Currently a junior in high school and picking classes for next year. I’ve been on the advanced math route my entire high school career, and am taking AB Calculus this year. I’m struggling hard, but have managed to keep a decent grade. I just know that if I take BC Calculus next year I won’t do well.
I will also be taking AP Chem, AP Gov, AP Lit, AP Psych, AP Human Geo, and AP Stats if not BC Calc. I want to go into the science field (currently thinking pretty seriously about pre-med) but will probably major in public policy as a backup.
What do you guys think? Will I not look competitive enough if I just take AP Stats instead of BC Calc??
I don’t think it would be a good idea to stop your Calculus sequence. You’ve already learned half of BC. Why do you think you’ll do badly? You’ll have a whole year to learn what some schools only cover in one semester. Since you want to go pre-med, you don’t want to go more than a year without Calc. You would have forgotten most of it by the time you started college. Could you skip taking AP Human/Psych to focus more on BC? Or you could audit a CC class to keep your skills fresh.
I agree: drop either or both of psych and human geography (pick whichever you like best, or drop both if you want to go dual enrollment) the ideal would-be for you to find a community college on the quarter system and to take the second and third quarter on the calculus sequence. This way, you’ll review some of calculus ab, which I’ll ease you into the harder stuff.
Strictly speaking, if you take calculus an and stats, you’re okay with colleges, but you’ll be taking calc1 again if you intend to go premed so you’ll have to review calc ab before fall 2017.
I agree with @bopper in picking AP Psych over Human Geo, especially since psych is more science-related. I would suggest something like this:
AP Calc BC
AP Gov
AP Lit
AP Chem
AP Psych
Foregin Language (if you don’t have 3-4 yrs) or a blowoff that will set you apart, such as an art or music class