Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 18:50     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
Anonymous wrote:Oh I hope he takes stats, OP! It’s a great class, arguably the most useful math class you can take in high school unless you’re headed to a math/engineering degree, and even then I’d argue it’s a valuable elective. It’s just so relevant to be an informed consumer of data.

I’m biased, I teach AP stats, but every year I have liberal arts kids who didn’t take calc but get into great schools. English majors at UVA, art majors at RISD, psych majors at Vtech. Not taking calc will keep them out of MIT or any competitive math program, but your humanities kid didn’t want to go there anyway.


I should add that my advice is always to look up your intended major at your desired schools. If that major requires calculus, you should take it in high school. If the major does not require calculus, then stats is probably an equal or better option.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 18:45     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
Oh I hope he takes stats, OP! It’s a great class, arguably the most useful math class you can take in high school unless you’re headed to a math/engineering degree, and even then I’d argue it’s a valuable elective. It’s just so relevant to be an informed consumer of data.

I’m biased, I teach AP stats, but every year I have liberal arts kids who didn’t take calc but get into great schools. English majors at UVA, art majors at RISD, psych majors at Vtech. Not taking calc will keep them out of MIT or any competitive math program, but your humanities kid didn’t want to go there anyway.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 18:31     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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.


It depends. Stats and Calc are two “different” math. I don’t think it fair or accurate to say one is more rigorous. I didn’t read rest.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 18:28     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
^ and there are about 3.9 million seniors each year
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 18:26     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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.


Yeah, you need to source this assertion. Only ~150k students take BC in a given year. ~280k take AB. The overlap with Stats is likely nowhere near 100% How does this get to *most* kids?
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 17:59     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 16:38     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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
Post 08/28/2025 16:34     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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
Post 08/28/2025 16:19     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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
Post 08/28/2025 16:17     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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
Post 08/28/2025 16:13     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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
Post 08/28/2025 15:48     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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
Post 08/28/2025 15:44     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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
Post 08/28/2025 15:41     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
How does one know that kid is “not prepared” for calc after a week? Did the student not take precalc last year?
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 15:31     Subject: Need advice: AP Stat vs AP Calc AB
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.