<p>Do elite private colleges have a preference for one over the other? </p>
<p>I'm a rising senior and am deliberating between taking Calculus at UCLA for dual enrollment credit this summer (4 units of college credit and one semester of high school credit) or dropping humanities classes to take AP Calculus BC during the school year, or not taking calculus at all. I like that with the UCLA class receiving college credit is a sure bet unless I totally bomb it. If I score a 5 on the AP exam I'd receive 10 units of credit, and I'd receive 5 units if I score a 4. If I score lower than a 4 on the AP exam, I'd receive no credit according to the AP credit charts for the schools I'm most interested in. I doubt I'd earn a 5 considering the difficulty of the exam and math not being my forte. The other benefit of taking it this summer is that I'll have the final grade before I apply restricted early action in November, whereas if I take it during the school year the decision about whether to admit me will be made prior to the end of the first semester. </p>
<p>I need to make a decision pronto because summer classes start next week. I originally hadn't planned on taking calculus and had already enrolled in two classes at UCLA in subjects I'm passionate about and are more aligned with my academic ambitions for college. I am interested in pursuing international law. I was extremely excited that my school offered new semester-long senior seminar classes for this upcoming school year that relate to international law, and unfortunately AP Calculus is at the same time period. I go to a small private school so many classes are only taught for one period. I'd rather give up one of the UCLA classes to take calculus than both seminars to take AP Calculus at school. I would ONLY be taking calculus because I'm scared I'll be considered less competitive for admission to top colleges if I don't take another advanced math class. In other regards I'm a fairly solid contender - 4.0 uw GPA, good extracurriculars, 2280 the first time I took the SAT. I like calculus about as much as I think I'd like to hug a cactus. </p>
<p>Questions:
1. How necessary in regards to college admission is it to take four full years worth of math if you will not be pursuing engineering or any other major that is heavy on math? I've taken Algebra 2 with Trigonometry Honors (9th grade), Accelerated Precalculus Honors (10th grade) and AP Statistics (11th grade) and made an A in each class. I'm taking AP Physics this year and it will be math-intensive.
2. Will having a high score on the SAT Subject Test in Math 1 and 2 serve as a demonstration of proficiency in math, and serve as a substitute for not taking a fourth year of advanced math? I did very well on Math 1 and will probably take Math 2 this fall.
3. If you were me, would you take the summer calculus class, AP Calculus during the school year, or not worry about taking calculus at all? </p>
<p>I would take AP Calculus during the school year because there is no guarantee that the college to which you will be going will accept the transfer credits.</p>
<p>Thanks for your feedback, Skieurope. I feel fairly confident that most of the colleges I’m applying to would accept the credit from UCLA if I’m admitted. Stanford is my top choice, though of course it’s almost impossible to get in. My brother is a rising senior at Stanford and has had all of his credits from UCLA classes transferred in without any snags. I’m also applying to UCLA and Berkeley and know they’d accept the credits. I’m fairly certain USC would as well. </p>
<p>The college I’m applying to that is unlikely to accept UCLA credit also would not give me credit for the AP exam even if I scored a perfect 5. </p>
<p>Which math class is it you’d be taking at UCLA? Calc BC would be much easier in high school than would be the equivalent class at UCLA. Not only is it curved but they make it unnecessarily more difficult. And don’t you need calculus as a prereq for AP physics?</p>
<p>Hi TheEarlyBird. Right now I’m on the wait list for Differential and Integral Calculus at UCLA this summer. I’m enrolled in Calculus for Life Sciences Majors, but will switch to the other one a spot becomes available. </p>
<p>The precalculus class I took in the 10th grade was an accelerated honors class that is more on par with a calculus class. It prepares you for AP Calculus BC. To take AP Physics - Mechanics at my school you have to either have taken calculus or have passed a proficiency test for it and gotten permission from the department head. I’ve been approved for the class. I think that it should be sort of like fulfilling both the science and the math education for my senior year, but I’m just nervous about not having a fourth math class on my transcript. </p>
<p>Note that UCLA is on the quarter system, so that one calculus course at UCLA may not transfer very well to a school on the semester system (it would be like two thirds of a semester).</p>
<p>While Stanford and seven of the UCs are on the quarter system, many more colleges are on the semester system.</p>
<p>Thanks, ucbalumnus! Three of the five colleges I’m definitely applying to are on the quarter system. I’m not as concerned about receiving credit for the classes as I am with fulfilling recommended academic preparation for admission. The credit would simply be a perk. :)</p>
<p>I checked UCLA website. I suppose you are talking about the real classes also enrolling UCLA students, not just sessions specifically for high schoolers, right? Here will be my order.</p>
<p>MATH31 > AP Calc > MATH3. Personally I think the Calculus for Life Sciences (MATH3) is almost useless for college admissions. You might as well skip it. However, you need to note that MATH31 may be very difficult if you are not prepared and you may very well end up with a bad grade. I’m not sure about full disclosure requirements of the college classes you have taken when applying to college next year.</p>
<p>Another option is to skip Calculus all together if you are not going to study science/engineering and take a different math class in high school.</p>
<p>@pastwise that was awesome of you to look up the classes on the UCLA site to help me out. Thank you!! :)</p>
<p>Yesterday was the first class for Math 31, and I feel like I’d do well in it with consistent effort but would despise it the entire time. I’ve always made A’s in math and done well on standardized tests, but it has been by dedicating WAY more time to it than any other subject. It’s not my forte or my joy. I was on the wait list for a popular undergrad law class and was contacted today about a spot becoming available in it. Since I want to pursue law I’m going to seize it. I’m actually pumped about this class instead of dreading it like I was with calculus. This means that I’ll have to drop one of the other classes I’m taking to stay within the unit cap for the summer session, so I think calculus will get the boot since I like the other two I’m already in way more. I was taking it exclusively to be a better candidate for admission to top colleges like Stanford, and have zero passion in it or interest. I’ve already fulfilled the math requirements for my school. I feel like the law class will actually be enjoyable and enriching. Oh, and yes, all the classes are with actual UCLA students for credit and not just other high schoolers. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, since I attend a small private school there aren’t many other math options for me. It’s either AP Calculus BC, which is only offered once a day and would conflict with another class I’m taking, or a math class that you generally take before AP Statistics, which was my math this past school year. I could take coding which at my school counts as math but Idk if I will yet. I think I’m going to just prep for the SAT Subject Test in Math 2 and hope that a high score in it will help to demonstrate proficiency and sorta make up for not taking another full year of math at school. Anyhoooooo, thanks again for your feedback! </p>
<p>@Artemis97, do what your heart takes you. I think your plan looks fine for a non science/engineering major. Good luck.</p>