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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If AP Calculus AB is the highest math my DC reaches, will they be auto rejected from T15 as a biology/chemistry/neuroscience major? DC attends competitive public in over-represented area with most classmates reaching BC calc or higher. [/quote]

Life sciences majors like biology and neuroscience usually do one semester calculus for life sciences which is very close to Calculus AB. Chemistry majors require the full two semesters of Calculus, akin to BC.

This being said, I don’t think colleges discriminate between the versions of calculus taken in high school for admissions purposes, especially if she entered high school with geometry in 9th. Calculus AB is roughly 80% the BC material.

Why is she not taking BC instead? Is it because the school has AB as prerequisite for BC, scheduling conflict issue, or she’s not confident in her abilities? If she’ll do well in AB she’ll do well in BC as well with a little more effort. It’s a good idea to explain on the application her high school course choices.

Just make sure the school doesn’t treat them differently as in not giving the most rigorous mark to AB students, so you need to talk to the counselor directly.

If she took AP Biology, Chemistry and Physics, has the gpa and extracurriculars she’ll be competitive to Top 15, but be aware admissions are a lottery at these schools.

She won’t be on auto reject because she got an A in Calculus AB.[/quote]

Thank you to all who responded for helpful insights and advice. DD has excellent grades and rigor (just not in math) in her school but is not taking BC because of a health issue/medical treatment this semester and was advised to take a “balanced” senior course load. DD taking 5 other AP courses on top of calculus (to try to be as competitive with peers).

Just very worried because 85% of her class probably finishes HS with BC calc or higher. Not sure if will get the highest rigor mark by counselor because of this. [/quote]

I know it's hard, but try your best not to worry about this.

As you know, your DD's health comes first. You've 100% made the right decision in course selection.

From here, it will be what it will be. I say this with kindness. It really will not help you to worry about this further.

Instead, I would talk directly with your DD's counselor about it. Make sure, before they fill out the "rigor" part, that they understand why DD took AB instead of BC. And ask them directly how they will weigh this decision when deciding whether or not to choose "highest rigor". At least then you'll know.

By the way, I would NOT recommend reaching out to a counselor about this under normal circumstances. But given that this is based on a health issue, I would do it if I were you. It's important the counselor has the context, and that conversation may nudge them to choosing "highest rigor" even if they would have done so otherwise.

Finally, your DD will also have the option of including this information in the part of the application where they invite additional information. Our counselor said this is one of the main uses of the section - unusual circumstances like medical restrictions that provide important context for the rest of the application.

Again, I'm no expert. But if it were my kid and it was a physical health issue (recovery from surgery or an extended illness etc.), it would be a no-brainer to include this information in the  appropriate part of the application. However, if it were a mental health issue, I would be more careful and would seek advice from people with deeper knowledge and experience on this specific issue.

Though I certainly hope colleges value mental health and physical health equally, sadly, I would not assume so without additional information.

I know how hard it is not to worry. We all want our kids to be treated well and fairly in this ridiculous process. Hugs and good luck to you and your DD![/quote]

Thank you so much for your advice and kindness. It’s not a mental health issue.  I will contact school counselor to discuss and hope my daughter will provide context in the additional info section as well. I guess we’ll never know the exact reason(s) why kids are accepted or rejected. [/quote]

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