I will be a senior this fall and I took pre-calculus last year at my high school. My school only offers AP Calc AB and not BC, so I figured I will just dual-enroll at a college so I can take Calc 1 and Calc 2. I just don’t know which math course to take at the university.
Which math course/courses should I take or does it not matter? Do some calculus courses look better than others?
Some of these courses I listed probably aren’t a calculus class but I just listed them just in case. I can PM you the link to the site with the course descriptions if it will help.
MA-22700 Calculus For Tech I
MA-22800 Calculus For Tech II
MA-16500 Anlytc Geomtry&Calc I
MA-16600 Analytc Geom & Calc II
MA-22900 Calc Mnge Soc Bio I
MA-23000 Calc Mnge Soc Bio II
MA-26100 Multivariate Calculus
MA-26300 Multivar & Vector Calc
MA-17500 Intro Discrete Math
MA-27500 Intermed Discrete Math
MA-35100 Elem Linear Algebra
MA-52300 Int To Part Diff Equa
MA-57100 Elementary Topology
MA-12401 Mathematical Ideas
MA-14000 Practical Quant Reasoning
MA-10100 Math Elem Teachers I
MA-27300 Intro To Financial Mathematics
It isn’t so much about “looking” better. Just like all of the other math classes you’ve taken along the way, many of the ones that you’ve listed require prerequisites.
It looks like the first and third options would be appropriate depending on whether you are planning on becoming an engineer (or related field of study).
That being said, I’d just take AP Calc AB. If you find it easy enough then get the study guide for the BC test and take the BC test next spring, since some colleges will award calc 1 and 2 credit for a high enough score on the AP exam.
@missbwith2boys
2 semesters of college calculus will look better than AP Calc AB since AB is college calculus 1 spread over 2 semesters. My high school doesn’t have an AP test for BC only AB. So for the sake of college admissions it is better for me to take college calc 1 and calc 2, the problem is I have no idea which courses I should take.
It may be different at your high school- my kids’ school doesn’t offer any of the AP classes but the kids can take any of the AP tests. I’d recommend talking to your school counselor to see if they will be willing or order the BC test for you.
Either the first or third class listed would be appropriate for first term depending on whether you are going to do some sort of engineering technology.
You can call the university’s math department and ask them which one would be equivalent to Calculus 1. They will be able to answer your question more precisely. They know what their classes are equivalent to, as they likely take students that transfer credits from other universities. You might even be able to google up their equivalency chart.
AP calc BC is the same as taking calc 1 and 2.
@NASA2014
I know that… did you read what I posted? My school doesn’t offer AP Calc BC nor does it offer the AP exam for BC. That is why I am going to a college to take calc 1 and calc 2 since it will look better to colleges than just taking AP Calc AB.
Is this for 2015-2016 or next year? Is it possible you can take calc 1 and 2 this year? what if your school doesn’t let you do that?
Edit: Can you register for calc 1 and 2 at your nearby college now?
@NASA2014
This is for the 2015-2016. Yes, because Calc 1 is only 1 semester long in college and so is Calc 2 like every other college class. College pace is a lot faster you know so I can get in both Calc 1 and Calc 2 in one year, which will look significantly better than AB.
I already talked with GC, they will let me do this. My school district has a dual-enrollment program with a local university.
Edit: Yes
Sweet, you better sign up now as classes tend to fill up quickly!!
You’ll need to ask the college which of those classes is the standard calculus sequence that would apply to math majors (you don’t want diluted calculus), as that is what you’ll want to take. It’s not clear from those course titles and numbers without the course descriptions, but my guess is its either the 22700-22800 sequence or the 16500-16600 sequence. PM me the course descriptions and I might be able to tell you which one is the correct one.
16500-16600 sequence sounds like right. Penn State has the same course descriptions
@NASA2014
I still never got the answer to my original question. Which math course should I take?
MA-16500 Anlytc Geomtry&Calc I
MA-16600 Analytc Geom & Calc II
@hsclass2016
I-P U FW?
If MA-16500 and MA-16600 are calculus 1 and 2 for math, physics, and engineering majors (looks like the case at I-P U FW: https://www.ipfw.edu/departments/coas/depts/math/undergraduate/bsmath.html ), it is the most rigorous version, and should be accepted for all majors that require calculus. The other sequences will only be accepted for majors that require a less rigorous version (e.g. engineering technology, business, biology).
Assuming the above, high school calculus AB attempts to emulate MA-16500, while high school calculus BC attempts to emulate MA-16500 and MA-16600.
If you meet the prerequisites you should try and take the discrete math sequence. It is a nice course for mathematical variety as opposed to just following straight calculus so you will have a broad foundation to build upon in college.
You need calculus 1 before you can take discrete math
@NASA2014 that is incorrect. Discrete math is a very broad field and can be taught in a variety of ways and at many different levels. I have personally taken a discrete math course which had no math prereq. I have seen it commonly (if not most often) taught with just precalc as a prereq. I have also taken a discrete math course that had linear algebra (so also Calc 2) as a prerequisite. Please don’t generalize what happens at your school as what typically happens.
Discrete math at I-P FW is described at
http://bulletin.ipfw.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=1&coid=12910
Prerequisites appear to be either precalculus (MA 153) or calculus (MA 165), and introduction to CS (CS 160).
@guineagirl96 Sorry, I thought Discrete math Prerequisite was Calculus. At my college, it’s calculus 1.