I just started my Senior year and I was wondering if colleges would care if I dropped my AP Stats class so I would be able to use my free time to work other things such as focusing more on film and our school broadcast or even getting a job. I have approximately a 3.7 GPA and am aiming to get into a UC or some other school out of state that is equivalent (maybe NYU? long shot I know) and planning to major in something that has to do with Business/Marketing.
I know UCs recommend 4 years of math and I technically already have 4 years of math (not including stats) because I took Algebra 1 the summer before high school, but I my concern is that I would have only gone up to Pre-Calculus and I plan to major in Business. (I maintained a B average throughout math in high school with the occasional A and C). Is a 5th year in math going to improve my chances significantly or should I focus on other things?
What do you guys think? Any other advice in regards to approaching College Admissions would be greatly appreciated as well, as I in all honesty am terrible unprepared.
If there is one class that a business/marketing person needs it is statistics. If you are going to drop something, don’t drop this one. You’ll be taking statistics again in college and having the background will make it much much easier for you. Dropping it in order to have time to work or on ECs makes even less sense.
What will schools think? It depends on what your guidance counselor thinks really. They are the ones to evaluate how rigorous your high school schedule is compared to that of your peers and to what the school offers. If you drop Stats, will they decide to down-grade the rating of your academic rigor? That could have consequences for admission, so you might want to talk to the GC first.
How significant is it to colleges that I already took 4 years of math up to Pre-Calculus? Is it worth risking getting a C which would lower my GPA slightly (I am not great at Math to be honest, I struggled to get a B in Pre-Calc)? Also would applying Undecided be of any good?
Sorry for the multiple follow up question, my GC has a history of not being so useful.
@2018dad is correct. Senior year classes show “rigor” & will not be calculated into your GPA by the time you apply. Big difference between what the colleges “recommend” and what viable candidates will actually have.
Business majors generally do have to take calculus and statistics. High school calculus AB and statistics are slower paced versions compared to the college courses that cover the same material in one semester instead of a whole year, so if you fear taking them now in high school, taking them in college may be more difficult (although the college may offer a less-depth calculus for business majors).
Academics are more important than EC’s to admissions people. When your senior transcript is looked at they will be concerned that you dropped an AP math class. Rescinded admissions can and do happen.