Caltech course credit policy

<p>I took a few classes (Calc I & II) and I'm considering taking Calc III at a local college (Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD) and I'm wondering whether or not Caltech will give me credit for these courses.</p>

<p>Short answer: no. Long answer: noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. See <a href="http://registrar.caltech.edu/faq.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://registrar.caltech.edu/faq.htm&lt;/a> for more.</p>

<p>Well that sucks. But, will I have to retake the classes? It would suck to have to sit through Calc I again. Or could I take something like linear algebra or multivariable calc or tensor calc or something instead, since I already have Calc I and II (and maybe III)?</p>

<p>Well, our Calculus 1 bc are linear algebra and multivariate. Calc 1a is a proof-based calc course. </p>

<p>You MIGHT pass out, but you'd need to pass out of Linear Algebra as well. And I assure you, Calc 1a is almost certainly far more in depth than anything you've taken.</p>

<p>As advanced in math as you might think you are, it seems like a good deal of Caltech students come in having taken multi.</p>

<p>P.S. I bombed the multi placement exam. It's been way too long.</p>

<p>I actually dont think that I'm that advanced. I'm a joke compared to most of the kids that apply.</p>

<p>rocketman,
I also took Calc I, II, and III at a college before coming here (that's through multivariable). I definitely wasn't bored in Ma 1... Don't worry, it won't be a review</p>

<p>rocketman, while all above comments are true, it is also true that many incoming students either dont attempt or blow off/dont prepare for the placement tests simply because of the erroneous lore that caltech freshman math is fundamentally better than that taught at other places...
A good number of students (14 my year) DO test out of freshman math
(calc/linear algebra/mult. calc).
At the same time, college classes at school X may or may not provide sufficient preparation to test out of caltech core math.</p>

<p>I suggest getting Apostol's Calculus volumes I &II from your local library;
read the book; do the problems (you can use the caltech ma1 website as a guide). I (and many other caltech students) took mult. calc./lin. alg/diff eq./probability while in high school, but learned a lot more (much more about the subject matter than enough to pass the placement tests) by concurrently reading the actual textbooks (Apostol) used at caltech.</p>

<p>Several other students who passed out of parts or all of core math took the same route.</p>

<p>Besides, independent learning is an invaluable skill both at caltech and beyond.</p>

<p>P.S.
Apostol's text is a great book to learn not only calculus but various tangential topics in mathematics...if you are interested in math, and have time, its a good idea to read it whether or not you get credit for it at the particular college you attend.</p>