High schools that require AB before BC are likely to start the BC course where AB ends, perhaps with a small amount of review of AB material. Those which cover the entire curriculum of BC (including the AB material) in the BC course are likely to allow taking BC immediately after precalculus, without taking AB first.
@ucbalumnus is correct. While the CB sets the curriculum (although let’s be real, there’s not leeway in the teaching of calc 1 and 2 compared to USH as an example), they do not dictate how the class is structured. I have seen it both ways - as a one year sequence with AB & BC together and as a 2-year sequence with AB followed by BC. In fact, my own HS offered it both ways.
Here is but one example of many:
https://www.bchigh.edu/page/high-school-curriculum?LevelNum=515&DepartmentId=9257
I hope the OP does not get sidetracked by the anecdote that there is one mysterious unnamed specialty program (and there is no indication that the OP is looking at a BS/MD program) buried within the 3000 4-year colleges in the US that supposedly requires BC for admission but chooses to hide that nugget from applicants.
The OP is on track to get to calc as a senior. IMO, that’s more than enough. If a HS does not offer BC or MVC, there is no college (again IMO) that is going to expect an applicant to complete more than the HS offers.
In my kid’s school, you decided junior year if you wanted to be on the AB or BC track. Those on the BC track started calculus 2nd half of junior year. Senior year they met for an extra period each day to be sure to cover all the material.
There are many ways of structuring the courses while still meeting the curriculum.
Also realize there are many schools that don’t even offer AP Calc in any flavor.
Programs that require any type of AP courses are going to be incredibly few. Don’t let the extreme case push you into something that you’re not ready for. It’s important to take courses that will challenge you - but don’t force yourself into a course where you might struggle just because someone else is taking that path.
Getting calculus exposure prior to college is sufficient.
There is no track that I have heard of that has AB sophomore year. I agree with above poster is correct in saying that A is part of Pre-calc. it’s not just stated. BC sophomore year is not that common. I would be curious what these kids would take after if there is no multi variable at the school. Also there is no benefit and could be argued its a drawback since ACT/SAT has no Calculus on it.
OP you are likely ok with AP calc a/b as an intended chem major, but @momofsenior1 gives good advice about finding out the deal at your school. To add to the above conversation, at recent info sessions at Lehigh and UPenn they both communicated that for engineering major/ school that AP Calc B/C is basically required to be competitive.
My daughter was accepted to Lehigh for chemical engineering this past cycle with just AB (BC wasn’t offered at her school).
Don’t panic, panicb.
Think of it this way:
Lower risk: You are still ahead of the norm by taking Calculus AB by Senior year. For 99.9% of colleges, that is what is expected. You are not behind. Just because some kids took Calculus freshman year doesn’t mean you should.
Higher risk: You take Calc BC, are unprepared, and don’t do well. Colleges don’t care that you got a D in BC because BC is more advanced. I have read many a post on CC where someone took at class too advanced and didn’t do well and now wants to know what to do…well don’t take AP Bio as sophomore, for one!
@LoveTheBard “An admissions person at Pomona indicated that they expect a student to make it through Calc AB (but not necessarily BC) but unless it’s a STEM kid applying to engineering programs at MIT, GT, Mudd, etc., she should be fine with AB. Just make sure she takes honors Pre-Calc.”
My non-STEM D20 will likely be applying to the top UCs (Econ/Business/Mktg type major) and her private counselor encouraged her to take Calculus B/C instead of A/B. The bottom line is the top 50 schools are so competitive to get in to that students who don’t take the most rigorous track will be at a disadvantage.
In addition, she encouraged D to take the 4th year of a language and AP Physics (or comparable class at a university next summer) even though she is on track to complete 4 years of a science in HS. Again, this is for a non-STEM applicant…
Follow your school’s curriculum and you will be perfect. In life there are always people ahead and behind you. Go at the pace to make yourself successful.
As a side at my son’s high school he started freshman with Geometry, then trig sophomore year. That summer 5 week accelerated precalc given by his school. Then the teacher decides who should be in Calc ab/bc. There is no AB to BC sequence. He took bc. Then Multivariate Calc 3 senior year. Seems like schools have variances on this.
Most colleges expect you to be ready to take Calc 1 your freshman year. You are fine and stop looking at the “Joneses”. Do your own thing and keep your grades up.
Just under 40% of the kids in our HS district take geometry in 9th grade. Maybe 3-5% start in Algebra 2, but they don’t get any GPA or class rank boost, other than the same point-something-something boost everyone gets for taking an honors or AP-level class. More than half of our freshmen start in algebra. So OP is doing pretty well.
@SoCalDad2 - My daughter was encouraged to do a few things that she chose not to do and it did NOT adversely affect her admissions either at UCs (she got into the four UCs she applied to, including Cal and UCLA) or at top 10 schools, including HYP and S.
Specifically, she did NOT take a “recommended” fourth year of science and chose to only have 3 years of science (physics, honors chemistry, and AP Bio). As I said earlier, she took Calc AB and not BC. She did take linear algebra, though.
What she did instead is show a lot of passion for humanities subjects that she was interested in and took those at the highest levels available to her both inside and outside of her HS, through summer programs, independent study, dual enrollment college classes, etc.
Admissions is not an exact science, though, so YMMV.
The bottom line is you need to err on the side of taking the most rigorous course load offered by your HS and maybe even supplement it with dual enrollment and/or great ECs if you will be applying to the too 50 colleges. You also need to consider impacted major, honors colleges and direct admits which have lower acceptance rates. I personally would recommend to do everything you can academically if you have your sights set on the top colleges. It’s just insanely competitive with some state schools getting 100k applicants each year!