I am a junior in high school in a small rural high school. My school only offers 3 AP classes and I have already taken one of them. I am debating on whether or not to take AP calc next year. I currently have a 4.0/4.0 and am worried that I will not be able to get an A in calc. I am pretty good at math but don’t necessarily enjoy it. I want to major in business management… I could take business calc at my local community college this summer that would count as my college math credit instead of having to take the AP exam. What do you think the best option would be for me? Take AP calc or take business calc instead? What do colleges value more, all As or a B in a AP class?
Failing that, colleges want you to take the hardest courseload you can handle, and it is unlikely that one B will mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.
Take the Calc, you can use Khan Academy to help you out and it’s really not that hard of concepts. If you did ok in other math classes which you obviously have, you’ll be fine. Also, I’m sure your small school allows you to already know the teacher. Go talk to them about your concerns.
I’m in AP Calc AB right now. I’m the same way, I’m pretty good at math but don’t love it. I’m not a math person, but more of an English person, so it doesn’t come naturally to me at all. It takes a little extra work, but As are definitely doable, even if you don’t have a good teacher first semester like I did. The math is different but if you give it the time and effort it deserves, you’ll do great!
I echo what other posters have said. There is nothing conceptually hard about AB Calc. With your GPA you’ve got the brains - just tell yourself you can do it and then go out and actually do it. Khan is pretty good for additional explanations. Check out http://patrickjmt.com/ as well if you haven’t seen that site. His videos are a little more nitty-gritty and less conceptual than Khan, and perhaps a little more relevant for helping you maintain your 4.0. Best of luck!