Is it so terrible to end 12th on AP Calc BC if want to major in CS / you were on advanced math track?

[Anonymous]

DS is a 10th grader in AP Precalc (School got rid of honors this year so choices were regular or AP). His math and CS teachers are recommending 11th - AP Calc BC and 12th - AP Stats. DS has autism and ADHD. Writing is his weakness. This is a kid who could never take an AP English course. We were told AP Stats is very writing heavy so his plan was to do 11th - AP Calc AB and 12th - AP Calc BC. We know BC covers AB so there will be some repetition but so what. DS is not trying to get into a T20 school. Is this path going to keep him out of the likes of UMD or VT?

[Anonymous]

He will be just fine. BTDT for both schools you named.

[Anonymous]

You'll be fine. Montgomery College offers Calc 3.

[Anonymous]

It's fine

[Anonymous]

Perfect plan.

[Anonymous]

totally fine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a 10th grader in AP Precalc (School got rid of honors this year so choices were regular or AP). His math and CS teachers are recommending 11th - AP Calc BC and 12th - AP Stats. DS has autism and ADHD. Writing is his weakness. This is a kid who could never take an AP English course. We were told AP Stats is very writing heavy so his plan was to do 11th - AP Calc AB and 12th - AP Calc BC. We know BC covers AB so there will be some repetition but so what. DS is not trying to get into a T20 school. Is this path going to keep him out of the likes of UMD or VT?

It's totally fine.

But if your kid is math-centric - and your school offers it - can also do BC Junior year and Multivariable Senior year. Not familiar with Statistics. But pretty confident there's not a lot of writing in Multivariable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a 10th grader in AP Precalc (School got rid of honors this year so choices were regular or AP). His math and CS teachers are recommending 11th - AP Calc BC and 12th - AP Stats. DS has autism and ADHD. Writing is his weakness. This is a kid who could never take an AP English course. We were told AP Stats is very writing heavy so his plan was to do 11th - AP Calc AB and 12th - AP Calc BC. We know BC covers AB so there will be some repetition but so what. DS is not trying to get into a T20 school. Is this path going to keep him out of the likes of UMD or VT?

It's totally fine.

But if your kid is math-centric - and your school offers it - can also do BC Junior year and Multivariable Senior year. Not familiar with Statistics. But pretty confident there's not a lot of writing in Multivariable.

Sadly, our school sometimes offers and it and sometimes does not. This year they did not. There is no telling what they'd do in 2 years. So I think we need to plan as if they won't (and then be annoyed if they do. LOL!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a 10th grader in AP Precalc (School got rid of honors this year so choices were regular or AP). His math and CS teachers are recommending 11th - AP Calc BC and 12th - AP Stats. DS has autism and ADHD. Writing is his weakness. This is a kid who could never take an AP English course. We were told AP Stats is very writing heavy so his plan was to do 11th - AP Calc AB and 12th - AP Calc BC. We know BC covers AB so there will be some repetition but so what. DS is not trying to get into a T20 school. Is this path going to keep him out of the likes of UMD or VT?

It's totally fine.

But if your kid is math-centric - and your school offers it - can also do BC Junior year and Multivariable Senior year. Not familiar with Statistics. But pretty confident there's not a lot of writing in Multivariable.

Sadly, our school sometimes offers and it and sometimes does not. This year they did not. There is no telling what they'd do in 2 years. So I think we need to plan as if they won't (and then be annoyed if they do. LOL!)

You'll be fine with BC regardless. No college is going to ding you for classes that weren't offered. And Calculus BC is good enough for every college, including the engineering type schools.

But maybe reach out to the head of the math department and see what they're planning for.

[Anonymous]

My ADHD/HFA son did AP Calc AB in 11th then BC in 12th, because he doesn't really like math. If yours is good at math, he can do AP Calc BC then multivariable.

Are you sure writing is impossible? DS a strong reader and after years of tutoring in writing, he's a good technical writer, which means that he had no trouble with AP courses in History and English Language and Composition. BUT- he was terrible at English Literature, since that necessitated a more intuitive and emotional understanding of works studied!

With a wgpa at 4.6 (a dozen AP courses) and a high ACT, DS got into UMD Honors in early action. Just to give you a data point.

[Anonymous]

^ last year's admission cycle, not this year's.

[Anonymous]

It's perfectly fine.

[Anonymous]

Get that fool to take multivariate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get that fool to take multivariate

Enough with calling people fools. Its fine.

[Anonymous]

I'm a prof who teaches college and graduate level statistics. I am flummoxed that stats is "Writing heavy". What are they teaching there? Are they actually teaching statistics during this course? Or is making a graph and labeling it now considered "writing"? I would definitely check into this assumption and get some feedback before you make a choice.


I agree with PPs that doing calculus and multivariable seems like a better choice. Though your DS will need to take stats, but a serious stats course appropriate for a CS major would leave writing for a different class and focus on the mathematics and perhaps, the philosophical foundations underlying the mathematics, not ask for essays.