Taking Statistics in 12th grade instead of Calculus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stats is a very useful class...more useful to many than calc. If she was going into Engineering it would be a problem but otherwise I would do it.

I agree! It’s a great, practical class.

For many, it will sink in better by learning the basis for stats first (calculus) and then taking more advanced (calc-based) stats in college.

Lol, theoretical statistics/probability using calculus is something that almost literally nobody needs. The vast majority of statistics is applied and can be accomplished using pre-algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Counseling department at my DC's school was convinced AP Stat senior year looks like a copout. AP Stat as an elective is fine. But of course there are times where this is exactly the sort of release valve a student needs to maintain good grades senior year. Anyway, DC was convinced to take BC senior year and it worked out.

Same here. AP stats is only available as an elective rather than the main sr yr math. I've been told that admission officers see calc is as clearly more rigorous than AP stats.

Personally, my guess is that it would make the most difference only at the most selective colleges (T20-ish), and they are all holistic in review. Obviously not all their students have had calc before arriving on campus, although a great many will. Beyond that, there will be a continuum down the rankings as to how much it matters for humanities majors. Once outside the top 50, probably not at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stats is a very useful class...more useful to many than calc. If she was going into Engineering it would be a problem but otherwise I would do it.

I agree! It’s a great, practical class.

For many, it will sink in better by learning the basis for stats first (calculus) and then taking more advanced (calc-based) stats in college.

Please reread the original post. The OP's question isn't about taking stats in college. It's about whether her DC who is not interested in math should take stats in HS in place of calc because the DC is not into math. You can take HS stats without a calc background and that's what the DC should do. She is not looking at engineering school etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stats is a very useful class...more useful to many than calc. If she was going into Engineering it would be a problem but otherwise I would do it.

I agree! It’s a great, practical class.

For many, it will sink in better by learning the basis for stats first (calculus) and then taking more advanced (calc-based) stats in college.

Please reread the original post. The OP's question isn't about taking stats in college. It's about whether her DC who is not interested in math should take stats in HS in place of calc because the DC is not into math. You can take HS stats without a calc background and that's what the DC should do. She is not looking at engineering school etc.

You can also take stats at the undergrad,masters, and phd level without a calc background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stats is a very useful class...more useful to many than calc. If she was going into Engineering it would be a problem but otherwise I would do it.

I agree! It’s a great, practical class.

For many, it will sink in better by learning the basis for stats first (calculus) and then taking more advanced (calc-based) stats in college.

Please reread the original post. The OP's question isn't about taking stats in college. It's about whether her DC who is not interested in math should take stats in HS in place of calc because the DC is not into math. You can take HS stats without a calc background and that's what the DC should do. She is not looking at engineering school etc.

Sorry for straying off topic to address the usefulness of AP stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stats is a very useful class...more useful to many than calc. If she was going into Engineering it would be a problem but otherwise I would do it.

I agree! It’s a great, practical class.

For many, it will sink in better by learning the basis for stats first (calculus) and then taking more advanced (calc-based) stats in college.

Please reread the original post. The OP's question isn't about taking stats in college. It's about whether her DC who is not interested in math should take stats in HS in place of calc because the DC is not into math. You can take HS stats without a calc background and that's what the DC should do. She is not looking at engineering school etc.

You can also take stats at the undergrad,masters, and phd level without a calc background.

You can take basic stats classes without calc, yes. But anything beyond basic requires calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stats is a very useful class...more useful to many than calc. If she was going into Engineering it would be a problem but otherwise I would do it.

I agree! It’s a great, practical class.

For many, it will sink in better by learning the basis for stats first (calculus) and then taking more advanced (calc-based) stats in college.

Lol, theoretical statistics/probability using calculus is something that almost literally nobody needs. The vast majority of statistics is applied and can be accomplished using pre-algebra.

Indeed, that's true. What does AP stats add? Things that have a basis in calc, but without understanding the calc.

[Anonymous]

Funny, I was slotted into non AP Calc senior year twenty years ago at a big three but demoted myself to Statistics. Mostly because I liked the Stats teacher better than the Calc teacher. stats was a great fit for me - it helped me understand some Econ and policy classes better on college. But I never took Calc, which in turn cut me out of some of the upper level stats classes.

What is she doing this summer? Could she do Calc summer school and then take stats her senior year, and only report the Calc summer school grade if it was good?

[Anonymous]

OP, what sorts of colleges are on her potential list? That would really help in answering this question. If they're not top 20 or so, then it isn't likely to matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I was slotted into non AP Calc senior year twenty years ago at a big three but demoted myself to Statistics. Mostly because I liked the Stats teacher better than the Calc teacher. stats was a great fit for me - it helped me understand some Econ and policy classes better on college. But I never took Calc, which in turn cut me out of some of the upper level stats classes.

What is she doing this summer? Could she do Calc summer school and then take stats her senior year, and only report the Calc summer school grade if it was good?

Some typos here. I meant to say not having Calc cut me out of some upper level Econ classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I was slotted into non AP Calc senior year twenty years ago at a big three but demoted myself to Statistics. Mostly because I liked the Stats teacher better than the Calc teacher. stats was a great fit for me - it helped me understand some Econ and policy classes better on college. But I never took Calc, which in turn cut me out of some of the upper level stats classes.

What is she doing this summer? Could she do Calc summer school and then take stats her senior year, and only report the Calc summer school grade if it was good?

Some typos here. I meant to say not having Calc cut me out of some upper level Econ classes.

As for how it affected me college wise, I don’t know. I got waitlisted at three ivies and wound up at a top ten SLAC. But this was more than twenty years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I was slotted into non AP Calc senior year twenty years ago at a big three but demoted myself to Statistics. Mostly because I liked the Stats teacher better than the Calc teacher. stats was a great fit for me - it helped me understand some Econ and policy classes better on college. But I never took Calc, which in turn cut me out of some of the upper level stats classes.

What is she doing this summer? Could she do Calc summer school and then take stats her senior year, and only report the Calc summer school grade if it was good?

Some typos here. I meant to say not having Calc cut me out of some upper level Econ classes.

OP already said clearly that DD wants to focus on English and history in college. Unlikely to shoot for upper level college Econ classes. And asking the DD to take summer calc as a just-in-case class, when the DD isn't interested, is a big ask.

OP, just take the advice on which both the HS math department and the college counseling office agree.

[Anonymous]

I always thought stats was more challenging than calculus! But I think it’s much more useful and I agree with PPs that everybody should take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I was slotted into non AP Calc senior year twenty years ago at a big three but demoted myself to Statistics. Mostly because I liked the Stats teacher better than the Calc teacher. stats was a great fit for me - it helped me understand some Econ and policy classes better on college. But I never took Calc, which in turn cut me out of some of the upper level stats classes.

What is she doing this summer? Could she do Calc summer school and then take stats her senior year, and only report the Calc summer school grade if it was good?

You're suggesting that a student who isn't a strong math student take calculus over the summer?

[Anonymous]

I think this is the plan for my child.