<p>Can't find an answer to my specific question, so apologies if in fact this has been addressed somewhere before and I just can't find it.</p>
<p>Like many students coming into SEAS (and the Rodman program), my S has taken his share of AP classes, as well as advanced dual-enrollment classes at a local University. I know that those are valuable for 2 things: 1. just getting in the door at a school like UVa, and 2. placing out of a requirement where appropriate. That 2nd one is of course tricky, especially when considering a program like MechE in SEAS. On hand, it can be good to test out of a class, on another hand it is better to take the class - either to lighten the Freshman load, or becasue the content is actually different, or covers additional depth.</p>
<p>So, what I'm looking for is guidance from those familiar with the Engineering program who could say, based on the list below, what might be the right choices in what to look for placement out of a requirement, or where a subject should be re-taken. Or any other guidance in this you might have. He wants to participate in other school groups/activities, so this isn't a "what can he skip so he can take other harder engineering classes fall term" type question.</p>
<p>FYI, Son is thinking right now of MechE major with either the Business for Engineering minor, or a minor in Aero, or Econ - or working towards the 5 yr Masters. Obviously - that's what Freshman year will help him decide.</p>
<p>So, the AP's taken were (scored 5's): Calc (BC), Physics B, Chemistry, Government, US History, Statistics, Macroeconomics. His dual-enrollment courses at university (4yr, on campus, part of their BS degree curriculum) were Multivariable Calc (Calc III) and Differential Equations.</p>
<p>Thoughts? Thanks.</p>
<p>Here is some info: <a href=“http://www.seas.virginia.edu/orientation/pdfs/Orientation_package_2012.pdf[/url]”>http://www.seas.virginia.edu/orientation/pdfs/Orientation_package_2012.pdf</a></p>
<p>as you can see, no lab credit is usually given, and the humanities are just electives. I would probably talk to a placement advisor in your case because of the dual enrollment. I know in past years there was an APMA placement test but I’m not sure if it’s still around.</p>
<p>Thanks hazelorb, that’s great information for the Engineering and scince credits. I am also curious from others who have been through this what choices they may have made on some of the other (humanities) electives. Also, since he’s already taken multivar calc and diff eq, I’m not sure how far back he would need to go in the math curriculum. We will obviously need to talk to a placement advisor. Are they specific to each college?</p>
<p>Math requirements are specific to each college, as well as elective/course requirements.</p>
<p>Honestly, if I were him, I’d skip some math. Calc II and III (multi) are notoriously difficult and time-consuming due to the 5th hours and class setup. There’s plenty of other math courses he could take to apply mathematical knowledge and keep up to date. Physics and MechE classes will keep him busy as well. If anything, if he felt he wasn’t quite up to speed on math and somewhat self-doubted, I’m pretty sure he could take Calc III or DiffEq Pass/Fail and just work through the material without having to stress about grades.</p>
<p>Your son is in a very unique position. He could either take a reduced course-load for almost every semester, take “fun” classes, or double-major. At a school like UVa, this could be very, very good. </p>
<p>If it were me, I’d place out of the classes if I could and pursue a minor, then take random classes that sounded interesting and enriching on a personal level. I’d also consider getting a bit ahead first year and studying abroad for a semester and take non-eng courses. I would DEFINITELY not load up on difficult courses first semester. He’ll still need to take the intro to engineering class and STS, both of which are vital classes in an engineer’s career (trust me, they are). I’d take a tech elective (probably math of some sort) or a MechE class. The last class would be something either for a minor or something that interests me. That means 4 classes total, 2 normal SEAS path, 1 difficult class, and 1 enriching class. Maybe even one more to feel bold, but an elective or P/F. </p>
<p>Again, this is a unique situation and he should use it to his full advantage. He needs to take in what he can from his time at UVa, and I highly highly envy his position. I took a summer math course to free up elective space and took two J-terms for enrichment, and the results were some of my best moments. I truly miss the academic exploration of college.</p>
<p>Taking the test credit/transferring the credits for the calculus sequence and differential equations is advisable. APMA classes, especially Calculus II and Calculus III, are notorious GPA killers in E-school. He should also take the credit for intro chem and just pick up the 1 credit lab first semester. If your son is heart set on accelerating his MechE education he is in great position to do so but he may want to use the extra space during first year to explore other subjects. Pairing Econ and Engineering degrees is quite common and arguably better than the business minor option. Anywho…based off what your son is transferring I’d recommend that he start Physics w/lab in the Fall, 1 credit chem lab, intro CS, intro ENGR class, the STS class which is required of all engineers now =/ . That’s a 16 credit semester believe it or not. Could pick up Micro Econ if he wants, putting him at 19 credits but I wouldn’t recommend that first semester. First semester should be conservative in order to establish a strong GPA (3.7+).</p>
