Hey guys!
Next year I intend to enter university as a mechanical engineering major, though I may specify in aerospace. I’ve performed well in my AP BC calculus and physics B courses, and very well in my AP chemistry course. I scored a 5 on the physics B exam. I have not yet taken the BC or chemistry exams, but I’ve consistently performed above the levels that my teachers deem to be the level required to score a 5. The teachers are very well qualified (physics teacher is a PhD, and both the physics and calculus teacher’s students average around 4.8 on the exam every year).
I have also earned a 32 on the ACT (29 math), 2140 SAT (700 math), and expect to be a National Merit Finalist.
That said, are these courses representative of the difficulty level that I will experience as a mechanical/aerospace engineering major? Do I meet the baseline for someone who could become a successful engineer? I don’t expect a 4.0 by any means, and I’m not here to have my ego stroked, I would just prefer to have an idea of what to expect.
Thanks!
Is this a serious post?
I don’t know what else I’m supposed to ask, or how else I’m supposed to ask it. I don’t want to enter a program that I’m not prepared for. I’m sorry if this is a joke to you, but I take my future pretty seriously.
If you are questioning your own qualifications for a mechanical engineering program, then who do you think is definitely qualified?
There are a lot of eventual engineers with far less impressive stats than you have. There are also plenty of engineering dropouts with similar stats. There’s no sure way to say that you’ll succeed, but honestly, what other qualifications can you realistically expect yourself to have at this point?
Thank you. I’m just wanting to know what to expect, really. If I have a fair chance at succeeding or if my experience up to this point should have no bearing on what university will be like.
That really impossible to say. I’m of the opinion that the AP tests are not indicative of college success. There are plenty of AP teachers who teach to the exams really well and get high-scoring students but are only really effective at teaching students how to ace the test rather than grasp the material. On the other hand, plenty of the do a good job getting students to master the material. It’s really kind of a crapshoot. I have no idea where your teachers fall on that continuum.
Your experience so far will certainly have bearing on the future though. At the very least you will have seen these topics before and not be going into it completely inexperienced. That counts for something even if your knowledge is only as deep as acing the AP exams.
You seem pretty well qualified to study engineering to me.
Many engineering programs will not award you any college credits for Physics B Exam. Most engineering programs require students to take University Physics I & II.
You sound pretty well prepared to me. I’m going into aerospace engineering, by the way. Just don’t overload yourself too much and ask for help if you are confused.
While AP physics B is not useful for subject credit toward an engineering major, it functions as a decent high school physics course, which (in addition to a semester of calculus) is typical recommended preparation for physics in college.
Assuming that you have had decent high school physics, high school chemistry, high school English composition, and precalculus or higher math, you should be well prepared to start off an engineering curriculum. Since you apparently have AP versions of physics and chemistry, and AP calculus BC, that is even better.
Having AP calculus BC with a 5 on the exam could let you start in a more advanced math course in college, effectively giving you another free elective and shortening the prerequisite sequence. You may want to try the college’s old final exams for the courses it allows you to skip to make sure that you know the material from the college’s point of view before deciding whether to skip. Chemistry is often just a side requirement for mechanical engineering (without needing more advanced chemistry courses), so if a high AP chemistry score lets you skip it, you may want to do so and avoid the hordes of grade grubbing pre-meds.
@boneh3ad is right. No one can say for sure. On paper though you are solid. Your uncertainty is sort of in your favor as long as it isn’t indicative of a complete lack of self confidence. They students that tend to get into trouble are the ones that aren’t skeptical at all and arrogantly charge in because they got good AP scores.
More important is what @ucbalumnus suggested. Get old tests and make sure you deeply grasp that material, not just to pass a test, but the underlying principles. Even if you don’t right out of the gate, just prep a bit on Kahn or MIT and you’ll be fine.
Following the advice of the two referenced above, my son was able to start in Calc 3 and Physics 2 and to skip Chemistry. The advantage of that can’t be overstated. He’ll be able to take statics as a freshman and will be done with all math and physics by the end of first quarter sophomore year. That’s when you get the keys to the real engineering candy shop. What you do with it is up to you. Graduate early and save the money? Get an MS too in 4 years instead of just a BS? Broaden and deepen your course work? There are many more options when you start ahead.
Good luck. You’ll do great.
I second the get Chem out of the way with the AP exam. My son did not and had to take Chem in College and it would have been nice to have that spot available for other classes. You cannot go forward in some of the Engineering classes without completing Chem, Physics 2 and Calc 3.
You are making a much bigger deal of the situation than you need to be. As @boneh3ad said, there are engineers with far lower credentials than yours who did well for themselves, and vice versa.
When you get to college, they aren’t going to just throw you into the shark pit and close the lid… engineering programs are highly structured and designed to help students succeed.