<p>I understand that the requirements for admission to the College of Human Ecology include Precalculus, which I will be taking during senior year. I was on track to take AP Calc AB when I began high school but transferred to a new school during Sophomore year and was given some bad recommendations by math teachers to take an advanced algebra course - Functions - during Junior year. </p>
<p>I plan on applying to the Nutritional Science program. I have a 3.7-8 UW GPA, and all of the Bs I got in high school were in mathematics or hard science (due to the mathematics). I have taken numerous APs and done well on both the exams and courses (AP Scholar with Distinction). I got a 670 on the math section of the SAT but a 760 on the reading, as well as a 28 on the Math ACT and 36 on English. </p>
<p>My senior course load is already rigorous, but I could theoretically take Calculus I for a Spring term before the end of senior year at a community college. It would be rough and frankly unrelated to my career path and interests.</p>
<p>Will it substantially help my chances of admission if I remedy this academic weak spot by doing well in the Calc course? Better phrased, am I hurting myself severely by not taking it?</p>
<p>I have a lot going for me besides mathematics. While taking Calculus would obviously improve my chances (harder courses -> greater rigor), am I destroying my chances by NOT taking it?</p>
<p>No, I wouldn’t say you are “destroying your chances”. My D was in a similar situation, with math being her most difficult (and least favorite) subject. She took precalc her Junior year and worked very hard to get a grade in the high “80’s” with a teacher she did not think highly of. The same teacher taught AP Calc. She hemmed & hawed about taking it, & my response was consistently “if you really want to be admitted to Cornell, you need to be able to say that you did everything under your control to be admitted” …she took AP Calc. & was admitted ED…no one will ever know if it made a bit of a difference or not, but if she was rejected at least she wouldn’t have “kicked herself”.</p>
<p>I assume you are currently a senior. Will a college even know you took the calc class in the spring? Also, will you do well in calc if you haven’t completed pre-calc prior to taking the calc class?</p>
<p>My daughter is taking her second year of calc this year and she has always breezed through math classes but calc AB was extremely difficult for her. She was used to going at a fast pace when she took advanced math classes in middle school but when she entered high school the math classes were at a regular pace (but several grade levels above her) and she ended up slowing to the pace of the class. When she hit calc, the pace was fast and it took her about one semester to get up to speed. While she didn’t enjoy calc, she is taking calc BC this year because one of the schools she wants to apply to (Univ. of Washington) requires that applicants take a “meaningful” math class senior year and she doesn’t want to get used to a slow pace by taking AP stats this year.</p>