<p>I think it’s misleading to say that many high school students don’t get to calculus so it’s perfectly fine not to. Yes, it’s true that most students don’t take BC calculus in high school. Most high school students also don’t even go to 4 year colleges. The fact is that over 100,000 students are taking the BC exam every year. If you are aiming for a selective college, you probably don’t want to be perceived as “not in the top 100,000 college applicants”. Which you will be, if you had the opportunity to take this class and didn’t. Yes, most college STEM programs will offer calculus as a starting point. They recognize that some kids don’t have this opportunity in high school and don’t want to slam the door in their face. </p>
<p>Also, it’s not just top engineering programs that like to see calculus.
“Are there any required courses to apply to W&M [College of William and Mary]?
There are no required courses to apply to W&M. We recommend that students take four math courses culminating in Calculus, regardless of prospective major.”</p>