hey guys, I have a dilemma. I’m going to be a senior right now and I was torn between which math classes to take. I currently have pre-calculus right now and the teacher that teaches AP Calc also teaches my pre-calculus class. He is a really good teacher and I learn a lot in his class but however, his class is very difficult. In my class, only about 5 people have A’s and I currently have a high B (89%). I feel like I should take Calc because it would look good on my application but however, everybody in the AP Calc class has been advising me against it. A lot of them have C’s. I want to take it but my current UW junior GPA is a 3.9 and I feel like getting a C will kill it. Also, apparently AP stats is an easy A class at my school. Also, math is not one of my strengths so I don’t know. I want to major in pre-med in college btw.
Pre-meds commonly have to take calculus and (often calculus-based) statistics in college.
So having seen calculus at the slower pace of high school calculus AB will be advantageous when you get to college (whether you retake calculus 1 or use AP credit to start in calculus 2).
Ask how many of his students last year got a 4 or 5 on the calc AP. He may not be great at teaching to the AP. Do the same for the AP stat.
Definitely take Calculus. You will need it for pre-med and it is better to be exposed to it in HS. Another option is taking regular or honor Calc if you can.
If you’re serious about pre-med, take calc. Otherwise forget pre-med and think of other majors.
@solarmom He has a really high passing rate, almost everyone in that class passes. His class is so hard that the AP exam seems easy. But it’s hard to get a good grade in that class and that’s what I’m worried about. I don’t want it to lower my GPA.
It seems to me possibly sacrificing a couple of points on the GPA is more beneficial. Taking stats looks like your taking the easy way out. It seems colleges will notice that more.
Just one class out of 24+ is NOT going to make a huge dent in your GPA. And many public universities only use 12th grade schedule, not grades.
Take Calculus AB. It is a great class and will expose you to advanced math at a much slower pace than in college, which is a great start. Also, many colleges do not look too much into your senior year grades, so the GPA will not matter too much and the difference will only be a few points. Take classes that you think will interest and help you in the future rather than focusing solely on the GPA number. (And the AP Exam can get you college credit for premed!)