<p>I already have 7 B's affecting me- should I take Calculus even if I KNOW I am going to get a B?</p>
<p>I have no interest in Calculus and I would take a regular class but my school doesn't offer it!! And I know, most people would say- Do what you want to do. Take the classes you want to. And I want to follow that advice- I really do! But at the same time, I know that colleges want to see advanced classes and Calculus is a really important one. I don't want to take Statistics( not AP, only normal) and have another red flag to worry about- considering the situation I am in with grades. But at the same time, I really need to get straight A's senior year and if I KNOW that it is 98% likely that I will get a B( the smartest kids who are geniuses in math at our school got B's..and I suck at math), am I just setting myself up for failure and an even more disadvantaged college route? Or would I harm myself even more by taking a class that colleges expect me to take?</p>
<p>Is there any way I could offset not taking Calculus? Perhaps, self-studying for another AP( I was thinking Micro or Macro Econ) or starting another language...Or maybe take Calculus at the local community college? Is that easier? I just really dont' want to ensure myself a B, especially when I have college apps, testing, a MAJOR mandatory school project, AP classes, and EC's. BUT I really don't want colleges to look down at this- If I am applying to Ivies and other top tier schools, should I take Calculus? I am not intending to major in a math/science concentrated field but I know that Caculus is an important class. Could I say that because of scheduling conflicts, I couldn't take Calc AP? AHH I know that's bad though. So I can't. </p>
<p>This is my schedule for next year:</p>
<p>AP Government and Economics
AP Pysch
AP Spanish
AP French
AP English
and an honors science class</p>
<p>By the end of senior year, if I don't calculate in Calc AP, I will have taken(COUNTING from sophmore year to senior year- NOT freshmen year) 8 AP's, and 6 honors classes and with freshmen year, it comes out to 8 honors. </p>
<p>My counselor will check the most rigorous courseload box because, in the context of my school, I have taken the most rigorous courseload. But it seems that I am too humanities heavy? I have taken AP Bio...and Chem Honors...and all math Honors....</p>
<p>I think you'll be fine not taking Calc. You have a plenty rigorous courseload as-is. It's not like you're blowing off Calc for Introduction to basket-weaving, stats is a legitimate field of study, even if it's not AP. Besides, the slightly easier courseload may allow you to focus on your other, more work-intensive courses, better as well. </p>
<p>I might also suggest you not worry about getting a B. Honestly, the difference between 7 and 8 B's is very small.</p>
<p>^^Did you really??!! I am freaking out about my 7 B's( especially because 6 of them are from one semester...due to an illness) because everyone on CC and it seems, in the real world, had straight A's peppered with perhaps a few B's. What school did you get into?</p>
<p>(And do you have any hooks- legacy, URM, athlete,....)?</p>
<p>That's essentially the universal college motto. And if I had relatively straight A's, I wouldn't make a fuss and risk a B. However, my second semester Junior year, although explainable, is quite horrible. And to show colleges that, yes, it was a one time blip, I need to really get straight A's across the board first semester senior year. And math just doesn't interest me; I will also have so many things going on senior year first semester, that I just won't have the adequate time to really devote to the class. I guess I have decided: I am either going to take it at a CC, self-study another AP to make up for it, or take stats but complement that with an extra AP course or two.</p>
<p>My daughter is also not good in Math but she took AP Calculus for senior year. I would not recommend this idea if I knew the teacher is not very good. She would have done better with AP stats. However, in your case, it's particularly important that you do well in your senior year to prove that the 7Bs in Junior was not your true ability. If you do decide to take AP Calculus, make sure you get a tutor. I did not sign my daughter up for a tutor but in hindsight maybe I should have. However, my daughter never had ambition for HYP. Furthermore, some parents that I met at her college admit day said they paid up to $100/hr for math tutoring. They also said their kids would not be able to get A by themselves in math because the high school math teachers are not good.</p>
<p>The thing is, the teacher is fine. But, she is one of those really rigorous teachers and her class is quite difficult. I really believe, looking at the AP classes that I have taken thus far, that the teacher really defines the class- that while the content may be the same for all students- the teacher is the one that makes the class demanding, easy, tough, rigorous,etc. I don't have the time to devote to a math tutor- because I will be studying for the SAT's and I'm really just hoping to use my 'natural' skills to do well. It requires hard work, as anybody will say, but I can do it. I'm just not that confident when it comes to Calculus and I KNOW that I won't have the extra time and dedication it really requires for me to master the material. So...I guess, I've already decided in a way- I just really wanted feedback as to how college Adcoms would view it and whether it would be overtly detrimental to my application,etc.</p>
<p>One B isn't going to really make a difference, especially if you had circumstances beyond your control that lead to a rough semester (many students go through this). That should give you something to talk about in your personal statement or interview. </p>
<p>Also, one misconception about taking AP classes is that getting an A is all that matters to admissions. This is not true. It's more important to pass the AP exam (usually with a 4 or better) than anything. Consider it from their perspective, you have multiple students coming from various high school across the country. It's very difficult to compare one student's grades to the next with all of the additional variables. One thing that is the same, beside SAT/ACT exams, are AP exams. So one student may have received an A in AP Calc AB with a score of 3, while the other may have gotten a B but scored a 5 on the same exam. That says a lot about the rigor of the program and the success of the student.</p>
<p>I hope that gives you another incite. I'd say go for it and take AP Calc AB, especially if you like to challenge yourself, but ultimately the decision to take the course is yours.</p>