Engineering with Calculus AB?

[Anonymous]

My kid is a junior in calculus AB in private. Her school will not allow kids to take BC if they have already taken AB.
BC is fairly highly gate kept at this school and only about 15 kids make it through BC or beyond.

She's currently in physics C (both parts--working really hard and doing well) and will have AP biology and thought she'd enter college as some sort of pre-med major (maybe bio? maybe Spanish?)
However, now she's thinking about engineering (after going on multiple college tours).

How important is it to take calculus BC for engineering admits? She could take calculus C this summer through Hopkins CTY but she'd really rather not spend the summer doing math.
What if she's looking at engineering at liberal arts colleges or 3/2 programs?

[Anonymous]

Check the other 29 recent threads

[Anonymous]

Well since you don't have any other option, I guess you'll just have to find out? Also, completion rates at 3+2 programs are quite low. I'd look at straight engineering programs or forget about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a junior in calculus AB in private. Her school will not allow kids to take BC if they have already taken AB.
BC is fairly highly gate kept at this school and only about 15 kids make it through BC or beyond.

She's currently in physics C (both parts--working really hard and doing well) and will have AP biology and thought she'd enter college as some sort of pre-med major (maybe bio? maybe Spanish?)
However, now she's thinking about engineering (after going on multiple college tours).

How important is it to take calculus BC for engineering admits? She could take calculus C this summer through Hopkins CTY but she'd really rather not spend the summer doing math.
What if she's looking at engineering at liberal arts colleges or 3/2 programs?

First, stop looking at 3/2 programs. They're a terrible idea. Don't waste your time

Second, without calc BC she's probably not going to get into the super competitive engineering programs, but there are lots of strong programs where you can still become an exceptional engineer. Many engineering schools have kids retake calculus in college anyways, as it's taught at a deeper level for engineers than AP classes. So she'll be at a slight disadvantage over kids who have already seen the BC content, but it's not that big a deal, as she'll likely take the course in college regardless.

[Anonymous]

What math is she taking next year? She has to take something.

Calc "C" is the mainly vector part. (The same part that AP Precalc considers optional Unit 4).
High school 1-semester "MV" calc does not depend on the "C" part.
College calc 3 (vector calculus) does, but you can learn the prereqs on your own ahead or concurrently with some extra work


Biology/premed does not depend on the "C" part.

Physics beyond first year of college depends on the "C" part. But your kid can take calc 2 in college, or self study calc "C" later.

[Anonymous]

Friend got into VT engineering with Calc AB. Think he is taking AP Stat senior year.

[Anonymous]

Seems like she has a very strong cause for them to make an exception for her next year. They kept her out of Calc BC, why not take it next year in school? Even if it's by some special arrangement.

[Anonymous]

Calc "C" is about 20% of Calc ABC material. Much less than the Calc AB she already took along with a full schedule all school year.
She takes 5 "core" academic courses per year in highschool.

So, it's 20% of 20% of a school year courseload, and summer is 20% of a school year.

It's the equivalent of taking 1 class for 5-10hours a week.
Its not "math all summer" like taking Calc AB would be.

[Anonymous]

What private still runs AP classes? That's off trend.

[Anonymous]

Setting aside the fact that they are idiots, what math class do they suggest she take next year?

If they don't let her take calc BC, she should take dual enrollment calc 2 at a CC either over the summer or during next school year (not the summer before college, as taking college courses after high school graduation can cause trouble).

[Anonymous]

My kid got into a 100-200 tier engineering program with a bad grade in precal junior year and stats senior year. So I am sure she can get in somewhere.

What is the next step after AP AB Calc in her school? She can't take multivariable?

This private school doesn't sound like a good place for STEM oriented kids.

[Anonymous]

Calc AB is just fine for most engineering schools, but it is important to get a good grade in the course. Probably would not be competitive for CalTech or MIT though. Most freshman E School students taking "Math 101" will have had at least 1 year of (some kind of) HS Calculus.

Agree with PPs that the best way to get an Engineering degree is a conventional 4-yr program, not a 3/2 or other variant.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like SSSAS, which has high stats for Calc BC achieved by limiting who can take that course. Mumble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What math is she taking next year? She has to take something.

Calc "C" is the mainly vector part. (The same part that AP Precalc considers optional Unit 4).
High school 1-semester "MV" calc does not depend on the "C" part.
College calc 3 (vector calculus) does, but you can learn the prereqs on your own ahead or concurrently with some extra work


Biology/premed does not depend on the "C" part.

Physics beyond first year of college depends on the "C" part. But your kid can take calc 2 in college, or self study calc "C" later.

She can take AP stats or multivariable next year.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Senior year she is allowed to take multivariable or AP stats.

The school won't allow calculus BC after AB as they view it as a review of material and too easy following AB (an easy "A"). They are firm on this. She's doing very well in AB (it's an easy course.)

Clearly she is not aiming for MIT or similar.