<p>Hey guys so i am in a dilemma about creating my 11th grade schedule
My teacher is very confident and wants to move me and 2 other kids in my pre calc class(sophomore Year) directly into AP calc BC which he will teach himself. The thing is though at my school class rankings are based on your class averages and i am currently in the top 5 ranks plus they dont care if its AB or BC and i do not think that i can get the same average i would in calc AB that i would in BC. Also how does precalc compare to AP Calc BC.
My schedule 11th grade:
AP Chem
AP Physics B
AP Calc AB or BC
AP Stats
AP Us history
senior brit lit </p>
<p>If you are two years ahead in math (precalculus in 10th grade), you are probably one of the top students in math. Would it be correct to assume that high school math has always been an easy A or A+ for you? If so, then it seems odd to be afraid of taking calculus BC.</p>
<p>Calculus BC covers calculus at a college pace, while calculus AB covers calculus at a slower pace. So you will get the experience of covering material at a college pace, although in a high school environment with more hand-holding and progress monitoring.</p>
<p>There is no Physics B next year.</p>
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<p>It’s more advanced. It’s like how Algebra II is more advanced than Algebra I.</p>
<p>Re: physics B</p>
<p>It is possible that some high schools will continue to offer a one year physics B (or 1 and 2) course, telling students that they can take the physics 1 and physics 2 AP tests afterward.</p>
<p>Taking Calc BC as a junior is impressive - do it if offered. Some kids find Calc easier than Pre-Calc - I know that’s very often true at our school.</p>
<p>Regarding your schedule, drop AP Stat and find something a little easier - 5 APs junior year is not necessary. Also, no AP English? Might be nice to have one AP in each core already under your belt when applying senior year.</p>
<p>I’d recommend you take AB 1st semester and BC 2nd semester. Then you can take multi-variable sr. yr. if offered.</p>
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<p>However, AP statistics is likely the easiest of the courses, particularly for a top math student, so dropping it may not reduce the load that much (although it is of relatively low value as far as colleges giving subject credit goes).</p>
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<p>This is probably a combined AB/BC course - which is how many schools teach it. There are many variations on how AB and BC are offered in HS, don’t assume every HS is the same. It is only through experience at CC that I have learned that lesson.</p>
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<p>I shouldn’t do this, but I rarely assume kids are taking any AP class for credit. I agree it’s probably OPs easiest AP class, but I’d rather see an AP English class in there and only 4 APs. And if there was an AP Physics C class offered, I’d rather see that, even senior year, over Physics B.</p>
<p>If the OP has not had physics yet, then AP physics B makes for a reasonable honors high school physics course (it is not particularly useful for college subject credit).</p>
<p>AP statistics is probably equivalent to a regular high school course in difficulty, at least for a top math student. Just because several courses have the AP label on them does not mean that they are equally difficult for all students.</p>
<p>Yes, AP English would be desirable, if available. For some students in the OP’s position, it may be the hardest possible AP course (which may be why the OP left it out).</p>
<p>I’d take Calc BC and would plan on taking Physics C senior year, along with finding a way to find a more advanced Calc class at a local college.
AP Stats = only if you need an easier class, but you may want to keep that for Senior year (if you’re taking Physics C and a calc class at a local college, AP stats will be nice :p)
No foreign language? Did you take the AP class already? If not, you don’t need to take it to AP, but you’d need it to Level 4 if you’re applying to highly selective colleges.</p>
<p>Hey Guys Thanks for the updates and keep any help coming.<br>
Also I have taken Ap English language and Comp this year,10th grade. I will take Ap lit 12th grade
I am comparatively bad at spanish so i have stopped at 2 years.
I want to be a Doctor so i will major in Biology at Georgia Tech or Any other better school if i can get a merit scholarship.
Although i am good at math i am also good at sciences
(Honors Chem- Semester- 1 99. Semester 2- 99 honors Biology Sem 1-100 Sem 2 - 99
so thats why i am thinking if i really need this much acceleration because i know that in college for majoring in Biology i will not need a very high level of Math.</p>
<p>Do you have proficiency in another non-English language (possibly a heritage language)?</p>
<p>Many colleges prefer to see a higher level of proficiency than high school level 2 in a non-English language. High school level 2 may just barely cover first semester college non-English language, and note that there are often non-English language graduation requirements.</p>
<p>Will you be pre-med?</p>
<p>You have to keep on going with Spanish. Stopping at 2 years will considerably restrict the colleges you’ll be able to apply to. Most highly selective colleges expect 4 or AP.
If you truly hate Spanish and can’t do well, see if you can take another foreign language in community college (level1) over the summer. It’ll be rough, very fast, but you’ll be able to start in OtherLanguage3 in the Fall and complete Level 4 senior year. An alternative is to attend the Middlebury summer program for HS students but I’m afraid deadlines have passed or the Concordia language program (not sure you can still apply).</p>
<p>To increase your odds of being a doctor, don’t major in biology. Show that you can handle another major AND the premed core. Additionally, if like 50% applicants you don’t get into med school, a biology BA/BS has very weak employment prospects since there’s a glut of majors who didn’t get into med schools and most bio jobs require graduate school.</p>
<p>If you can handle the math, taking Calc BC be good for your college applications.</p>
<p>Are you from GA?</p>
<p>Depends on your personality (go for the challenge vs. hold back to protect your ranking). I suspect that you will be able to handle the work just fine. In our school, after precalc, kids get to choose AP Calc AB vs AP Calc BC – and most of the top math kids all choose AP Calc BC. So, for us, the normative route would be to go straight to AP Calc BC. But because it’s not normative in your school, it probably makes you feel more apprehensive. But if you’re a top math student (hand-picked by your calc teacher), I predict that you’ll do just fine. And it looks like you had the guts to go for a more rigorous challenge to college admissions folks. Remember that when you apply to colleges, you’ll be competing with kids from across the nation – not just kids from your own much smaller universe (ie. high school) – the best of whom will definitely be taking AP Calc BC (without first taking AP Calc AB).</p>
<p>See if you can talk to other students who went directly into BC this year and find out how they handled it. Most likely it won’t be a problem for you, but it might be difficult and require a significant extra initiative from you if nearly the whole class has already had AB and that material is only briefly covered before moving on. I don’t think it’s possible to compare a school which teaches AB then BC to a school where students are entering BC directly from precalc. BC will be taught differently. </p>
<p>I didnt feel like reading what all the others had to say but the difference between AP and BC is the pace. If you can learn math fast after only a few examples you will be able to do BC at the same level as AB. The material isnt harder just there is more you have to cover in the BC curriculum. If you need more time AB is better unless you want to dedicate more time after school to this subject. hope this helps</p>