Dreamer1995

I'm trying to figure out my senior year courses and am debating whether to take AP AB Calc or AP BC calc. I am currently in honors pre-calc and am doing well. Generally at my school AB calc has a mixture of people who did the regular level pre-calc and then some people who did honors pre-calc. While I generally do well in math, I don't love the subject and do not plan to continue calculus in college/life after college. I don't plan on majoring in science, engineering, or math. I am worried that not taking BC calc will put me at a disadvantage when it comes to college admissions. Can anyone comment on this? Will only doing AB hurt my chances? I'm going to be applying to top liberal art colleges such as Swarthmore, Middlebury, and Bowdoin. If it helps at all I will be doing ap physics b, ap human geo and an ap foreign language...

Thanks in advance for the advice!

CSMathAsa1994

Do BC calc just to get your math requirements out of the way, and to show colleges your versatility. If you watch Khan Academy vids on calculus (Khan Academy) and patrickjmt semester 1 and semester 2 playlists on calculus (patrickJMT's Channel - YouTube) to prestudy/as supplemental notes, Then you should be capable of getting an A if not an A+ in BC Calc. I suggest you get started now... That way you can cruise through BC Calc with an A+.

SforzandoXIII

At my school, we BC students often jokingly make fun of the AB kids for taking an "easy" class, only for them to sarcastically respond with, "Oh yea, I'm only taking the SECOND hardest class in our school." It's a recurring gag. So honestly, I don't think taking AB would seriously hurt your college chances. It's still an AP math class, and it still shows rigor. That's my opinion, anyway.

Dreamer1995

Thanks, it seems like you both have differing opinions. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

Dreamer1995

Would it look better to have a B in BC or an A in AB?

CSMathAsa1994

If you just watch the vids and work hard in class, there should be no reason (barring grade deflation) why you shouldn't get an A+ in BC Calc.

SforzandoXIII

BC starts with AB topics, so chances are that colleges would see the A on your midyear report anyway (if you are able to do well in the AB topics at the accelerated pace they're taught in BC). So if you want to think of it like that, taking BC is fine. If you're mainly trying to think of it in terms of how colleges will view it, it won't hurt you to take AB over BC. On the other hand, if you're already good at math, you may as well take BC. What's the rest of your schedule look like?

Dreamer1995

Thanks, and Sforzando I will be taking ap physics b, ap human geo, ap spanish, an honors history class, and then english (which isn't leveled)