Say you’re not a math student. It just never came easily to you. You would never dream of enrolling in a high school Calculus class. And yet, you’d still like to attend a highly selective college. You’ll major in the humanities or social sciences once you’re there, so there’s no harm in skipping out on the most rigorous math curriculum your high school offers, right? Wrong!

No matter your intended major, you must take the most challenging mathematics (read, Calculus or, ideally, beyond Calculus) course your school offers if you want to have a shot at attending a highly selective school, including an Ivy League school. And, no, AB Calculus won’t cut it. It’s better that you hear this bad news from us now than get rejected from your dream school and have no idea why your application fell flat.

Having Advanced Calculus Courses on Your Transcripts Is the Table Stakes for Admission

In 2024, elite colleges can fill multiple cohorts of admitted classes with academically distinguished students with perfect or near-perfect grades and scores. They’re in no position to deliberate over students who haven’t met this standard. And it’s not enough to have straight As on a transcript full of the easiest courses your school offers. If you think you have what it takes to stay afloat in a classroom at Yale or Princeton, you must excel in the most challenging curriculum you can possibly curate for yourself in high school (even often going beyond that which your high school offers).

This rule applies to history/social studies courses, foreign language courses, English courses, science courses, and yes — even mathematics courses. Ideally, you’ll have conquered all other math disciplines before tackling Calculus early by junior year. This way, the transcript your prospective schools see has a Calculus grade already on it and you’ll be able to showcase your AP score in The Common Application’s self-reported AP testing section. With Calculus (and preferably BC Calculus!) under your belt, you can wow admissions officers even further by taking Multivariable Calculus during your senior year. Heck, if you took BC Calculus even earlier on in high school, you can go beyond Multivariable Calculus by taking Differential Equations and Linear Algebra!

There’s No Excuse Not to Take a Variety of Advanced Core Subject Courses, Including Calculus

If your school doesn’t offer Calculus courses, an AP Statistics course is no substitute. Find an online program, local community college course, or supplemental learning center offering Calculus to high schoolers, and take advantage of this opportunity. Remember, you’re competing against the top academic talent worldwide to get into a highly selective school. Going above and beyond to take a rigorous course load shows admissions officers that you will uniquely take advantage of their school’s resources and opportunities, and are worth taking the gamble of admission on. Moreover, you’ll stick out amongst those frenemies you’re competing against from your own school.

Back at school, take that AP Statistics course as an elective class (or, if you’re more humanities or social sciences inclined, enroll in another AP as an elective to complement your rigorous course load). Across the board, admissions officers value mastery in core subjects over any other courses. Health, Art, and Music? Better yet, AP Statistics, AP Psychology, and AP Art History!

Ivy Coach’s Caveat: Taking Calculus Won’t Make You Well-Rounded

Some of our loyal readers might think we at Ivy Coach contradict ourselves by recommending that the future English major still enroll in BC Calculus. “Won’t that make one seem well-rounded?” we can hear you thinking. It would be sacrilege indeed if we were advocating for a well-rounded approach to college admissions, but showing mastery in all five core subjects (English, math, science, history/social studies, and foreign language) is anything but well-rounded. It demonstrates that you have all the fundamental skills you need to determine what academic discipline is right for you. It’s a jumping-off point from which you can craft a compelling singular admissions hook through your extracurricular pursuits, which most certainly should not present you as well-rounded.

However, a rigorous course load that includes Calculus is just the bare minimum. To optimize your odds of admission to a highly selective university, you must distinguish yourself through academic and extracurricular excellence. Fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch to outline our services to help your child get into the school of their dreams.