Bad for students, who apply for CS or engineering, to take AP Calc AB and then BC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In another thread (and here) people said strong math students don't do that sequence. They cut out Calc AB. And colleges would look at that sequence as weak and not rigorous.

Those people were incorrect. There is nothing wrong with taking AB and then BC. Indeed, it is the only route at many, many high schools that do not organize their curriculum in a way that allows a student to go directly to BC from precalc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In another thread (and here) people said strong math students don't do that sequence. They cut out Calc AB. And colleges would look at that sequence as weak and not rigorous.

Ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

To hop onto this thread, my kid is a rising junior and will be taking AP Calc BC next year. He is taking an AP Physics course and his current sciences teacher (honors Chem) said he could do AP Physics 1 or do AP Physics C. He’s never taken physics before. Do people just go right to C?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In another thread (and here) people said strong math students don't do that sequence. They cut out Calc AB. And colleges would look at that sequence as weak and not rigorous.

Ridiculous.

In APS students on the advanced track (who do Int. Pre Calc in 10th) are expected to go to BC and skip AB. That is what they are being prepared for according to the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In another thread (and here) people said strong math students don't do that sequence. They cut out Calc AB. And colleges would look at that sequence as weak and not rigorous.

Ridiculous.

In APS students on the advanced track (who do Int. Pre Calc in 10th) are expected to go to BC and skip AB. That is what they are being prepared for according to the teacher.

That's because they are teaching part of Calc AB in the intensified pre-calc class.

DS had taken the DE pre-calc and asked for permission to jump to BC. He was told he could (had a 99 avg) but had to complete some self-study over the summer to learn that part of AB. Ultimately he decided there was no reason to rush through it and opted for AB in 11th, BC + AP Stats in 12th. He's at VT now so that sequence definitely didn't hurt him and he appreciates the solid grounding in calc. Lots of students really struggle with the math instruction at VT

[Anonymous]

"And you want your engineers and physicists to be fluent in math. My kid (a billion APs, high GPA, 1550+ SAT) is going into a stem field and I insisted she take AB and then BC. I wasn’t convinced that pre-calc was firm because of COVID even though she did fine in the class. I thought that the fundamentals need to be strong so she can really use math as a tool well into the future. Oh and I taught math heavy grad classes as a prof. It’s better that kids really understand this stuff rather than trying to show off to some college counselor."

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Current STEM-field professors we know are telling us that their students are struggling with math - they do not seem to have a strong fundamental understanding - they never learned things during the covid years and they are really suffering. Better to grasp and understand the topic and be prepared for the the college experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In another thread (and here) people said strong math students don't do that sequence. They cut out Calc AB. And colleges would look at that sequence as weak and not rigorous.

Those people were incorrect. There is nothing wrong with taking AB and then BC. Indeed, it is the only route at many, many high schools that do not organize their curriculum in a way that allows a student to go directly to BC from precalc.

I think it’s clear we aren’t not talking about a school where is isn’t an option (and AB must precede BC).

[Anonymous]

Not at all. Two years ago, a girl i know did this and got accepted in CS major in Harvard, Yale and Stanford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not at all. Two years ago, a girl i know did this and got accepted in CS major in Harvard, Yale and Stanford.

One doesn't get "accepted in CS major" at Harvard, Yale or Stanford. One is accepted to the university.

Their applications ask applicants what majors they're interested in, but students are not accepted into a particular major at these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To hop onto this thread, my kid is a rising junior and will be taking AP Calc BC next year. He is taking an AP Physics course and his current sciences teacher (honors Chem) said he could do AP Physics 1 or do AP Physics C. He’s never taken physics before. Do people just go right to C?

Some people do go right to C, though usually a physics course is recommended first. I would suggest Physics 1 junior year and then, if he likes physics, Physics C senior year.

[Anonymous]

Depend on your school, in our school
Low math track kids take Calc AB then done
High math track kids take Calc BC directly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depend on your school, in our school
Low math track kids take Calc AB then done
High math track kids take Calc BC directly

Ditto. Seems like a waste of time to take Calc AB and then repeat the same curriculum during the first semester of BC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depend on your school, in our school
Low math track kids take Calc AB then done
High math track kids take Calc BC directly

Ditto. Seems like a waste of time to take Calc AB and then repeat the same curriculum during the first semester of BC

Does it? Do you also think there is no value in re-teaching addition year after year with more depth and complexity thrown in? Or do you think that we should show you addition once in your high powered rigorous preschool and call it quits? Math is learned through practice and struggle with concepts and problems. You can take Calc AB after being a Prof for many years and should be able to get some new insight from it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depend on your school, in our school
Low math track kids take Calc AB then done
High math track kids take Calc BC directly

Ditto. Seems like a waste of time to take Calc AB and then repeat the same curriculum during the first semester of BC

Does it? Do you also think there is no value in re-teaching addition year after year with more depth and complexity thrown in? Or do you think that we should show you addition once in your high powered rigorous preschool and call it quits? Math is learned through practice and struggle with concepts and problems. You can take Calc AB after being a Prof for many years and should be able to get some new insight from it.

Sued you can retake all the math classes multiply times for practice, but it won’t look good for college, that’s what OP is asking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depend on your school, in our school
Low math track kids take Calc AB then done
High math track kids take Calc BC directly

Ditto. Seems like a waste of time to take Calc AB and then repeat the same curriculum during the first semester of BC

The goal of anyone and everyone should be the following, if possible at your chosen college:

1. Get out of Freshman English/Writing. Usually means a 4 or 5 on AP Lang (or Lit some places).

2. Get out of Calc 2. This is much harder and typically requires a 4 or 5 on the BC exam. But if taking AB then BC ensures it (and my guess is more AB/BC will get a 4/5 than Prealc/BC) its worth it. Calc 2 is usually the worst class anyone takes.. They are out to get you not teach you.