AP Calc Ab/Bc vs. AP Stats?

[gryznazzy]

Hello!

I am a rising senior this year and over the summer I've started questioning if I registered for the right math class. I passed Pre-Calc with a solid A, but I've heard AP Calculus is very difficult and takes up hours of homework a night. At my school AP Calculus Ab spans the entire year and Calculus Bc is taken concurrently the second semester. Honestly I don't want to spend an entire year overly stressed out about a math class if there was a different, equally-valued course I could have taken instead.

I have taken a very science-heavy course load throughout high school, and the major, Medical Laboratory Science, I'm looking at for college accepts/prefers AP Stats but not AP Calc (however this college does not have an actual Pre-med program while other universities I applied to do).

Is there a preference as to which one I should take in high school? Seeing as I'll have to take the other in college anyway.

I'm 100% willing to work hard and put up with my fear and frustration of calculus if it means I'll look better as a pre-med applicant or it will benefit me in college...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[efle]

You already have a certain university in mind? Why?

I took both, neither are overly difficult. Calc actually has the much kinder AP score distribution if you're aiming for a 4 or 5.

- 5 / 4 / 3
Calculus AB 24.3% / 16.7% / 17.7%
Calculus BC 48.3% / 16.8% / 16.4%
Statistics 14.0% / 20.9% / 24.5%

You will likely need to end up taking both in the end, so which you choose to do now vs in college is the only real question. Chances are that Calculus will be harder at university than at your high school, but nobody would blame you for wanting a more relaxed schedule for the college app process.

 

[ndafife]

My advice would be to get Calc out of the way if at all possible. I found high school teacher >>>> professor from russia who barely speaks english

Stats is much more applicable, but get Calc out of the way

 

[Blackjack7]

Calculus definitely looks more impressive since it tends to be much more important. Especially at the AB/1 level.

 

[takeurmeds02]

I've never taken a stats class a day in my life

 

[Doc2019]

Take Calculus. Not only will it help your Pre-Med career but you should take Statistics in college.

 

[moisne]

What? Take AP Calc BC and AP stats - if you are good at math. If you can do Calc BC - AP stats should be a joke.
If you aren't confident enough to do that.. then take Calc AB.

 

[Icositetrachoron]

Calculus BC moves faster than AB, but with the exception of series, it is almost about the same. Of course, it is a harder class. However, you shouldn't let it intimidate you - the class itself is a good representation of you applying effort. This is something that will be expected of you later on in pre-med, along with in med school.