Hi everyone, this is my first time posting on here so im sorry if im posting this in the wrong place. I am currently a junior in high school, Class of 2019. Our school has just assigned us to choose our courses for next school year. I have taken Algebra I, Geometry, and I am now taking algebra 2. I want to take AP statistics next year because I believe my future major will be more relevant to Statistics than calculus. Do you recommend I take AP stats or Pre cal senior year? I have gotten straight As in math except for last semester when i got a B in algebra 2. If you have any other questions let me know.
TL;DR: Junior in high school. Take pre cal or AP stats next year?
Honestly, if you’re trying to apply to a top school and you want to go into something math related, you are WAY behind in terms of rigor. That being said, AP Stats is an elective, it’s not a core course. If you take calc in college with no precalculus, then you will like literally fail. Take precalc and if you have an extra spot, then take AP Stats. In fact, if you think you can handle Honors Precalc then take it. You will be competing with kids who have already taken AP Calc AB and AP Calc BC, so you need everything you can get.
I currently plan to major in Business Administration/Management, but that is pretty subject to change as im still considering other majors such as psychology. I suppose I could double up on Precalc and stats if you think I could handle it. I plan on taking about 3 other APs next year as well so if you think the workload wont be awful I can consider doubling up.
I should probably also make you guys aware that I am trying to go straight to a 4 year after high school, hopefully a UC if possible. What if I took pre cal over summer and AP stats during the school year?
If you’re aiming for a UC and those majors, you should take precalculus. If you have an elective slot open AND you’ve been doing okay in math so few take statistics or AP statistics.
What classes are you taking this year, what else would you be taking next year, what’s your current UC GPA?
If you want to major in Business, you will likely have to take, at the very least, Business/Survey Calculus, so Pre-Calculus is the better choice. You can likely test out of lower level math classes, such as College Algebra, with Pre-Calculus experience. As MYOS1634 said, if you have a free spot open in your schedule, I would recommend you take AP Statistics, which seems useful, considering what you want to do in college.
It’s a good idea as long as you are ready to devote your whole day for six weeks doing math. If you’re not ready for that sacrifice and commitment, take precalculus during the year.
Your B in Algebra 2 also indicates that you may struggle with material absolutely imperative to grasp fully before entering Pre-Calculus. Taking Pre-Calculus as a heavily accelerated course during the summer sounds like a potentially disastrous situation and could compound any preexisting gaps in your knowledge. Additionally, despite the fact that you will eventually need Calculus in college, assuming you are planning on going to a non-STEM college, it is not totally necessary that you finish high school with AP Calculus.
I agree with the above. Having a strong background in precalculus is more than important than taking calculus, if you’re going to take calculus in college.