Anonymous wrote:UMD wants ENSP majors to attempt to take through Calc II (BC) before entering a specific major. If you can't do that much, some majors in ENSP are not available you.

However, it is a utility course, not the pride and joy of ENSP.

You should choose a high school course that makes you comfortable progressing toward that goal. Since you'll want to take Stats with Calculus in college anyway also, AP Stats and Calc with Applications are both "half steps" that will help you prepare for college.
Calc AB is a full step and Calc BC is a double step that will make progress toward your degree before you enter, and free up time for more classes you care about.

The simplified progression is Calc AB / 1, Stats with Calculus, Calculus BC 2.
AP Stats and Calc with Applications are both preparatory high school "plus a half" head start on college classes.

You have to decide how much preparation you need to succeed. I do not recommend AP Stats (unless you take it as an elective in addition to Calculus) because Calc I will be harder than Calc AB, because it goes faster, and you will have a year doing no precalc or calc. Calc with Applications will be like half of Calc I, so will help you prepare.

https://ensp.umd.edu/sites/ensp.umd.edu/files/files/documents/MATH%20sequences%20for%20ENSP%20Majors.pdf

what is ENSP?

Anonymous wrote:AB calc will be viewed by admissions officers as more rigorous than stats. In college, the kid will probably want to take both courses (and quite likely at least one course in each topic beyond these intro classes.

In sum, if you think your kid can manage an A in AB Calc, that would be preferential for admissions purposes. (Not the only consideration, but you mentioned this in your initial posting.)

Which is sad, because stats would be more useful for this particular student.

AB calc will be viewed by admissions officers as more rigorous than stats. In college, the kid will probably want to take both courses (and quite likely at least one course in each topic beyond these intro classes.

In sum, if you think your kid can manage an A in AB Calc, that would be preferential for admissions purposes. (Not the only consideration, but you mentioned this in your initial posting.)

Honors precalc has a lot of math non-sciency math that enc science has no need for.

Calc AB/BC / 1/2 does too, but most science majors still have to take it. If you want to totally avoid it, you'll end up on the "arts" side not the "science" side of environmental policy, which isn't the worst but it's limiting.

Anonymous wrote:My son, who at one point was diagnosed with a disability in math, did:

Honors Alg 2 - straight As
Honor precalc - straight As
AP Calc AB - pandemic, crappy teacher who gave straight As, so we didn't realize there was a problem
AP Calc BC - had a mental breakdown, bareknuckled it to a C

He got into UMD Honors in Early Action.
He also had As everywhere else and a dozen AP courses total, plus a 35 on his ACT. In retrospect, he should have taken AP Stats instead of AP Calc BC in 12th grade.

How would stats have helped? Calc BC reviews and repeats AB content which is what your student needed. Taking a year off calculus could postpone the problem until freshman year, which could be messier.

Anonymous wrote:My son, who at one point was diagnosed with a disability in math, did:

Honors Alg 2 - straight As
Honor precalc - straight As
AP Calc AB - pandemic, crappy teacher who gave straight As, so we didn't realize there was a problem
AP Calc BC - had a mental breakdown, bareknuckled it to a C

He got into UMD Honors in Early Action.
He also had As everywhere else and a dozen AP courses total, plus a 35 on his ACT. In retrospect, he should have taken AP Stats instead of AP Calc BC in 12th grade.

What was the AB AP test score?

UMD wants ENSP majors to attempt to take through Calc II (BC) before entering a specific major. If you can't do that much, some majors in ENSP are not available you.

However, it is a utility course, not the pride and joy of ENSP.

You should choose a high school course that makes you comfortable progressing toward that goal. Since you'll want to take Stats with Calculus in college anyway also, AP Stats and Calc with Applications are both "half steps" that will help you prepare for college.
Calc AB is a full step and Calc BC is a double step that will make progress toward your degree before you enter, and free up time for more classes you care about.

The simplified progression is Calc AB / 1, Stats with Calculus, Calculus BC 2.
AP Stats and Calc with Applications are both preparatory high school "plus a half" head start on college classes.

You have to decide how much preparation you need to succeed. I do not recommend AP Stats (unless you take it as an elective in addition to Calculus) because Calc I will be harder than Calc AB, because it goes faster, and you will have a year doing no precalc or calc. Calc with Applications will be like half of Calc I, so will help you prepare.

https://ensp.umd.edu/sites/ensp.umd.edu/files/files/documents/MATH%20sequences%20for%20ENSP%20Majors.pdf

My son, who at one point was diagnosed with a disability in math, did:

Honors Alg 2 - straight As
Honor precalc - straight As
AP Calc AB - pandemic, crappy teacher who gave straight As, so we didn't realize there was a problem
AP Calc BC - had a mental breakdown, bareknuckled it to a C

He got into UMD Honors in Early Action.
He also had As everywhere else and a dozen AP courses total, plus a 35 on his ACT. In retrospect, he should have taken AP Stats instead of AP Calc BC in 12th grade.

