AP calc AB or dual enrollment calc?Answered
I found out today that "AP Calc" means AP Calc AB at my school. I asked the teacher if she would support my self-studying the BC content, but she basically said that she's tried that in the past and it didn't work out and she is no longer offering that as an option. My current math teacher recommended that I look into taking two semesters of calculus at a local college as a dual-enrollment. Unfortunately, the only schools with applications that are still open are community colleges. I want to study chemical engineering and want a strong calculus background going into college, as well as to show admissions officers I have taken the most rigorous course load I can. I have taken 5 AP classes so far and was going to take 4 next year other than AP calc. 3.95 UW GPA, 31 on the math act. I genuinely enjoy math. What's my best option for both learning as much as I can and for bettering my odds at selective schools?
TL;DR: Is AP Calc AB at my high school or Calc 1 and Calc 2 at a little known community college going to look better on my transcript?
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6 answers
I have heard that duel enrolment classes often have a higher workload and still have a final worth a significant part of your grade. If you are a more grade oriented student then duel enrollment may work better, but if you are good at testing AP may be better for you. Additionally make sure to check if the DE credit is actually accepted at colleges you plan to attend as not all colleges accept DE, where as most colleges accept AP credits.
Doing AB Calc will still show an impressive math background. Colleges want students to take the most rigorous coursework that is available at their high school, and they will be able to see that your school does not offer BC Calc. Also, colleges are much more likely to accept credits from an AP course than from community college, as they know exactly what you have done in an AP class and the level of difficulty offered at community colleges varies from school to school. I have been doing research into this because I have to make the choice between AP and dual enrollment, and the consensus among admissions experts is that AP is better.
Dual would be better since both semesters would be taken (equivalent Calc BC). For that though, I would make sure I know the teacher (I took an art dual enrollment class over the summer, the teacher was not great). There are websites like rate my professor. There is a higher workload and effort, so be ready.
dual all the way. AP is all about one test while dual is the entire year class grade. it is easier to pass dual-class because you will have more grades to "lean on".
AP if you like only having to pass the AP exam, dual enrollment if you want your whole grade to count. also you should look at pricing, how you would get to the community college, etc. the little-known community college isn't a problem, colleges will like it even if it's a not well-known college.
If your only options are community colleges, it's best to go with them. Dual enrollment might be better than AP. In AP, your whole pass/fail grade is in a single exam at the end of class. For a dual enrollment class, it's your grade throughout the whole class. While it doesn't seem like that might be a problem for you (congrats on the good grades), it's still something worth looking into. Dual enrollment doesn't cost too much either.
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