<p>Calc or AP Stats senior year?</p>
<p>it depends on how selective a college you want to attend. Most colleges accept most of their applicants, so for them its not really an issue. If you’re talking a top 100 school, then it will be noticed.</p>
<p>It also depends on your major. My D chose Stats as it is a required course for her major, whereas, Calculus was not, and she could easily have done well in AP Calc.</p>
<p>^^yep, check schools and majors where you want to apply. For my girls, at 2 different schools, Stats only counted as interdisplinary credit, not as math. Although for older, would have satisfied a requirement if she was business major. If your potential major will require calc I would go with that since it’ll give you an head start (even if you don’t exempt it).</p>
<p>If your possible major in college requires calculus (generally, this means science, engineering, economics, business), you likely want to take calculus. Such majors, if they require statistics, may require a calculus-based statistics course.</p>
<p>So I should go with Calc instead of AP Stats for sure?</p>
<p>Just take AP Calc. It’s not even that bad. I think it is easier for precal and most likely you are going to take some form of calculus in college and it will really help you.</p>
<p>AP Calc. agree that is not that bad.</p>
<p>Calculus is a pretty fun subject…and it’s not as bad as a lot of people say it is. Just make sure you have a solid algebra/pre-calc background.</p>
<p>I would take AP Calc, but I don’t have the pre reqs- because I did really horribly in algebra II last year, I got placed in a more ‘remedial’ math class, and I can’t go to AP Calc from it. But okay, I’ll take Calc Accelerated.</p>
<p>^^can you define, ‘really horribly’? Can you explain why you did poorly? (Slack off? Didn’t understand the material?)</p>
<p>In any event, you might reconsider any Calc if math is not your strong suit. </p>
<p>AP Stats only requires a knowledge of Alg I, but it can move quickly, and it;s the concepts that trip up folks.</p>
<p>As in I ended last year with a 71 in Algebra II because…I don’t know. No, I didn’t understand the material. The teacher went fast. I was depressed and therefore didn’t try very hard. I could go on with the excuses, but on the up side in my current math class I’m averaging a 91 for the semester.</p>
<p>But I have to take Calc in college at some point, right? Trust me, colleges didn’t look at my senior classes, I wouldn’t be taking any math at all (and I’m already not taking any science :/)</p>
<p>I’m taking AP Stats. Took pre-calc/Trig in my junior year.</p>
<p>What do you want to study? For instance, at D2’s university, you need calc for (obviously) math, science,and engineering. Business requires calc but a different one. For some majors, such as history or english, your math general ed. requirement can be filled with a lower math or logic. If you don’t take calc in HS and need it, big schools usually have easier or remedial levels to start with, which may just put you a little behind in your major if calc is a pre-requisite.So you do have options if you really don’t feel prepared for a calc class…again, take a look at a few colleges you are considering and see what their curriculum require. And definitely talk to your guidance counselor and maybe former math teacher about their recommendations.</p>
<p>I want to major in Communications and maybe Political Science, so…I don’t know. I just don’t want my college chances to be hurt because I didn’t take Calc.</p>
<p>Political science is unlikely to require calculus, although it may require statistics or a major-specific quantitative methods course.</p>
<p>But would it hurt my college chances to take stats instead of calc?</p>
<p>There isn’t a quick answer to your question whether it will hurt your apps not to have Calc. If you were to take it, and for instance, repeat a grade like a 71 for fall senior year – taking it and doing poorly will hurt your applications. If you don’t take it senior year, and take, for instance, Stats and do well, that will look much better than another bad math grade on your transcript. </p>
<p>As a parent, I know plenty of kids admitted to great schools (top 25) who did not have Calc as seniors – they were humanities kids and had a high school curriculum that reflected their interests. Some took Stats on the rationale that, in social sciences, that would be part of their college course of study. Others didn’t get past Pre-calc Honors. My son spent two days in Calc AB in the beginning of senior year, said he knew it would be a disaster for him so he switched into IB Math SL which has a semester of Statistics and a semester of Calc. Did fine, moved at a good pace, and did not kill his fall gpa when he was still working to show a strong upward trend in his grades. </p>
<p>SO, in the abstract, you cannot say whether not having Calc will hurt you – it depends on what you take instead and how you do in the replacement class. As you don’t sound like you need Calc to be part of the story about your academic interests, you want to take the class you can excel in.</p>
<p>Unless the school says in it’s suggested course preparation that you have math THROUGH calculus, I would say no, it would not hurt you.</p>
<p>My advice? Take calculus. Regardless of college admissions, it would be a good thing to have learned if you have the chance to in high school.</p>
<p>If you feel AP Statistics is more relevant to what you want to take, then go right ahead and take it, don’t do Calc for college admissions.</p>
<p>I’ve never so much as taken precalc or trig in my entire academic career, and it’s never been a hindrance, nor have I ever felt like I’m missing anything. Math has never been my strong suit and there’s no sense beating one’s head against the wall unnecessarily. </p>
<p>If you’re planning to major in political science/communications, calculus simply is not needed, and statistics will come into play much more often.</p>