Why Calculus is Integral to College Admissions

Is math not a strong point for your student? The good news is that they are not alone. Many strong students struggle with math, especially if it is not their intended future major. Further, you may assume that as long as your student does well and meets the standard college admission requirements, they can focus more on their subjects of interest. Well, when it comes to math, think again. 

Let’s say your student wants to study marketing. The logical choice for this student would be to take an AP Statistics class. This will prepare them for their intended major a lot more than Calculus, right? Unfortunately, from the perspective of college admissions officers, this is not the case. 

In their article, “Calculus Acts as a Gatekeeper,” Pamela Burdman and Veronica Anderson argue that calculus is being used by selective schools, particularly the Ivies, to keep out the students who are either unwilling or unable to take AP Calculus. They talk about how high school counselors know that your student might not need Calculus for their future studies, but push it anyway seeing as how the selective schools might reject the student for not having it on their transcript.  

College admissions officers are reviewing your student’s transcript and looking at five distinct disciplines: English, History, Science, Foreign Language, and (you guessed it) Math. At the end of the day, they want to see that your student is willing to challenge themself. After all, if your student is unwilling to challenge themself in high school, that indicates that your student will probably not challenge themself in college. For whatever reason, Calculus has become a symbol of this willingness to self-challenge. 

So even if your student isn’t math oriented or not planning to study in the STEM field, we recommend your student follow suit and take AP Calculus if they are trying to get into any selective school. It may be rough for them at the time, but it will greatly improve their chances of admission. 

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