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[quote=Anonymous]Also, if your kid is aiming for the top schools and is applying from close in DMV without a hook, they need the “most rigorous” courses - generally this is an AP calc of some sort, I think AB is fine if he isn’t doing stem.   And for top schools, I’d be shocked if any unhooked kids are getting into ivies (of course) if they didn’t have AP calc (and no AP stat and regular calc isn’t considered rigorous for the very top colleges.  This now is extending to the teir below - I would be shocked if more than 3-5% of the UMC DMV applicants to UVA or Boston University or Bates/bowdoin/Colby (for instance) were accepted without AP calc (or the IB equivalent).

I am a math teacher, and I worked at a fancy DC private for about 10 years. I agree with the assessment that precalc is harder than calc for students.  This is true for a few reasons.  The jump to higher level thinking between algebra 2 and precalc is larger than the jump between precalc and calc AB.  Trigonometry is very conceptual and hard to digest when students first learn it most just resort to memorizing unfortunately.  In calc the material is much more straightforward and logical IMO.  There is also so much more context and applications.

I would recommend taking the easiest precalc possible that would still qualify him for AB and get an A in both courses.  [/quote]

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