I am currently a freshman at a public high school. I am in Honors Alg. 2 w/ Trig and have a 98.1%.
My problem is that there are some freshmen taking pre-calc planning to take AP Calc BC sophomore year. I talk with them a lot and know that I am just as capable and smart as they are; they just decided (or were forced by parents) to do summer test outs.
I have no problem taking Calc. BC as a junior, except if it will hurt my chances when I’m getting compared to when applying to colleges. For example, If those who took Calc. BC as a sophomore applied to MIT, and I did too, would them being one more year ahead of me put them ahead in the acceptance process? I know there are many factors to admission, but I’m asking whether them being one year ahead would give them any sort of advantage.
I definitely could test out of Honors Pre-Calc., but I am also going to take APUSH and AP Bio next year and don’t want any more work if it wouldn’t give me a significant advantage. I may do AP Lang too to strengthen my English skills.
Speaking as a sophomore currently in BC, I honestly don’t feel like there is much of an advantage to taking it junior year, unless you plan to perhaps take any math classes at the college level (as I might, because my school won’t have any more maths to offer). It would be a good idea, however, if you are really good at math/love math a lot because colleges would l see that you have a “spike” there.
Follow your math sequence. As far as college admissions go, returns are vastly diminishing beyond AP AB/BC. Based on MIT multivariable course enrollment numbers, the median freshman at MIT took up to Calc AB and/or BC in high school, and you’re already on track to finish multi by senior year.
Take precalc next year. If you find it easy, great; spend your extra free time on other pursuits, and make sure you’re rock solid on the fundamentals. Kids struggle with calculus and beyond if they skim through the foundational stages of earlier courses.
For most colleges, none is enough. For some tippy top STEM-heavy schools, completing calculus as a Senior (any calculus,; it does not have to be BC) is enough.
No. No college will give brownie points for taking BC as a sophomore, or MVC as a freshman
Taking ap calc as a junior is very impressive too. I would advise strongly against testing out of precalc. It really won’t give you enough of an advantage to be worth it.
I have frequently read that it is very important for the guidance counselor of the school to be able to state that your course selection was very rigorous. If a group at the OPs HS are taking a more accelerated sequence than he is, would it not jeopardize the rigor criteria being met? It seems that is the question more so than is it enough to take Calc or not?