Hello, I have the option to take Calculus 2 at my local community college. The community college is actually a pretty good community college and Calculus 2 is definetly an impressive course to have on a high school transcript but I know that top colleges can't rely on community colleges and usually look for APs. So my question is this, would it be better to take calculus 2 at my community college or AP statistics my senior year in terms of what would look better to colleges like Harvard and the like.
Thanks, LuAnne
Calculus 2 sounds like a better option if your only other choice is AP Statistics. Provided the community college you plan to attend has a decent reputation, I don't think you'll run into any issues with colleges in the application process.
I assume you're choosing between a community college calculus class and AP Statistics because your high school doesn't offer AP Calculus. Colleges are aware of the curriculum limitations at individual high schools, so they'll probably be impressed that you chose to take matters into your own hands to learn the subject. Taking an advanced college class in a subject that isn't offered by your high school shows that you're invested in academics and are willing to go the extra mile to get the learning experience you want.
If you're still concerned that colleges won't take your community college class seriously, you should consider taking the AP Calculus exam at the end of the year. You don't have to take the class to sign up for the test, and you'll probably learn essentially the same concepts in your college class (although obviously you should do some self-study with AP practice tests and review books if you decide to adopt this plan). This is a smart way to cover all of your bases.