AP Calc AB. You may need calc down the line for college stats or econ. It would be more difficult to do after taking a break after pre calc. My kid is doing AB after regular not honors Pre Calc. DC is working hard for a B. A kid in honors pre calc should be fine in AB - it’s probably an easier course than honors pre calc. Then take stats in college in your field. For some college, they want to see calc in hs. It is changing but many still want it.

AP AB Calc

PP has laid out the classes well. I'd add a consideration of what your DD will want/need to take for whichever college program(s) she may be targeting.

If the program will not require calculus, stats is likely to be a much more valuable skillset. Though not a breeze, a student getting As & Bs in Honors Precalc should be able to do well in the AP version, even if she isn't a "math person."

If the program/college requires calc, taking it the year after precalc offers continuity. If she is having difficulty keeping up in precalc (a B isn't necessarily a failure to keep up -- you'd want to talk with her about her comfort level with the concepts presented), then AP Calc BC should not be the option. Though AB (with a successful exam) would typically confer.a semester's credit, it could be better to do Calc w/Applications, as the two semesters of Calc credit in college that might be required may better be absorbed if both are taken at that college, and having taken the Calc w/Applications course would provide a really good foundation in that first semester, which often presents challenges enough to which she'll need to adjust.

I'd contact both the UMD department and the admissions office to see if taking one versus another would tend to move the needle as an additional determinant. There are some programs which might care about the perceived rigor of AP Calc BC vs. AP Stats (a heavy emphasis on "perceived," there), less so, if at all, regarding AB.

Our DDs honors pre-calc teacher offered this helpful guidance (assuming IB is not an option at your local school).

“You have quite a few options and you’ll need to really think about your strengths as well as your workload for next year. Once you have successfully passed honors pre-calculus, you can consider taking one of the following. (If you struggled with honors pre-calculus this year, re-taking the course is a VERY good option before attempting a calculus course.)

AP BC Calculus. This is two semesters of college calculus put into one year of High School. It is a very rigorous, fast paced course. If you master concepts quickly in honors pre-calculus, enjoy the challenge of a difficult math course, and will have enough time to spend on studying next year, then maybe BC Calc is for you. If you do well on the AP exam at the end of the year, you can earn college credit for this course.


AP AB Calculus. This is one semester of college calculus taught over a year of High School. The pacing is similar to that of honors pre-calculus. If you are able to master all of the topics in HPC, then you should be prepared to succeed in this course. If you do well on the AP exam at the end of the year, you can earn college credit for this course.


Honors Calculus with Applications. This course moves at a slower pace than the AP courses. In the course, you will spend time covering college algebra before moving into the calculus material. If you pass honors pre-calculus, but feel the pace is too quick for you, this is probably the class where you will feel most comfortable next year. You cannot get college credit for this course, but upon successful completion, you will be well prepared for college level calculus. If you are a sophomore now, you can take AP AB as a senior after you finish this course. If you are a junior now, you will be ready to take college calculus the following year. This is an honors level class.


AP Statistics. AP Statistics is a college level elective course designed to enhance a student’s high school mathematical experience. Students are introduced to the major tools and concepts for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data used in real world situations. Techniques of data analysis previously introduced in Algebra I and Algebra II are augmented and refined in this course. The course also develops and strengthens each student’s communication and problem-solving skills. You will be required to complete reading from the textbook regularly and practice past AP Questions to prepare for the exam. If you successfully passed Algebra 2 and are prepared to do work for a college level class, you should be prepared to succeed in this course. If you do well on the AP exam at the end of the year, you can earn college credit for this course.


Honors Statistics. Students will extend their learning of statistics concepts from Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 in preparation for AP Statistics or a college-level statistics course. If honors pre-calculus was very difficult and you have no interest in taking calculus or an AP math course, then this class may be best for you.”

Stats

DD is a junior in Honors Precalculus - getting an A or B - and considering AP Calc AB or AP Stats senior year. Math isn’t her strength but she can work hard and do well. She’s interested in conservation work but probably more environmental policy than science. Wants to be competitive for UMDCP. Thoughts?