<p>Thanks all, this is great information. I was unaware you could/should take a Chem lab without taking a Chem class at the same time (learn something new every day). I don’t think he’s looking to accelerate the MechE degree, I think looking at the right minor (like Econ) would be more to his liking. He’ll also be involved in things like marching band, and needs to add some work-study hours in the mix too, so we’re certainly not looking at more tan 16 credits per semester. </p>
<p>110percentwahoo, you mentioned Intro CS - is this normal for a MechE to take? Also, you recommend Physics in the Fall, but in the course scheduling guidelines it mentioned Rodman participants should take Physics 1425/1429 in Spring or Physics 1610/1620 in Fall. I’m not sure what the difference is between the two or if there is a difference based on major, etc. but I assume you’re talking about the standard 1425 class in the Fall. Could he then do te Physics in Spring and take Econ in Fall instead if desired?</p>
<p>Thanks again - please keep ideas coming! :)</p>
<p>Intro CS is required for all eschool students. In the spring the class has 500-600 people, while it is 150-200 in the fall.</p>
<p>Physics 1 isn’t offered in the fall, only the spring semester. Just for the sake of anyone else following who might have Physics credits and be wondering if they should take the credit or the course, my son had a high A/5AP and chose to retake Physics as he was mech’e. It was the right call. By mid-terms they’d covered everything he’d learned in hs and were in to new material. If he’d started w Physics 2 he’d have been hurting! Also, starting with the class of 2015 they no longer allow mech’e to minor in aero or aero to minor in mech’e. I guess there’s just too much cross over in coursework as it is. Defiantly take the chem credit. If your son has his lab notebook from hs chem he can bring that into Thornton Hall at the beginning of the sem to be evaluated (can’t remember the profs name, it’s in the handbook). If it’s deemed your lab is on college level you can get an exemption. This is not credit so you’ll still have to pick up a lab credit at some point (presumably with a course), but it doesn’t have to be a rewind of chem. Hazels advise is correct (as usual), taking CS in the fall is the right way to go. It’s a gen’l requirement for all SEAS students, although tbh I’m not sure how Rodmans are effected.</p>
<p>OP: I had to ask my son what he took first year before responding to your question about what E-students can potentially opt out of. My son is a 3rd year Biomedical Eng student and is a Rodman. He intends to get the Business minor along with the BME degree. He took AP Calu (BC) in high school as well as Multivar Calc and Linear Algebra. He opted out of APMA 1090 and 1110. He decided not to try and test out of APMA 2120,multivariable calculus. He had done fine in it in high school but thought it was such an important course for moving forward in engineering that he wanted to make sure he really understood the course contents. He also wasn’t 100% convinced that his high school course gave him the base he really needed to opt out of Multi. Calc. He took Macro and Micro Economics as electives in lieu of Calc I and II.</p>
<p>One of the other posters suggested that your son could consider getting ahead in courses and possibly studying abroad for a semester. This is exactly what my son chose to do. He took 39 credits his first year at UVA and then went to Madrid for fall 2011 semester. He chose Spain because he speaks Spanish. He was also able to take 2 required engineering courses in Spain along with 2 liberal arts courses, one in language and one on Spanish architecture.
Not many E-school students study abroad for a semester. If your son has any interest in doing that, my son would be more than happy to talk to him about it. It wasn’t easy to make happen but he knew before he even started at UVA that he wanted to go abroad which is why he took 39 credits his first year.</p>
<p>Good luck to your son. Has he definitely decided on UVA or is he still looking at other options? My son narrowed it down to UVA and another school. He has never regretted going to UVA and absolutely loves it!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. A few responses to your responses 
</p>
<p>@blueiguana, my son wants to take Physics again anyway so no problems there, but I’m still confused as to which one. You said Phy1 isn’t offered in the Fall, but I thought that’s what the registration guide said was available as Physics 1610 in Fall - maybe I’m wrong in assuming that’s Phy1. I will say your comment on Aero is a bit surprising. The possibility of an Aero minor was a big part of the draw of UVa for him. I would think if there’s a lot of overlap that would make it an even better choice for a minor - or is that because you can’t find enough unique credits to fullfill the minor requirement due to the overlap? So, how does one who wants something like an aero minor now construct their courses? Even though it’s not officla, can Aero courses be taken in upperclass years?</p>
<p>@wirefox, thanks, that’s a great point of reference. The fact my son took MVCalc at university and not as a high school course (and got an A) makes him feel pretty good about it, unless the Calc III at UVa is specifically geared towards engineering and the material deviates (i.e. as Cornell’s does), in which case he’d want to definitely take Calc III again. But with everyone saying what a gpa-killer it is he wants to think about that one a bit more. As for decisions, he’s really down to UVa and one other option. He passed on CMU, and is WL at Cornell, so I think it’s really between UVa and one other - which is why we’re coming to DOTL in 2 weeks. We all love everything we’ve seen at a distance about UVa, but need to be on Grounds for a while too - he is very much about how the school “feels” to him during a visit. We visited a lot of schools last year, but our trip to CVille (we’re OOS) was cancelled due to an emergency and we never got to reschedule before now.</p>
