Do you need calc BC to be competitive for non stem majors?

[Anonymous]

DC took AB last year and got a 3. He is taking BC and is really struggling. He wants to study economics and would like to apply to T50 schools. Should he try to tough it out or drop calc BC? We've talked about but I feel this is not my area of expertise. I hate to see him so down on himself.

[Anonymous]

He needs to take a math every year.
5-4 plan.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Totally unnecessary! Try stats.

[Anonymous]

Get a tutor.

[Anonymous]

Where do you live? How far into the school year are you that he is "really struggling"? No one is more than 2-3 weeks into school. Relax.

Also, this is what you get for being in such a rush to take AP classes in the womb. People need to chill.

[Anonymous]

You don’t need calc bc for non stem majors. If he struggled that much in AB, it’s pointless to take BC. Take an easier math class and do well in it.

[Anonymous]

Nah. STEM kids likely expected to "max out" on all subjects but for some reason there appears to be a double standard with non-STEM.

[Anonymous]

what's his grade for the class? AP score doesn't really matter unless maybe for test blind schools.

[Anonymous]

I would get a tutor. Calc is required for econ. It might be that a little extra help goes a long way toward clearing things up for him. That can have a significant impact on the extent to which he takes the more quantitative econ courses and in turn could affect future career paths. The time to solidify the foundation is now.

Sometimes calc teachers just aren't that great. Nothing wrong with getting someone else's take.

[Anonymous]

Calc BC barely adequate for Harvard, Princeton or MIT. If he wants to go to a top
Program like Bucknell, he’ll need partial
Differential equations and 2+ years of linear algebra.

[Anonymous]

Not needed for non-STEM majors in general but it would at least be helpful for econ at very competitive schools. Outside of the top 25-30, I'd think stats would be fine (but he should definitely take math).

[Anonymous]

For T50, I don’t think he needs BC.

For T20 schools, yes, because your high school offers it.

Rigor, and actually trying and learning something, counts more than your GPA.

If he could get anything above B. Take it.

[Anonymous]

Econ majors vary a lot among top colleges. At some, multivariable calculus is required for the major. There are also subgroups within econ majors which require more math than that.

Take a look at a few of the colleges of interest to your son and see what the requirements are for an econ major.

Most top schools don't admit by major, so it' s not going to stop him getting in. However, he might have to switch majors.

[Anonymous]

I hate to say it, but yest you need BC.

[Anonymous]

Economics is a math based degree.