Hi all! I am entering my senior year and wondering if AP Calc BC or AP Spanish would be better as I’m looking toward admissions. I’ve taken Spanish throughout high school, and I took AP Calc AB last year. I’m also taking AP Stats this year as well. I was wondering if four years of a foreign language would make me a stronger applicant, or a taking a more rigorous math class would. I plan on applying to something STEM-related. Thank you!
Can you take Calc BC and AP Spanish and drop Stats?
4 Likes
Due to the lack of people who are signed up to take the class (below 5 people for AP Spanish and AP Calc), they are only offered one period in the school day. AP Stats is in a period that doesn’t conflict with those two.
Got it. For a STEM major I’d lean towards BC calc. I’d also recommend asking your guidance counselor to note the conflict in their LOR.
5 Likes
Engineering major take Calc BC, Business major it depends, any other major take Spanish.
Score on Calc AB is also important to consider. A score of 3 on AB is not accepted for credit at most highly competitive schools, but a 3 in BC is enough to get credit for Calc I.
This is very school dependent and even varies depending on college/major. There are plenty of schools where a 3 on BC will not be sufficient for credit. The best practice is to check with each school you are applying to.
You don’t necessarily need AP language but you also don’t need Calc BC.
What colleges are you seeking ?
I think BC is a better choice but depending on the schools - either or neither may both be ok too.
Not saying not to take one as you want to. Just saying you may already be in great shape even without.
1 Like
Engineering and Business students have to be purposeful in what AP classes they take. Students who major in Arts and Sciences have many more elective credits at most universities, so they can use most of their AP credits. You have to balance what you want out of AP. If not a STEM major, AP Spanish offers many credits at many universities, especially if you take one more Spanish class in college.
My S25 has AP credit for Calc I and II and Chem I at most schools, and English at some schools. He will have APUSH and AP Physics C as a senior. APUSH will be the hardest course in high school for him. For STEM majors, APUSH saves them for a possible B in college.
I know Purdue is a 4 or no credit school!
“STEM” is a broad area. Biology is significantly different from computer science, for example.
Calculus BC over AB will likely advance a semester in college math, if needed for your major (of course, it depends on your AP scores).
Another year of high school Spanish will likely advance a semester in college Spanish (colleges commonly have placement testing or procedures even if you do not have an AP score). Will you be aiming for a career where better knowledge of Spanish can help (e.g. health care, civil engineer visiting job sites, etc.)?
This is a tough one because I personally believe both math and languages are areas where maintaining continuity is really helpful.
So I normally don’t bother to recommend this sort of thing, but could you take BC and then self-study Spanish? Like I don’t know if you actually need to take the AP test–that would depend on whether you wanted a chance at credit. But I would personally think it a good idea to keep studying Spanish just to keep improving your Spanish, setting up going even farther in college.
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.