<p>"…or is that because you can’t find enough unique credits to fullfill the minor requirement due to the overlap."</p>
<p>I think I answered my own question I just looked at the minor requirements (curriculum) for the minor in AE and it looks like it’s most of the MechE standard curriculm requirements with just a few exceptions. So… maybe that’s even better: MechE with an AE tint, and then maybe an Econ minor… How are graduates from UVa not running the world?!</p>
<p>@grp2013
From the SEAS Website you’ll find the following pdf’s under Mech/Aero Curriculum: ( [Undergraduate</a> Curriculum » Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering](<a href=“http://www.mae.virginia.edu/NewMAE/curriculum/curriculum/]Undergraduate”>http://www.mae.virginia.edu/NewMAE/curriculum/curriculum/) )</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mae.virginia.edu/academics/undergrad/ME%20Minor%20for%202015%20Graduates.pdf[/url]”>http://www.mae.virginia.edu/academics/undergrad/ME%20Minor%20for%202015%20Graduates.pdf</a> ME Minor for 2015 Grads
</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mae.virginia.edu/academics/undergrad/AE%20Minor%20for%202015%20Graduates.pdf[/url]”>http://www.mae.virginia.edu/academics/undergrad/AE%20Minor%20for%202015%20Graduates.pdf</a> AE Minor for 2015 Grads
</p>
<p>You can certainly take courses related to either, the minor just won’t be awarded. Looking at the minor requirements for aero and knowing the mech’e curriculum, my son would only have to take two additional courses to get the aero minor. I can see their reasoning in not awarding a minor for two courses. He’s taken several Econ courses and may go that route, but really only needs a few more math courses to get a minor there so that’s a consideration. A lot depends on if the stinker comes through with an internship this summer (yes, late…source of contention) or stays on grounds, does research, and takes classes, in which case he’ll have more leeway.</p>
<p>I’ll add here that when my son sat and spoke with a UVa prof prior to matriculation about majoring/minoring in mech/aero his suggestion was to move ahead and do graduate work in whichever interested you. Your son would probably have greater access to that as a Rodman. The feeling was graduate work would be more rewarding and useful then a minor. I got the impression the theory was delve deeper instead of checking boxes to get that minor that is really unnecessary.</p>
<p>For Physics, I read back more carefully. The Physics that is recommended for ‘regular’ SEAS students is only offered in the spring semester. Rodman has a different track that is also suggested to them that is offered in the fall. I’m not sure what the difference is. That would be something to ask.</p>
<p>I think coming to DOTL if he’s never been on grounds is a great idea. There are a lot of things that go into a decision including academics. Putting your feet on the ground where you are going to live and study, walk around the Corner, get a feel for the vibe and culture, these are all very important things.</p>
<p>blue: my third year summer I lined up an internship around this time. I had one set in stone, but a last minute snafu/issue made me turn it down and I had to search for something new. They’re out there, just have to look.</p>
<p>From your cyber mouth to my sons virtual ears shoe… Don’t get me wrong, he’s done all the right things, it’s just my idea of effort and his are two different things on this and honestly, really, this is the one and only gripe I have with him. Great kid, very good grades, nice friends, loves his mom (awww), calls, texts, skypes to see the dog. That doesn’t mean I’m letting him off the hook on this one though. He’s worked a full time internship every summer since he was a Jr in hs, just not in his major. Too bad he doesn’t want to be an architect because they ask him back every summer/break and adore him. He’s a second year so it wouldn’t be devastating to do research and stay in c’ville (and a lot more fun too), but would just put a ton of pressure on next summer to get something in major. Repeating in my head…it’s not my problem…it’s not my problem… ;)</p>
<p>I would also strongly encourage unofficial minors. I spent hours trying to convince myself of at least 5 different minors but finally decided I would just sample the classes I wanted (I came in with 40-60 credits from AP and dual enrollment). One of my favorite classes I was just talking about yesterday, I wasn’t even enrolled in the class (professor wouldn’t let me audit and I didn’t want to do anything but come to lecture) so I just came to all of the lectures and I learned an amazing amount of things about the universe (astronomy class). Your education is what you make it into.</p>
<p>Blue: fear not Plenty of my friends never held internships and have found success post-grad. Taking classes and doing research is just as good as the internship, and frankly any job (major or not) is good. I know that my company saw the internships as a “oh look, she can think critically and function in society” deal, not necessarily the thing that landed me my job(s). Do I think the internships helped me? Yes, it gave me a look into the working world. But I don’t think they’re a major breaking point. </p>
<p>It sounds like your son is a good student/future engineer/son and will do just fine regardless He’ll be fine, regardless of what he does, trust me (and him :))</p>
<p>Thanks shoe. It’s so good to have you back. </p>
<p>Hazel, was the astronomy class with Strutskie? My son had a class with him first semester and really enjoyed it. Totally out of major obviously. He had chem credit and needed something to fill his schedule at orientation. Someone suggested he might like it. What a great find! He’s doing some amazing research!</p>
<p>I always took my astro classes with Ed Murphy (he graduated from UVA actually).</p>