greymatters

Hi all,

Unfortunately due to budget cuts, I won't be able to take AP Calculus AB this school year. However, I'm planning to take the course online. Will Caltech recognize the online course as a year of calculus or does the course have to be classroom-based?

swimmy

The only physics course I took in high school was online, and I still got in, so I don't think it will hurt you just because it's online. Some accredited programs you might look into are EPGY and CTD... I'm not sure about EPGY, but CTD will send official transcripts to colleges for a small fee.

That said, you might think about taking BC Calc instead of AB Calc...it's more challenging and will teach you more

Kamikazewave

BC Calc or equivalent is usually recommended for Caltech. Some school districts require you to take AB before taking BC though.

I would highly recommend you take the AP test, as it will prove that you've actually mastered the material. That's a lot more important than where you learned it.

I noticed you live in LA. If you're serious about applying to Caltech, drop by for a visit. If you call beforehand, I'm sure an admissions counselor would be happy to answer all of your questions. They're all really nice people.

pinkbunny101

i don't know about epgy's single variable calc, but its multivariable online calc course i tried was not very user friendly in that the tutor was not happy to answer many questions and the problems were hard (at least for me), but if you spend enough time on it, ultimately doable. you might want to check out the online courses very carefully before picking one. i should've done that before paying so much $$

greymatters

I'm thinking about skipping AB and going into BC. From my POV, it seems roughly the same as AB with more in-depth concepts. I'm fairly confident in my math skills, so I think I'll be able to do well in that course.

I've dropped by Caltech a few times, but mainly for high school previews. I've never personally contacted undergrad admissions.

aeldng

I'm fairly sure Caltech wouldn't mind you taking online courses, but you should be aware that online courses seem much harder than in-class courses, and students may be less successful online. In the classroom, it's not that hard to finish a course; you just do your homework, study well, and learn quite a bit. For online courses, it is necessary to have a desire to learn if you want to be truly successful; just "finishing" the course may not teach you much.

lizzardfire

Haha, when I was in high school I had to retake one semester of Algebra I due to missing it to surgery... but I didn't find this out until my senior year, when I was in Calculus.

That was my only experience with online classes, and all I remember was that I got in argument with my online teacher who didn't believe that (a+b)^3 = (a+b)(a^2-ab+b^2). Like, it took me five or six emails to convince her she was wrong.

estrat1

Don't you mean that (a+b)^3 =/= (a+b)(a^2 - ab + b^2)?

Expanding the left, we get a^3 - ba^2 + ab^2 + ba^2 - ab^2 + b^3 = a^3 + b^3 =/= (a+b)^3?

lizzardfire

Excuse me, a^3+b^3 is what I meant to type. And unlike last night at 1:40 AM on college confidential, I got it right on my algebra I homework :P

swimmy

CTD seemed pretty user-friendly to me, so that might be a better bet than EPGY I guess.. Gifted Learning Links :: AP Courses: Listing

Online courses there are essentially the same as self-study - there are not really any lectures or reference materials other than the textbook - but the important difference is that you get a set curriculum & have a "teacher," allowing you to get credit :P

Online teachers will provide you with homework & tests to do and then grade them, but beyond that there should be no real expectation for guidance.

GluteusMinimus

OP, have you thought of doing calculus at a community college instead while still taking the AP exam in May?

On that note, it wouldn't hurt to take a multivariable class and ODE's