Calc AB
Physics
Journalism (he will be sports editor of school newspaper)

My question is about Calculus. He was recommended for Calc BC (at his school you can take either AB or BC your senior year but not both). However, because math is his most stressful course, he decided to take AB. I am wondering if the decrease in rigor could be seen as negative when he applies to colleges even though he still is taking AP Calc. Will schools look to see BC vs AB if he is communications major?

Additional info – he has 36ACT (36E, 34M, 36R, 36S). Pretty strong ECs.

Schools he is thinking of applying to: Northwestern, Michigan, UNC, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin, Maryland, Syracuse (Newhouse), Maryland, Miami, Florida, Georgia. I think he has good mix of reaches/targets/safeties.

2

From everything I’ve read, colleges won’t view it as a decrease in rigor in and of itself. If he is concerned about the rigor aspect, he may want to doublecheck with his guidance counselor to make sure that the “most rigorous” box will still be checked when the GC does their part of the admissions paperwork.

3

Given his desired major, Calc AB is fine (more than fine!).
Also make sure he applies to his instate public…you have many outof state publics that he will have to pay full price for.

4

Stick with AB, especially since his intended college major is not math related.

5

Stick with AB.
Whether AB or BC, calculus is calculus.

6

Thank you for your replies. I have read that admissions officers will see that you were on track for BC but elected to take AB so was wondering if that would be a negative.

7

Don’t take it. Take AP Stats as a communications major and increase the rigor in a different way.