Hello! I’m at the point where I’m beginning to question my current senior-year schedule, and I’m wondering whether I should change one of my courses (AP Stats) to a more difficult one (Multivariable Calculus/Linear Algebra) or whether I should keep my schedule the way it is right now. Note that I am aiming for top schools, and that I go to a ultra-competitive high school. Right now, my APs include AP Lit, AP Compsci, and AP Physics C (all of which are some of the hardest courses at my school); I’m also taking Government and another English elective (both of which should be easy). I don’t want to jeopardize my GPA for a course, but I also do want to learn more math… I was quite good at Calculus BC, but all the people who take Multivar at my school were good at Calculus BC & are smart enough to be in the accelerated math program.
However, I do plan on majoring in engineering (applying as environmental or mechanical, depending on the school) and applying as an engineering major to all colleges. Do you think Multivar would give me a significant boost, or should I just stick to AP Stats (alternative route: I can also take APES, which is intermediate in difficulty between the two; it’s also a lot of reading, though, since the teacher doesn’t lecture at all, and I’m not sure if I want to do that since I already have two English courses. however, many of my ECs are geology-related, and I may be applying as environmental engineering to some schools.)
tldr: Multivariable Calculus vs. AP Stats vs. APES: will the course I take significantly affect my chances at top colleges.
i mean APES is a science and a very non-quantitative one at that. check the schools you are applying to if first sem senior grades are a part of your cumulative GPA for your goal colleges then i suggest you take AP Stats(assuming this is the easier course), if first sem senior grades aren’t a part of your GPA for your goal colleges then take multi even though you may get a lower grade
Is multivariable calculus a college or dual enrollment course? If not, it may be difficult to get subject credit for it in college. However, even if you do not, it may be useful to preview the content before taking it in college.
Multivariable calculus is normally a one semester college course taken after single variable calculus. If it is taught over a year in high school, it should not be that difficult for a strong math student (which you are, being two grade levels ahead of normal level). Engineering degree programs require it.
It can look like you are making less rigorous choices by choosing AP statistics (which will not give subject credit in an engineering degree program, since those which require statistics require calculus-based statistics) or AP environmental science (unlikely to fulfill any requirement in an engineering degree program), since those are usually seen as among the easier AP courses.
If you have a choice between AP CS principles and AP CS A, choose AP CS principles. While it is often seen as an easier course, it is also a much more useful course for a non-CS major, since it gives a broad overview of CS to help you see how it relates to everything else. AP CS A is a programming and data structures course for intended CS majors. Engineering majors will generally have to take a computing for engineering course that neither AP CS will give subject credit for.
@ucbalumnus already taking AP CS A, our school doesn’t offer the alternative course. I know that I won’t get credit for most of my AP courses; I probably will only take the AP tests for Physics C and Lit since they’re the only ones that usually get credit. Our MVC course is one semester, followed by Linear Algebra second semester. It’s a dual enrollment course taught at our high school.
@BucketsUCSC my first semester GPA counts at pretty much all the colleges I’m applying to (sans my EA school, MIT).
Don’t see why you would not want to take multivariable calculus and linear algebra as dual enrollment courses, since they will be relevant to your intended major, and you are a strong math student.
@scarletwitchx i would say take it if you are relatively confident you’re gonna get an A, because i think a B in multi would hurt you more then help you.