<p>For engineering students who successfully complete AP Calculus (particularly BC) in high school, how does that typically affect their college course plans? I realize it will vary depending on the college and the student. But, in general, do those who pass AP Calculus in high school go on to the next math class (linear analysis or applied math or whatever) as college freshmen? How do most fill out their unit requirements for college graduation? In place of calculus do most add electives within their major, or more GE classes?</p>
<p>I'm curious because one of my children is looking at a university at which the next math class that engineering majors take after calculus is not open to freshmen. Doesn't seem optimal to take a year off from math before getting back into the swing of it.</p>
<p>The school or its engineering division should have placement guidelines for students with AP calculus. Sometimes, old final exams of the courses that may be skipped are somewhere on the school’s web site, so the student can check his/her calculus knowledge using those old final exams.</p>
<p>It is very odd if the school does not allow students who place into a more advanced course to actually take the the more advanced course. What school is this?</p>
<p>Yes, students who skip courses with AP or college credit earned while in high school basically gain extra schedule space to take free electives, either in or out of their major (although the extra free electives tend to come in later semesters, since incoming frosh in this situation tend to just take the more advanced required courses in math, physics, etc.). If the school allows unit credit as well as subject credit for the AP scores, there is also the option to take no additional courses in place of the skipped courses. Early graduation is also an option in the latter case.</p>
<p>The sophomore level math courses one usually takes after frosh calculus are multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.</p>
<p>Thanks, that’s helpful. I’ll have to ask my daughter the specific school. I believe it was one of the local Cal States that, for her, is a backup school. If I recall correctly she said the next math class after calculus for engineering majors there includes differential equations and other topics; the course catalog shows it as an upper division course not open to freshmen.</p>
<p>An upper division course would be a junior or senior level course. Shouldn’t there be a sophomore level multivariable calculus course and linear algebra course?</p>
<p>Even so, it seems very odd that frosh cannot take upper division courses that they have the prerequisites for.</p>
<p>Engineering students may still wish to take Calc 1 and/or 2 at college, even if they already have AP credit. Regardless what the AP marketers claim, HS AP classes really aren’t equivalent to college classes. Engineering depends so much on good Calc fundamentals, so it is important to have a really solid footing.</p>
<p>When I was an undergrad (a very long time ago) I started out as a freshman taking Calc 3, after my AP Calc BC test placed me out of Calc 1 and 2, and boy did I struggle that first semester. The college did not have a perfect alignment in curriculum with the AP material. If I had to do it all over again, I would have started with Calc 2, not Calc 3.</p>
<p>Check what the school recommends. My D is at a small engineering school and she went into Calc 3. They have so many kids do this that they have separate sections just for freshmen. That works out well if the prof finds they need to review something from Calc 1 or 2. While a few kids struggle, most thrive with this approach.</p>
<p>My D, at an elite engineering U, did as sacchi suggests, taking calc2 as a first-semester college freshman after having done well in AP CalcBC. She does not consider it wasted time. At least 1/3 of the material in her calc2 class was new to her. Even the topics that she had seen before were presented with more depth and harder problem sets. She feels it was valuable prep for her subsequent classes.</p>
<p>That is why checking the old final exams of the courses that may be skipped would be a good idea when making this decision, instead of making this decision blindly. Some students with AP credit are fully ready to move on, so retaking the course would be a boring waste of time and tuition. But others may not know the material well enough to move on.</p>