Getting a B in AP Calculus
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Anonymous
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My DS is a sophomore who decided to skip pre calculus and go straight to taking AP calculus this year. Now he tells me it’s his goal to get a B in the calculus class.
I have not said anything to him about this because he is a motivated student and is taking charge of his own education. Also, he is extremely strong willed. His school counselor advised him against it, but left the final decision up to him. I am wondering how getting a B in this class will affect his college applications. Is it no big deal? Or will it hurt him? I don’t want to put pressure on him. But I don’t want him to be making bad decisions. He is an only child, so I don’t have experience with today’s application process. |
Anonymous
| To clarify. DS is a high school student. Looking at college admissions in a couple years. |
Anonymous
| He will get into college. |
Anonymous
| A kid taking AP Calc as a sophomore sounds like he'll do just fine. He was advised, seems to understand his decisions. Sure, an A is better, but a B won't knock him out of admissions. |
Anonymous
+1 Take a step back and breathe. |
Anonymous
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I'm surprised the school even allowed him to do this.
Skipping pre-calc altogether? |
Anonymous
| Am curious how he "decided" to do that; I thought schools were pretty strict about pre-requisites. |
Anonymous
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I mean he's still in the class.
Do what it takes to get an A (if it matters that much to you.) |
Anonymous
| Skipping a segment in a math sequence is generally not smart, unless he’s getting the missed material from self-study. What is his motivation for skipping pre-Calculus? If he wants to go to a selective college and/or major in something with a math focus, a B in Calculus may not look great. Otherwise, it’s fine. |
Anonymous
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OP here. He “self studied” pre-calc over the summer and tested out of the class. I am very there are significant holes in his knowledge of pre-calc. He spent very little time studying.
I could really get on his case and hound him and he could probably get an A in the class. But that would damage my relationship with him, and I’m not willing to do it. Also, I’m trying not to be that parent who requires all A grades. It’s difficult because I’m very type A. 😬 |
Anonymous
| I would have him do pre-cal. |
Anonymous
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Colleges wont care if he took it freshman year or senior year. What they will care about is his course progression/rigor, his grades and possibly his AP scores (dependent on his College major/college choice).
Will he run out of math alternatives by his senior year at his HS or is he doing this as a path to reaching the highest math rigors offered at his HS. Pre-Calc is a pretty important foundation for really any calculus let alone Calc AB/BC and AP Physics C advanced courses. As are still preferred. |
Anonymous
| Get a tutor! |
Anonymous
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The reality is he will be competing with kids with near perfect grades with a similar degree of rigor, so yes, it will matter if he is getting Bs in a core subject of he wants to go to a competitive admit school.
What I find troubling is that your child is clearly strong in math but is turning it into a weakness because he is 15 and doesn’t know better. I’d give him the ultimatum of getting a tutor or moving down to precalc. |
Anonymous
This is a bit harsh. Yes he is competing with kids with perfect grades but you are assuming that puts them ahead of him. Colleges take a look at the whole person. Even for a science major at a top 25 that B is just fine if the rest of the record is there to support admission. He tested out of precalc. School not likely to move him unless he is failing. This is not a weakness. |