AP Cal A/B vs B/C

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is applying to engineering schools.

From a AO/Academic rigor perspective - Is there a significant difference between seeing Calc A/B vs Cal B/C on the transcript.

DC would prefer to take A/B and honestly avoid getting a B in his senior year (and also would like to pace the math and not rush)

TIA!

For engineering, he needs to do BC. Get him a tutor. He isn't rushing it. My sophmore is taking BC. Many take BC junior year.

[Anonymous]

For a senior it doesn't matter. The difference been AB and BC is less than a semester of work, and that most of the that work is after college admissions is over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Calc BC is the most desirable for engineering candidates. Many will have taken it in junior year and be in multivariable as seniors.

+++indeed, at least at ivies/top E schools

[Anonymous]

For oos, Georgia Tech told me they expect to see Calc Bc and my kid was a bio major.

[Anonymous]

BC is not enough for engineering at highly sought after schools. You will need LA, MVC etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BC is not enough for engineering at highly sought after schools. You will need LA, MVC etc

Not true at all.

[Anonymous]

An A in AB is better than a B in BC

[Anonymous]

It generally depends on what is available and commonly taken by other applicants from your school but there are exceptions to every rule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An A in AB is better than a B in BC

While that’s true, I think there’s a strategy to be had at senior year. EA schools will see the kid is taking BC but may never see the grade. I think if you are looking at any stem field and Bc is available, you need to take it if you are looking at T25 and I include Georgia tech in that.

[Anonymous]

I might be the outlier, but I do not think Calc AB vs Calc BC is nearly as important for E School admissions as some folks here are claiming.

It matters A LOT that student takes Calc in HS, but any AP Calc is good enough. And yes, I know unhooked people who got into MIT and CalTech without taking either Calc BC or MV Calc at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I might be the outlier, but I do not think Calc AB vs Calc BC is nearly as important for E School admissions as some folks here are claiming.

It matters A LOT that student takes Calc in HS, but any AP Calc is good enough. And yes, I know unhooked people who got into MIT and CalTech without taking either Calc BC or MV Calc at all.

Was BC not an option at their school? MIT says if BC is available they pretty much expect the kid to take it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An A in AB is better than a B in BC

Internal counselor data from our high school shows differently, though that may because 1/3 of grads track into BC in either 11th or 12th. The kids who try BC and get a B or above do better than the kids who were on track for BC but chose to step down to AB. In other words had all As so it looks like they took the easier path. Every year T10s reject our top-gpa students with the easier rigor in favor of lower GPA(2-3 B+ or B) students with very top rigor. Parents sometimes seem surprised but counseling staff is rarely surprised. Of course years where the top-Gpa kids are also taking the highest rigor leads to the best admissions at elites. These kids are a slam dunk at T20s from our high school.

AOs can discern rigor quite well. Plus counselors and teachers advocate strongly in letters for the students who are self-motivated to push and challenge themselves with rigorous classes. Grade-obsessed high performers who do not care about challenging themselves and only care about As are obvious and the RLs from teachers find ways to express these concerns.

[Anonymous]

As many have mentioned, engineering programs pretty much expect all applicants to have taken the highest level math classes that are available at their high school. I think the only way people can get by with AB is if that's all the high school offers. Or if you are applying as an English major to MIT or Georgia Tech, AB might be fine. But admission is extremely unlikely to competitive engineering schools if an applicant chooses AB over BC. You can't fear math and succeed in engineering. I'd suggest making the rest of the high school course selection a little easier to give this student the space to take BC. All engineering schools look at math before they look at anything else.

[Anonymous]

Engineering? He’ll need to take BC. And get an A. All future engineering students at our school take BC, it’s fairly standard.

My kid is interested in PoliSci, so he can take AB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I might be the outlier, but I do not think Calc AB vs Calc BC is nearly as important for E School admissions as some folks here are claiming.

It matters A LOT that student takes Calc in HS, but any AP Calc is good enough. And yes, I know unhooked people who got into MIT and CalTech without taking either Calc BC or MV Calc at all.

Was BC not an option at their school? MIT says if BC is available they pretty much expect the kid to take it

Available but student did not take it. Took AP Calc AB.