I’m currently a junior and enrolled in AP Calculus BC. My school has two options for post-BC math: AP Stats and an Honors “Multivariable Calculus” (I think it’s just Calc 3, not really sure though). Most students in Multivariable at my school say that it’s easier than pre-Calc. I’m hoping to major in math in college. My first choice is UChicago.
Do you think it would help my application and my prospects in college more to take the Multivariable which might feed nicely into a college math curriculum (I’ve heard that AP Stats is only loosely related to math as a major) or to take AP Stats solely for the AP distinction (especially given that my school is very stingy with AP distinctions, you can only take 1 sophomore year 2 junior year and 3 senior year not counting the possible AP stats)?
Not sure if I’m being naive about this or anything. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
My daughter took Multivariable Calc as a senior. She was accepted into UChicago in EA for Econ/PoliScie. Multivariable was very easy for her, even though in her school, only a few kids (the best) take it. Now she is doing Honors Calc II (16200) as a freshman…not that easy
Multivariable calculus is the typically third semester of college calculus. On quarter system schools, it may be started in third quarter and continued in the fourth quarter.
If it is a high school only course (as opposed to a college or dual enrollment course), you probably will not get credit for it in college, though some colleges may allow for subject credit by exam.
http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/examinationcreditandtransfercredit/#advancedplacementcredit indicates that Chicago allows calculus AB or BC to exempt the student from only the first quarter of single variable calculus (15100), but students may take Chicago’s own “calculus accreditation exam” to try for additional advanced placement or placement into an honors calculus course. Multivariable calculus is introduced in the third quarter (15300 or 16300) and continued in later courses (20000 for physical science majors, second and third quarters of one of the real analysis series for math majors (20400 and 20500, 20410 and 20510, or 20800 and 20900)). See http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/mathematics/#courseinventory .
AP statistics is a non-calculus-based statistics course and is unlikely to give subject credit for a math or statistics major, where students are expected to calculus-based statistics courses. But it may be a low difficulty way of sampling the subject while you are still in high school.
@birdland There are a lot of threads on math classes at UChicago at CC over the years. Just Google it and you will find a lot of insights into the program.
I would recommend taking Multivariate Calculus in your senior year with full awareness that by the time you matriculate to UChicago you will be learning everything from square one again but this time with lots of proofs
My son took Multivariable Calc (MC) his junior year and has AP Statistics this year along with Diff Eq - he was accepted to UChicago for next fall.
I would also suggest taking MC, you will not get credit, but it will look better than statistics (or if you can take both, do that), especially if you want to be a math major. My son thought MC was easier than Statistics so far…
In my son’s case, he is hoping the math in college will be a bit easier since he has taken the courses before (obviously not at the same level, but the work will, hopefully, be familiar).
