High School Course Selection Dilemma

[S.R]

Next year I'll be entering Grade 11 and enrolled in a Calculus and Data Management (statistics) program, where students learn calculus first semester and during the second, divide the period between AP calculus material and data management. However, it's important to know that I'm interesting in applying to engineering or medical science in University and thus, statistics isn't required or relevant. I'm not fascinated by statistics either but it's required in order to learn the AP material which covers Calculus I. Essentially, after Grade 11 (assuming I participated in the program), I would have completed all mathematics courses offered at my high school. This is concerning since I will have a 1 year gap from mathematics. My question is, should I drop the dual credit program and simply take regular Calculus (which excludes integration) and instead have a 1.5 year separation from mathematics rather than 1 year? Honestly, I don't know if the additional data course with be beneficial, but the AP calculus material will. Additionally, I'm curious to know if in Grade 12, I can contact a local University and potentially take a first year Calculus course? I'm not sure if this is possible but, it would allow me to continue my mathematics studies.

 

[Office_Shredder]

If you want to do medical science then at some point you'll want to learn statistics. Everything that comes after the design of an experiment for a new diagnostic procedure or treatment is basically a statistics project. If you do engineering there is still a decent chance you'll want to know statistics depending on what exactly you end up doing.

 

[S.R]

I haven't considered that perspective, but I included medical science as a potential option, since I would rather pursue Software Engineering. Learning statistics won't hurt but will be rather tedious since I'm required to complete a summer portfolio project.

 

[hsetennis]

Statistics is often required for Engineering and pre-med majors. Taking the most challenging courses available to you is good for college admissions and it helps you become a better student.
If you're taking Calculus in high school and score sufficiently on the AP test, don't retake a university's Calc 1 course. You'll die of boredom.
I would ask you to clarify whether you mean AP AB or AP BC Calculus. Universities usually won't let you take their post-AP math classes unless you've exhausted both AP Stats and BC Calc with good scores. But I can only speak of the few in the US I know that offer such programs.

 

[lurflurf]

^Do you have a reference for any colleges that require ap calculus bc and statistics? That is nonsensical as many high schools do not offer those courses and many students do not take them when offered. For example in order to take theoretical calculus and calculus based statistics in college.

 

[hsetennis]

It's not nonsense. I believe that you are talking about an undergraduate program. Of course undergraduate admissions don't require AP math.

I'm referring to the situation that the OP is in: a high school student that wants to take post-AP classes at a university.

Here is one such program of many that allows high school students to study advanced math, which require AP Math:
http://www.bsu.edu/academy/catalog/

 

[S.R]

It's AB Calculus and we are required to submit our own transcript of the exam results to the University. Thanks for everyone's input. It seems that Statistics is rather important to science and I'll commit with the AP program. However, are there any other alternatives to continuing mathematics in Grade 12? If not, what do you recommended I start to self-study in my spare time?

 

[lurflurf]

^Thank you for the link I collect them. You link to one high school does not support you statement. That high school has one course (Multivariable Calculus) for which BC calculus is recommended and none that recommend AP stats. It aso says students can attend courses at a nearby college, but does not mention your requirement. I do not question that some school somewhere requires exhausted both AP Stats and BC Calc whatever that means, but it would be nonsense as AP stats is a useless course that does not require calculus. I do know that such a requirement is not common.

As to the OP dilemma it is not unheard of that classes be offered in bundle. It makes some sense for related classes which calculus and statistics could be depending on how it is taught. So try to find out if the data class is any good and if it must be taken with calculus. Then decide if it is worth it to take a junk class. It is common to take classes at colleges but depending on distance and timing it may be hard to schedule.

 

[S.R]

It's required to take both in order to learn AP, but that's only due to fact that we take regular calculus first semester and then statistics/AP material split into one period the next. Since we are required to self-study data in the summer, it balances out.