Would taking AP Calc Pass/Fail be detrimental to admissions?

Parents Forum
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<p>Thank you for reading. My niece emailed and asked me to be a third opinion regarding this question. Her adviser says it shouldn’t make any difference, parents said it’s fine with them but to ask me as a third opinion. Niece has an ACT over 30 and is in the top ten% (not top ten) of her class and is applying to U of Chicago, Grinnell a couple LACs in the 50 ranking and a state school, not the flagship. Her high school sends at least one kid to an Ivy league school each year. She is not looking for a math or science major, but still wants to take AP Calc as it is the only math left. It is her weakest subject. </p>

<p>I personally have never heard of pass/fail in high school. It was not an option for our kids. My gut reaction is that you have to do all the work anyway to pass so one might as well try for a good grade. </p>

<p>My black and white question is would a pass on the Semester I transcript look shady to an admissions committee? My CC clouded opinion also thinks her only chance at the two top schools would be in the early round. </p>

<p>Thanks for any advice you may have.</p>

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<p>If she is clearly a humanities-type kid, and not a math/science kid, I don’t think it will hurt her terribly. It would be wonderful if she could take the course and get a great grade, but it sounds like that’s not a reasonable expectation. At least she’s taking something that’s challenging to her, which I think might be viewed favorably.</p>

<p>IMHO.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your response VeryHappy. She’s a hard worker and does very well in her other classes. Her email sounded as though this would bring incredible relief to her senior year. I admire her for wanting to take the class, but just had never considered the pass/fail thing as an option. Her adviser is the one who suggested it.</p>

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<p>We’ve had many threads on CC about whether not taking AP Calculus is detrimental to admissions. I think the anecdotal tally says that not taking AP Calculus is not detrimental to admissions for a non math/science kid.</p>

<p>Could taking the class pass/fail have worse consequences than not taking the class at all? (As long as you don’t get a fail that is)</p>