<p>Both calculus AB and statistics are like one-semester college courses, but taught in high school over a year, so either would be a gentler introduction to college math than calculus BC.</p>
<p>Statistics is generally useful to know and understand, although (at the high school or AP level) it is often thought to be “math for students afraid of calculus”. The most selective schools may want to see that you took the more rigorous available choices in all subjects.</p>
<p>Stopping after precalculus is likely to be acceptable at less selective schools, at least if you are not going for a math-intensive major.</p>
<p>Calculus is unlikely to be needed for an English major (unless you attend a school which requires calculus as a general education requirement), although it is useful if you choose to take out-of-major courses in subjects like physics or (more in-depth than AP) statistics.</p>