Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB

[Anonymous]

Not commenting on college but as an Engineer with an MBA - I use my stats background a lot more then my hardcore math including Calculus. Unless they are going to be a nuclear engineer or such - Calculus is not needed in life. But stats is so useful for business, science, any type of research and more

[Anonymous]

OP here, fingers cross the schedule changes work out today. If we do make the switch, I will come back to let you all know how college admissions worked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, fingers cross the schedule changes work out today. If we do make the switch, I will come back to let you all know how college admissions worked out.

Please do!

[Anonymous]

Sometimes you just have to make a schedule change despite what the consequences are. Sure, maybe they won’t get into a reach school, but they probably wouldn’t have gotten in anyway. I promise an A in AP stats will be better than a B in Calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He should take AP Stats.

My son, also planning a Humanities major, pushed himself into AP Calc BC and it was a disaster. He could perhaps have made a half-decent grade with a good teacher, but unfortunately the teacher was very rigid and didn't let the kids take grades tests home to study their mistakes, and he also didn't explain where they went wrong. I complained to the school but he was their only Calc BC teacher and they couldn't sway him. It ended up being extremely stressful for DS, when really, statistics would probably have been more useful.

Even with a D in AP Calc BC, he got into decent colleges, since he had straight As everywhere else, including in all the Humanities APs he could take, but the experience was terrible.

My social science DS had a similar experience in AP Calc AB, and got a C both semesters, working with a tutor at end of the second. His Top 30 ED2 school had no problem with it, so it varies. Some reward the effort, others may punish.

The most important thing, though, is your kid’s mental health. If he isn’t up for it, I wouldn’t push it.

[Anonymous]

DP: My senior DC is similar to OP’s, but wants to be a psychologist. Does a psychology major need to take AP Calculus AB?

My DC is gifted verbally but has a math learning disability. My DC has received As in previous honors level math courses with the help of a tutor but AP Calculus AB is supposed to be much harder than the honors pre calculus class they took last year. DC is currently signed up for AP Stats instead.

[Anonymous]

How does one know that kid is “not prepared” for calc after a week? Did the student not take precalc last year?

[Anonymous]

Calc AB is more rigorous than AP Stats. Further Calc Ab is already the calc class for humanities leaning kids, serious math kids are taking Calc BC and often several years of advanced math after. Most kids take AP stats and Calc, not either or. Colleges know all of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About half of humanities admits at Princeton did not take any Calculus.

About half of US high schools don't offer it, though. So the question is whether there is an admissions hit if your HS offers it but you don't take it.

It’s what your HS and other HS in the school district offer. You are competing with kids in your region

You are competing with the kids in your school much more than the kids in your region. If you’re in the DMV, you’re not penalized for not attending TJ if you live in DC. It’s true that colleges will only take so many kids from a particular region, but that effect matters less than how many they will take from a single school.

Bottom line, if your school offers the harder math class, the ones who take it *and* do well in it will be stronger competitively, but if taking the easier class means your overall average will be high, while the other way will make your average go down, I’d take the easier class.

Region is defined as kids in the same school system, in your example, your johnny from FCPS and will be competing with my kid from FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Calc AB is more rigorous than AP Stats. Further Calc Ab is already the calc class for humanities leaning kids, serious math kids are taking Calc BC and often several years of advanced math after. Most kids take AP stats and Calc, not either or. Colleges know all of this.

This isn’t accurate. Yes, kids hoping to get into math intensive majors at elite schools will have MV post BC and beyond if their school offers it but that does not mean the floor for all other majors is AB. Yes, Calc AB is a plus that speaks to overall rigor, especially if most of the strong applicants from your school take it, but it’s not outcome determinative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calc AB is more rigorous than AP Stats. Further Calc Ab is already the calc class for humanities leaning kids, serious math kids are taking Calc BC and often several years of advanced math after. Most kids take AP stats and Calc, not either or. Colleges know all of this.

This isn’t accurate. Yes, kids hoping to get into math intensive majors at elite schools will have MV post BC and beyond if their school offers it but that does not mean the floor for all other majors is AB. Yes, Calc AB is a plus that speaks to overall rigor, especially if most of the strong applicants from your school take it, but it’s not outcome determinative.

Who said it was outcome determinative?

Everything I wrote is in fact accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP: My senior DC is similar to OP’s, but wants to be a psychologist. Does a psychology major need to take AP Calculus AB?

My DC is gifted verbally but has a math learning disability. My DC has received As in previous honors level math courses with the help of a tutor but AP Calculus AB is supposed to be much harder than the honors pre calculus class they took last year. DC is currently signed up for AP Stats instead.

What district? In MCPS, Honors Pre Calc is widely considered more difficult than Calc AB.

Psych majors at some colleges will need Calc as a pre requisite for some stats and other data science classes. You can take Calc in college though so it’s a question of whether it’s needed for admission. For highly selective colleges, successful taking of Calc will make for a stronger app. For most colleges below that top level, it’s not necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP: My senior DC is similar to OP’s, but wants to be a psychologist. Does a psychology major need to take AP Calculus AB?

My DC is gifted verbally but has a math learning disability. My DC has received As in previous honors level math courses with the help of a tutor but AP Calculus AB is supposed to be much harder than the honors pre calculus class they took last year. DC is currently signed up for AP Stats instead.

What district? In MCPS, Honors Pre Calc is widely considered more difficult than Calc AB.

Psych majors at some colleges will need Calc as a pre requisite for some stats and other data science classes. You can take Calc in college though so it’s a question of whether it’s needed for admission. For highly selective colleges, successful taking of Calc will make for a stronger app. For most colleges below that top level, it’s not necessary.

Thanks. DC is at a Catholic HS in the DMV, and I haven't heard the AP Calc AB is harder than honors pre calculus at their school, but I'll look into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does one know that kid is “not prepared” for calc after a week? Did the student not take precalc last year?

Like I wrote, there are various reasons ranging from moving into the district new in 9th which placed him on a non traditional path to AP Calc. School does not offer regular Calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP: My senior DC is similar to OP’s, but wants to be a psychologist. Does a psychology major need to take AP Calculus AB?

My DC is gifted verbally but has a math learning disability. My DC has received As in previous honors level math courses with the help of a tutor but AP Calculus AB is supposed to be much harder than the honors pre calculus class they took last year. DC is currently signed up for AP Stats instead.

What district? In MCPS, Honors Pre Calc is widely considered more difficult than Calc AB.

Psych majors at some colleges will need Calc as a pre requisite for some stats and other data science classes. You can take Calc in college though so it’s a question of whether it’s needed for admission. For highly selective colleges, successful taking of Calc will make for a stronger app. For most colleges below that top level, it’s not necessary.

This is true in many places. But it's that precalc is more difficult than AP Calc.

College Calculus, at least at ivy league schools, is more difficult.