<p>I'm taking AP World next year (highest weighted history GPA in my class), doubling up on science courses (AP Bio, Honors Chem), and I am in the highest possible track for English and Latin. And I have a B in math. With all other things considered (really solid EC's, which I have), would it hurt if I instead take the SECOND hardest math class, instead of staying on the track I'm on now? I'll still be able to take calc by senior year.</p>
<p>By the way, I'd like to go to Georgetown, Princeton, or NYU. What the hell do I do?</p>
<p>duke it out and go for the best you can make yourself do. if that means the second-best class, then so be it. no matter what, rip apart every class you take. make 'them' pay for doubting you (even if 'they' haven't).
you better do good, though. nobody likes second-best unless you make them like you.</p>
<p>sorry, i'm feeling particularly aggressive as a result of metallica overload (MO).</p>
<p>Someone who took the second hardest math class at my high school got into MIT. Another into Caltech (cept...he was really good at math, AIME type)</p>
<p>Unless you are going to be a math major, the rest of your file as an applicant could easily show that your position in the second highest math class is not important.</p>
<p>Is math important to you? Is it something that defines you? If not, taking an easier math class and focusing your energy elsewhere is probably the better idea.</p>
<p>However, many adcoms would rather see that you got a B in a harder math class because you tried than simply giving it up. However, if you think that you'll really be slipping, ease it up.</p>
<p>I'm so stupid! I was choosing between Geometry and Math Studies for 9th grade and I chose Math Studies. I'm NOT a math person and I don't know if I'll be able to make an A. Was that the wrong choice?</p>
<p>I'm having the exact same dilemma. I'm not sure whether to take Calc AB or BC next year, and much like you, though my courseload is very rigorous, math isn't my best subject, and BC has a reputation for being difficult and time consuming.</p>
<p>same problem here
at my school you choose before entering precal; BC kids cover precal in the summer (mandatory) and then attack calculus.
i chose AB but now i think am regretting it... i realize that i probably could have handled it, just with a lot of extra stress... maybe it wouldn't have been worth it; compared to my overachieving friends (who got the same grade in math that i did, an A average over the year) i look like a lazy-butt.</p>
<p>i've talked with my math teacher (also happens to be my XC coach) and some girls (i'm at an all-girls school) who've gotten 100% over both semesters can move from AB to BC senior year if they do special study sessions with the Calc. teacher...
ask your teachers for exceptions if you think you've made the wrong choice: they're paid to challenge you, after all.</p>
<p>What is the 'second hardest' math class? We have people here doing graduate math classes at UNC. (I only did undegraduate level myself). AB Calculus or Stat are not usually viewed as an extreme accomplishment in math.</p>
<p>by second hardest, we mean offered at school
not everyone has a schedule permitting grad-level work, and we don't claim to be at that level.
we were discussing the level of appropriately challenging courses to be taken, and if for some reason that had meant a choice between undergrad and grad classes, the essential question would be the same: how much can one person at a certain competency handle, and how much should he or she try to manage?</p>
<p>second-hardest, then, means out of the two most challenging courses that are plausible in our circumstances.</p>
<p>In many schools, it is quite plausible to take classes at a CC for most people. But AP math courses are very common and won't help you too much in college admissions.</p>
<p>I believe the OP was making the same choice as I was: between two AP classes. CC was not considered and for him (and myself) is not even an option considering our full and time-consuming workloads.
Yes, APs are common, but if even if they were not AP courses, even if it was for a different subject altogether, the problem isn't the academic rank of the class, but the pace and amount of work involved in keeping up. therefore, Calc AB or BC. we're not trying to impress colleges with superhuman math classes or even CC courses, we're just trying to show that we have challenged ourselves without overextending our abilities.</p>
<p>i'm in the exact same position as aristotle a few posts up. i recommend the same for you. if all your other stuff is good, one second hardest class won't hurt you. and i assume it is because you wouldn't be freaking out a/b this if it wasn't. u'll be fine.</p>