<p>Can I ask for advice? My son is a sophmore taking pre-Calculus. He is capable of taking Calculus A/B junior year, but the teacher is the worst. His really good students got C's and some D's because he doesn't know how to teach it and is known as the worst Math teacher at his high school (but the only one able/willing to teach AP Calc A/B and is tenured). My son could take Calculus Honors next year with a good teacher and then AP Statistics senior year. He is hoping to go to UF as an engineering major (has a 4.0 gpa/18 out of 770 class rank). Is he at a big disadvantage if he skips the AP Calc, esp. for engineering, concerning admissions?</p>
<p>Maybe your son can take AP Calculus A/B through <a href="http://www.flvs.net%5B/url%5D">www.flvs.net</a> Florida Virtual School.</p>
<p>Or take Calculus Honors with the good teacher, and self study for the AB exam.</p>
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Maybe your son can take AP Calculus A/B through <a href="http://www.flvs.net%5B/url%5D">www.flvs.net</a> Florida Virtual School.
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<p>I am surprised that more people aren't taking classes through them. Its free for FL residents and the school board pays for you AP exam. I took 2 in high school, but would have taken more if I knew about it earlier.</p>
<p>UF doesn't accept applicants based on their major. To get into engineering, he just has to select it as a major during Preview and then pass the prereq. requirements during his first two years.</p>
<p>once you're accepted, you can major in anything you want.</p>
<p>He could do what greennblue said but Calc honors only covers differentiation if I recall (at least at my high school) but then again he could take both Calc honors and the FLVS course for more reinforcement.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate your advice!</p>
<p>if you come to UF and plan on taking "calculus 1" (not 2 or 3 i am specifically referring to calculus1) come with a strong calc background or you WILL FAIL!! There are people here in calc 2 and 3 who cannot understand how to do the calculus 1 here....i'm dead serious.</p>
<p>What options does an engineering major have as far as taking calculus classes? What choice would be best for someone who took pre-calc and calc honors, but not AP Calc A/B?</p>
<p>They have to take Calc1-3
I'd suggest taking Calc 1 if you're in this situation. The engineering department will try to dissuade you from taking Calc 2 even if you pass the Calc AB exam, and also recommends NEVER skipping Calc 2 regardless of whether you got a 5 on Calc BC or not.
They make you take this Calculus Readiness Assessment online to determine which math to put you in.</p>
<p>I agree. Calc 1-3 (MAC2311-13)</p>
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What options does an engineering major have as far as taking calculus classes? What choice would be best for someone who took pre-calc and calc honors, but not AP Calc A/B?
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<p>Start calc 1. After the sequence is done, you have to take differential equations (some take it with calc 3, but it's not necessary to).</p>
<p>It sounds like my son really should take AP Calc A/B, but the high school teacher at his school is totally inept--less than 30% pass the test...and get C's and D's in the class. Don't know if he should take Calculus honors or try AP Calc at FLVS. It sounds like he should be really well prepared for UF Calc 1. Our quandry is how to do this!</p>
<p>Listen to me.... I had the same exact situation. At my school only 1 teacher teaches calc AP (he is notorious for being bad and failing kids) which is why my brother opted not to take it after hearing horror stories of the smartest kids getting C's and D's. I on the other hand, took it and got by with an A. I hear this story often becaue calculus is such a hard subject to teach which is why most schools have "bad" calc teachers.</p>
<p>TRUST ME... take the AP class, it will have huge benefits! I did it and I feel that I am completely prepared for calc in college. On the other hand, my brother had to drop calculus at his college after getting an F on the test because he had never seen the material in his life before (he ended up gettin a B at Miami Dade college in the summer).</p>
<p>Even if your son gets a C in AP, it will still look better than a higher grade in honors. Every time I visit UF they stress the things that set the kids that get accepted appart is the COURSE RIGOR. You son needs to push himself!</p>
<p>However, if your son thinks he can't get a C in the class and will either fail or get a D, don't do that. But if he has been gettin A's and a few B's in previous math classes, he should be fine.</p>
<p>Trust me on this one, whenever someone asks me advice for stepping up to an AP class, I ALWAYS say take it if you have received A's (and few B's) in the same subjects before. It looks MUCH better on a transcript and may be the difference between the skinny envelope or a thick one on Feb. 15th.</p>
<p>take the ap test and PASS. It dosnt matter if he takes the ap class or not. Calc 1 at UF is HARD, and he should make every effort to skip into calc 2.</p>
<p>Calc 1 at UF is not HARD, it's IMPOSSIBLE! I'm in it right now and I have to drop it and retake it either next semester or at SFCC. I wish I would have taken AP Calc or dual-enrollment MAC2311, the latter being the best option, if your high school offers dual credit courses.</p>
<p>What's so hard about Calc 1 here?</p>
<p>Its supposed to be a weedout class for engineering majors.
If you have incoming credit for Calc I, DONT RETAKE IT. If you're premed take Calc II instead. I've been hearing horror stories about Calc I lately.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone for all of your insights and advice. It seems that some of you are saying that my son should try to pass the AP Calc test with or without the crappy AP Calc A/B class at his school (he is leaning towards a newly offered Calculus Honors class) or to take the dual enrollment MAC2311 if possible at our local community college. Would he then go into Calc 1 or 2 at UF? From what some are saying, Calc 2 is possibly easier than Calc 1 since Calc 1 is the designated weed out course?</p>