Question about AP Stats. A couple of posters here questioned this student with only taking AP Stats for math as a Senior. Why is that an issue? Is that only because this student is pursuing engineering? Or this student already had higher levels of math? My S25 and D29 are following the Honors Algebra2 - AP PreCalc - AP Calc - AP Stats pathway. In what situation is it advisable to take a second math as a senior?
At my D’s stem focused HS, taking AP stats senior year was seen as a drop in rigor. Her school suggested AP stats junior year and saving AP calc for senior year or not bothering with AP stats and taking DE Calc III as a senior.
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Our school requires AB calc before BC, so some of my kids took AP stat as an elective during a previous year.
AP statistics is commonly seen as an easier math course, and its content emulates an introductory college statistics course typically taken by those needing to fulfill math general education requirements (those in more math heavy majors who need statistics typically take calculus based statistics).
However, it is sometimes the case that a +2 advanced math student in high school completes the top level AP calculus in 11th grade and has no other math available besides AP statistics because taking something more advanced at a local college does not work for scheduling reasons.
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That’s interesting. Stats is a required course for many STEM majors - my S25s Biochem included. Seems particularly helpful for him to have taken AP Stats in HS. Why would they suggest taking AP Stats as a junior versus as a senior? At least at our HS if you take DE (or in Ohio called CCP) classes, you end up leaving the school for half the day, unless it’s offered as an online class. If you have to leave school for half the day that messes with your ability to take a full course load. If you go beyond Calc/Stats the school pushes you to take CompSci, which neither of my kids were/are interested in taking.
However, calculus based statistics in college typically has only calculus prerequisites.
Taking AP statistics in high school can help a prospective statistics or data science major determine how interested one is in the subject, although it is not likely to give advanced placement.
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Thanks. As a non-math and non-science (accounting BA / business law) I wasn’t sure. My son took AP Stats because his counselor told him to. If he only does the BA in Biochem he will get credit for basic Stats from AP. If he does the BS then he will need applied stats, which I just looked and you are right that the prereqs for applied stats are not basic stats but Calc. I’m sure it will still help him a bit if he takes applied stats.
I have no idea what my D29 will major in yet. This year she is taking a wide range of classes and hoping it will start to be a bit more clear. But she has AP Precalc and planning AP BC next year, and then Senior year it depends on if an interest develops.
If your D has completed math through calculus then AP Stats should be fine.
My only caveat is if looking at hyper-competitive colleges, particularly as a STEM major, discuss with the guidance counselor if that path is the most rigorous offered in the HS.
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My engineering student’s college stats class was a 300 level class taken after the entire calc sequence (Calc I,II, III and Diff e q). She did take AP stats in high school but she said there was zero overlap with her engineering stats class and totally unnecessary.
Sounds like your children’s school takes a different approach with the math sequence than ours did.
AP Stats is what kids take at many HSs if they can’t handle calc - it is considered easier.
At my kids LPS - it is Algebra 1 - Geometry - Algebra 2 - AP Stats (or potentially regular stats or pregular pre-calc) … the smarter kids don’t take it, unless they have room for an extra class.. (Those kids start at Geometry - Algebra 2 - Pre-Cal and then AB OR BC)
That said if you have RUN out of calc courses AT your HS, and there is no clear /easy way to take next calc course, then it is fine.
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Interested in this as well. D took Alg1 and Geometry in middle school, Alg2/Trig in 9th, AP Pre Calc in 10th, and now AP Calc AB in 11th. We will obviously work with her counselor this winter but see three possible math options for 12th. Initial pass on most rigorous would call for Calc BC or Multivariable. However, she wants to major in molecular biology and genomics, so AP Stats would actually be more relevant for her than another calculus course.
I’ll be trying to figure out if AOs would see that through story with AP Stats rather than viewing it as a step back in rigor. Her reach school is top 20 and known for a spectacular genomics program, so I may also make sure she asks that specific question of the AO when we visit.
Perhaps look at the requirements for the major at various colleges of interest to see whether AP statistics credit can fulfill any applicable statistics requirements, or if she needs a calculus based statistics course.
If pre-med, it is unlikely that AP statistics credit will be accepted by medical schools that want to see a statistics course
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Thanks, super helpful advice. Not premed at all. Research or biotech path.
My opinion…everyone should take a statistics course at some point. It helps one understand the statistics they read and how they were derived.
I took THREE statistics courses…one undergrad and two grad. The second grad one was specific to the statistics I had to do for my masters thesis.
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I would think that if a high school senior is planning a STEM major, they’d opt for multivariable calculus or linear algebra over statistics. There is nothing wrong with S25 or D29 taking AP Statistics, but the AP exam is only given half the weight corresponding to a half-year college course versus a full-year course. Learning introductory probability and statistics can be quite useful.
Introduction to Statistics and Probability by D. W. Blakeslee & W. G. Chinn is a good place to start.
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Thanks. My wife and I were just discussing this and wondering how much, if at all, AP Stats would help being ready for a 300 level calc based stats class in college. Our HS tends to really push kids to take easier course loads, including talking my into taking Calc AB instead of BC which he would have easily done well in. They also try to get everyone to take a study hall instead of a 7th class. The head of the math department is probably the best teacher at the school, and of course he is the stats and Calc BC teacher, so he also tries to get everyone to take stats.
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The nuances in the post being referenced are important. The student to which OP refers completed the typical high school math sequence in two years by taking summer courses and self-studying for the AP Calc BC exam. The student took Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra in 11th grade. The student plans to take AP Statistics in 12th grade.
Had the student in question completed the sequence Algebra through AP Calc BC by the end of 11th grade and then taken AP Statistics in 12th, few would question the choice. The student would be taking the most advanced courses offered by typical high schools. It is the sequencing after Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra course that people are questioning.
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I don’t think she is an engineer kid. She could be a math/chem/bio kid. She could also be an econ, business, English, etc. We toured Notre Dame and she seemed really interested when talking to our tour guide about architecture. So who knows right now.
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As noted just above, this student has already taken some higher levels of math. I’m a big fan of having a senior year where the student can do their applications, and not be totally stressed about all of their coursework. Since they have taken higher level courses already, I can’t see any issue with statistics as a senior. Even for a STEM college major. My STEM kid took culinary arts senior year. It didn’t hold the kid back in any way.
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Beside differential equations and discrete math (the latter only really applicable to CS and math majors), there is not likely to be much more for college sophomore level math for a high school student to take after multivariable calculus and linear algebra.
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